Ever since they were first opened in 1938 the Kensington Roof Gardens, on the roof of what used to be Derry and Toms, has been a haven of calm above busy Kensington High St. Built at a cost of £25,000 and boasting more than five hundred species of plants and shrubs, they’re now Grade II listed as a place of specific historical interest by English Heritage.
The gardens are divided into three areas, of which the formal Spanish garden is the largest and most attractive. Based on the Alhambra in Granada, it has a real continental feel.
There’s a Moorish style retiring room.
And it even produces its own grapes.
The Tudor garden is made up of three courtyards with red brick walls and four tudor style arches.
Beyond the Tudor Garden is the English woodland and wildlife garden, best seen in spring when thousands of narcissus, crocus, snowdrops, and bluebells come into flower. Some of the trees are seventy-five years old including the American Red, Mulberry Tree and Japanese maple and are subject to a tree preservation order.
The flamingoes live near the tiny lake in the English Garden, pottering around happily oblivious to visitors. (You can spot one lurking in the picture above if you look carefully.)
The Roof Gardens now belong to Virgin Media and are open to the public but if you’re planning to visit it’s best to phone ahead and make sure they’re not closed for a private function.
Nice post again but have you temporarily abandoned Japan?
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I’m just broadening my remit. There’s so much to see in London I didn’t want to limit myself.
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I must say I do enjoy reading about your London peregrinations!
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Thanks!
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If I didn’t know that the Roof Gardens definitely exist, I would find this post hard to believe. Gardens like this, on a roof, in London? Mad.
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And they’ve been there for 75 years!
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How lovely and do you say that this is on a roof of a building?? Too good to be true. And too spacious for London!
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There’s lots of room on top of buildings for spacious gardens!
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Beautiful place, need to visit.
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I’m sure you’ll like it. Love your blog by the way!
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Thank you!
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I had absolutely no idea this place existed! Thank you!
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Always happy to be of help!
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Apart from the name, I have not came across them and thought they were history. They look so wonderful, thanks fro bringing them to us.
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It’s nice that they’re still there – it’s years since I last visited.
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How lovely to come across this post while catching up on some blog reading. We used to be taken to the roof gardens by my aunt as children when we visited her. 45 years on I still have strong memories of the tudor garden and of how quiet and peaceful it was. I’ve not been since I was at college, time for another visit me thinks.
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Yes, it’s lovely that it’s survived all these years despite various changes of ownership, and that it’s still open to the public.
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