The best of Chelsea by the people who know - Cadogan

20 | STREETS & SIGHTS |
during the Second World War. Parts of
the hospital were also damaged by
bombs in 1918, rebuilt in 1923 and
destroyed again by a V2 rocket in 1945.
The Margaret Thatcher Infirmary with its
125 en suite bedrooms, built by Quinlan
Terry, was opened in 2009 to provide
state-of-the-art care.
The creation of the Chelsea
Embankment resulted in the loss of
Wren’s original formal gardens, and the
Royal Hospital has lost and gained land
over the years. Today, the grounds cover
66 acres.
The Chelsea Pensioners’ Appeal, a
registered charity, is campaigning to raise
£30 million to update the living accommodation
in the Long Wards, which are
already being refurbished, hoping to
change wooden cubicle berths and
shared bathrooms into modern en-suite
study bedrooms. (For more information
about visiting the Royal Hospital
Chelsea, see Museums and Green
Spaces.)
• For the National Army Museum, see
Museums.
• For the Chelsea Physic Garden, see
Green Spaces.
• For Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and
Foxtrot Oscar, see Restaurants.
Sloane Square
Sloane Square was part of the 1771
Hans Town development designed by
Henry Holland and his son, also called
Henry, and named after Sir Hans Sloane
(see Hans Town panel on page 23). In
those days, it had a small green in the
centre and Blandel Bridge crossed the
River Westbourne in the eastern corner.
The bridge was known as 'the bloody
bridge’ because it was a notorious spot
for highwaymen, muggings and murders.
Many of the premises in this area were
utilitarian in nature at first.
By the 19th century, roads had sprung
up to connect the surrounding streets.
Sloane Square station opened in 1868
(see Sloane Square Station) and Peter
Jones was created when draper Peter
Rees Jones opened shops at the top
end of King's Road, redeveloping them
as a single building in the 1880s (see
Peter Jones in Shopping). The building
that houses the Royal Court Theatre was
built in 1888 (see Royal Court Theatre
in Theatre).
The Venus Fountain at the centre of
the square is Grade II-listed and was
sculpted by Gilbert Ledward. It was
installed in 1953 and shows a kneeling
Venus pouring water from a conch shell,
while the basin depicts Charles II and his
mistress, actress Nell Gwyn.
Several proposals to redevelop the
square have been put forward in recent
years. A public consultation was held in
2007 about changes to the road layout,
including a plan to create a crossroads.
However, the plans were not popular and
a renovation of the square was carried
out instead.
Sloane Square Station
Sloane Square Station serves the District
and Circle Underground lines and is on
the south-eastern corner of the Square,
next to the Royal Court Theatre. The station
was opened in 1868 as part of the
District line.
The River Westbourne, one of
London’s ‘lost rivers’, flows above the
tracks in a pipe on its way from its
source at Hampstead Heath to the
Thames at Chelsea Hospital.
The station was rebuilt in the late 1930s
but it was heavily bombed in the Second
World War. In November 1940, bombs
fell on the station causing the roof to collapse
while a train was at the platform,
killing or seriously injuring 79 people.
Another tragedy at the station was the
death of Peter Llewelyn Davies, the
inspiration for JM Barrie’s Peter Pan, who
committed suicide on the tracks.
Holy Trinity
Sloane Square
Despite being known as Holy Trinity Sloane
Square, this church is actually on Sloane Street.
One of London’s most beautiful buildings, it
was built in 1888 by John Dando Sedding, an
architect inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement,
which promoted skilled, hand-crafted
work as a reaction to industrialisation.
The church was described by poet John
Betjeman as “the cathedral of the Arts and
Crafts movement”, featuring works by William
Morris, Edward Burne-Jones and Christopher
Whall, among others.
The roof was destroyed by incendiary bombs
during the Blitz, but the church was restored by
the 1960s. The beautiful stained-glass windows,
made by William Morris & Co, Sir William
Blake Richmond and Christopher Whall, have
been returned to their former glory and are
once again a showcase for the Arts and
Crafts style.
Music is very important at Holy Trinity –
Sedding himself was an organist, so the church
was designed with a huge organ chamber more
than 40ft high. The Sunday morning services
include music and there are often concerts held
at the church.
The restoration of the organ began in July
2011, funded by the Cadogan family and
Cadogan Estates Ltd. The original was built by
James John Walker and completed in 1891. It
has been modified and repaired many times
since then, including an unfortunate incident in
1967 when a member of staff fell into the second
largest pipe while replacing glue on the
joints (he survived). The rebuilt organ, which will
have a completely new structure and mechanism
while retaining most of the historic
pipework, is expected to be completed in late
summer 2012. Made by Harrison & Harrison
organ builders, it will have 4,200 pipes, ranging
from three-quarters of an inch to 32 feet.
For more information, telephone 020 7730
7270 or visit www.holytrinitysloanesquare.co.uk.