Chelsea and the King’s Road: the back story

About Chelsea and the King’s Road: the back story

By the ULTIMATE London Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Chelsea was a riverside village until the 19th century, beloved of artists and writers; in the 1960s and 1970s the King’s Road made it the centre of London fashion.

A village of artists

Painters such as J.M.W. Turner and James McNeill Whistler worked along Cheyne Walk, and writers including Thomas Carlyle lived nearby.

The Royal Hospital

Sir Christopher Wren’s Royal Hospital Chelsea, founded by Charles II in 1682, is still home to the Chelsea Pensioners, veterans in scarlet coats; its grounds host the Chelsea Flower Show each May.

The King’s Road was once a private road for the king’s journey to Kew.

The King’s Road

Originally a private road for King Charles II, the King’s Road became the heart of Swinging London, with Mary Quant’s boutique, and later of punk, with Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren’s shop at World’s End.

Our advice: walk the King’s Road from Sloane Square to World’s End, detour to the Royal Hospital and the river, and end at a Chelsea pub.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Chelsea and the King’s Road: the back story before you go.