Kensington Living

Dukes Lane is a small discrete street running west of Kensington Church Street into Pitt Street. The whole of the north side of the street consists of a 10 foot high wall but the south side has some interesting old cottages, mainly painted white, abutting immediately onto the pavement. Queen Anne Cottages is a particularly attractive group. One of the houses has an attractive plaque at first floor level.

There is an interesting building called Dukes Lane Chambers, which has a small gated courtyard, resembling something out of northern Italy. Next door is a virtually hidden covered pathway, about 3 feet wide, called Carmel Court, which is surrounded by a labyrinth of old cottages.

Dukes Lane is similar to Shepherds Market, but without the crowds, and is very much ‘old Kensington’ of the days when it was still a village. It is well worth exploring.

Duke's Lane was known as Campden Lane in the 18th century when it was part of the lands of Campden House, owned by the Lechmere family. In 1722 a bricklayer named John Jones bought land in the area and started house-building. Lord Lechmere objected to him using a private lane to move building materials and their dispute ended in a brawl of workers and Jones was hauled off to Newgate Prison. Jones unsuccessfully tried to bribe the constable who had witnessed the brawl to give evidence for him at trial. He died later in the year before the case was settled.

His widow Rebecca and his nephew John Price inherited his estate. Jones had begun building four houses in Duke's Lane, which they finished. The houses were later rebuilt.