Kensington Property Sales Area Profile

What to know about Kensington

The Kensington branch of Marsh & Parsons was our first estate agency branch and we have operated within the area since 1856. The office sells flats and houses in the most expensive and exclusive district of London where houses can change hands for as much as £70 million. The heart of Kensington boasts the bustling shopping streets of Kensington High Street and Kensington Church Street, where boutiques and high-street chains rub shoulders with antique dealers all complemented by a variety of sophisticated bars, pubs and restaurants.

One of the biggest attractions of Kensington, however, is its palace and gardens which borders Hyde Park, and the most expensive property overlooks these beautiful open spaces. In Kensington Palace Gardens W8, Bernie Ecclestone and steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal both have homes.

As one of Kensington premier estate agents, Marsh & Parsons not only sells flats and houses in this exclusive enclave but also throughout the entire W8 area.

Property types in Kensington

As one of the most sought after areas in London and with a history that dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, there is a rich selection of property in and around the Kensington area. A large proportion of Kensington and W8 property dates back to the Victorian and Georgian era and offer attractive period buildings that now take the form of detached houses, town houses, mansion blocks and period conversions. Being one of the most affluent areas of London, there are a number of highly popular, private roads in Kensington and numerous, beautiful garden squares that make W8 one of the most desired areas of London, if not the UK, to live in. Additionally, Kensington is one of the few areas of London that can boast almost no high rise buildings spoiling the skyline.

So, what will you get for your money in Kensington W8?

Craig Tonkin, Associate Director of the Kensington Church Street branch says that prices start at about £350,000 for a studio flat in a mansion block, such as Chatsworth Court and Marlborough Court W8. "One-bedroom flats in the Hillgate Street conservation area sell from about £500,000," says Craig. "But you can buy one with a roof terrace in Hornton Street, for example, for £800,000 or in Lexham Gardens for between £750,000 and £850,000." Campden Hill W8 and its surrounding streets which are equidistant from both Notting Hill Gate and High Street Kensington tube stations are among the most sought after addresses, but they were not always so glamorous with Campden Street and Peel Street once an area of low-income housing with no sewers known as The Racks where people and pigs lived together!

The price of apartments for sale in the area can go far higher and in Abingdon Gardens at the western end of the High Street, three-bedroom flats now sell for close to £3 million. Families looking for houses for sale in Kensington can expect to pay between £2 million and £3 million for a two or three bedroom house in Hillgate Village, which is handy for both Notting Hill and High Street Kensington tube station.
On the Phillimore Estate on roads such as Argyll Road and Essex Villas W8 prices rise to about £8.5 million and sometimes much more, but Kensington Palace Gardens is the most expensive road in the UK and properties here run in to tens of millions of pounds.

What else can you expect from Kensington W8?

Craig Tonkin says that people choose to live in Kensington "not only because of the excellent transport links, good local schools and beautiful parks but also because it is a safe place to live" being one of London's most secure neighbourhoods. Schools are certainly a big attraction for buyers moving into Kensington and the Good Schools Guide lists more than a dozen, including Ashbourne, Thomas's, Collingham, Mander Portman Woodward, Our Lady of Victories, Francis Holland and Saint Philip's.

Kensington also has some of the best pubs in London, including The Churchill, on Church Street, whose walls are adorned with Second World War memorabilia, and the Elephant and Castle on Holland Street, just behind the High Street. The Piano Bar, behind a tiny door on the High Street, is a real gem where Bazz Norton and his grand piano entertain drinkers with a wide mix of tunes and requests. For formal dining, residents are spoilt for choice, from Sally Clarke's to Kensington Place, The Orangery in the grounds of the palace and Maggie Jones's named after Princess Margaret.

For shoppers, there is a vast array of boutiques, supermarkets and specialist retailers. The former Barkers department store has recently been with a Whole Foods supermarket and on Saturdays, Kensington hosts its own farmers market.

To add to all this there is a wealth of major, cultural centres in Kensington, with the area around Exhibition Road in South Kensington housing many of London’s major museums and educational centres, the V&A Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum not to mention the famous and grand music and entertainment venue of the Royal Albert Hall. In addition, there is a wealth of smaller institutions including the Museum of Brands, the Leighton Museum and the National Army Museum, you will never be short of something to do and see in the Kensington area!

Our estate agents at Marsh & Parsons pride themselves on the quality and depth of their local knowledge, we make it our business to know just what goes on in Kensington, and there is a lot going on!

Green spaces in Kensington

Of the eight Royal Parks in London, Kensington is home to two of them. Kensington Gardens, once the private gardens of Kensington Palace, and adjoining Hyde Park both offer residents vast expanses of green, open spaces. Kensington Gardens boasts the Serpentine Lake, the Albert memorial and the famous statue of Peter Pan! Meanwhile, Hyde Park, one of London’s largest parks, lays claim to the other half of the Serpentine Lake as well as Speakers’ Corner, the Holocaust Memorial and a memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales. Coming to life around Christmas time, Hyde Park hosts a Winter Wonderland, with festive, wooden stalls selling stocking fillers and mulled wine, and the Ferris Wheel forming the central attraction!

In addition to the large parks, there are numerous garden squares in Kensington built for use of the residents in the surrounding area. Of all of the garden squares in London, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has the largest proportion boasting over 100 garden squares!

Transport links in Kensington

There are excellent transport links in Kensington including London Underground services from the following stations:

Kensington (Olympia) also operates National Rail services.

Click here for an Underground Map.

The road links are superb, with the A4 and M4 taking drivers west to Heathrow or east into central London and bus links are also first-class.

For more information about the bus routes in the Kensington area click here.

Which London Borough is Kensington in?

The Kensington area is covered by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Please click here for more information relating to council tax bands, parking permits and healthcare services in Kensington.

How can I find out about schools in the Kensington area?

For a comprehensive list of schools in the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea please click here.