The Literary Landmarks to Visit in and around Kensington
For a long time Kensington has been home to some of the most affluent in London society. Writers of many different generations have either been born there or chosen to move there once their fame has provided adequate financial means. This has bred a rich vein of literary history to be found in the bricks and mortar which gave rise to some of our most iconic literature. Here are the most famous literary landmarks to check out while you’re in Kensington.
Kensington Gardens
Apart from being a lovely place for a stroll, Kensington Gardens used to be the private gardens of Kensington Palace where Princes William and Harry now live. Go to the gardens to see a statue of Peter Pan, erected in 1919 after the phenomenal success of J. M. Barrie’s 1906 novel. The gardens were a huge inspiration for the novelist whose tale has been immortalised in the hearts of millions by Disney.
Kensington’s Blue Plaques
1. T. S. Eliot
Building
Henry James
Another Anglo-American writer to follow Eliot, Henry James’s heyday came slightly before his contemporary. He lived in De Vere Gardens between 1886 to 1898, during which time he would have been working on The Ambassadors – a novel split between America and Paris –, and the haunting The Turn of the Screw. He moved to Kensington from a flat in the then dingy Mayfair, however surprising that may seem to modern day Londoners. He stayed for over a decade before uprooting to leafy Sussex.
2. Ezra Pound
Building
3. William Makepeace Thackeray
Building
4. Wyndham Lewis
Building
5. G. K. Chesterton
Building
6. Walter Pater
Building
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