Located very close to the centre of London, in the district of Kensington is the inner-city district of Earls Court. The centre of the district is earls Court Road. The district is the home of one of the largest indoor exhibition halls and concert venues in the country, Earls Court Exhibition Centre.
Earls Court was a sleepy hamlet, a rural area primarily dedicated to market gardens, it remained that way for years. When a railway station was built by the metropolitan District Railway, things began to change rapidly. When the station was completed in 1869, the population mushroomed, there were over 1200 homes, a number of churches and hotels in Earls Court began to spring up.
After the Second World War the area became quite a magnet for transient New Zealanders and Australians, so much so that the area took the name, “Kangaroo Valley.” After the war, the area was one of the least expensive places in Greater London to stay; it contained numerous low cost hotels in Earls Court, but no more. The area is now very popular and the economics of skyrocketing property prices show in a gentrification of the area.
Over the years, many rather notable people lived and stayed in hotels in Earls Court. Recognizable names such as Alfred Hitchcock, Princess Diana prior to her marriage to Prince Charles, Freddy Mercury of Queen fame and many more have at one time called Earls Court home.
Local attractions:
London is a delight for anyone, regardless of their tastes, likes or desires. Earls Court is convenient to many notable are well known places and areas. Within a comfortable walk, one can be in Hyde Park, Royal Albert Hall, The Victoria and Albert Museum and Kensington High Street.
One of the biggest draws in Earls Court is the exhibition centre; it is also one of the primary reasons why there are many hotels in Earls Court. Although it is now competing with the National exhibition Centre in Birmingham, at one time the most prestigious shows were held in Earls Court, including, the annual Motor Sow, Royal Agricultural Show and Crufts, a world class dog show. Although many of the major exhibition events have migrated to Birmingham, Earls Court is being used more and more for live music, including visiting philharmonic orchestras at one end of the spectrum, to the farewell concert of “Take That”.
The architecture in earls Court shows ample evidence of early to mid-Victorian. There are still many beautiful squares and properties fronting them. There is still a great deal of early cast iron restorations for buffs of early architecture, the original cast iron was dedicated to the war effort but has been tastefully restored for the delight of tourists who elect to stay in hotels in Earls Court.
