Notting Hill and Holland Park: the back story

About Notting Hill and Holland Park: the back story

By the ULTIMATE London Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Notting Hill, west of Kensington Gardens, is famous for its pastel houses, Portobello Road Market and the Notting Hill Carnival; Holland Park, to the south, for its park and artists’ houses.

The Victorian estate

Notting Hill was developed in the mid-19th century with stucco terraces around private communal gardens, which remain for residents only.

Portobello Road

Portobello Road’s market grew in the 19th century and is now famous for its Saturday antiques, with food and vintage stalls further north.

Notting Hill’s pastel terraces were built for the Victorian middle classes and are now among London’s most photographed streets.

The Carnival

Each August Bank Holiday weekend, the Notting Hill Carnival, rooted in the Caribbean community, fills the streets with music, costumes and food.

Holland Park

To the south, Holland Park has the Kyoto Garden and peacocks, and Victorian artists built studio-houses nearby, among them Leighton House.

Our advice: come on a Saturday morning for the market, lunch on Westbourne Grove, and finish with a walk in Holland Park.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Notting Hill and Holland Park: the back story before you go.