Chelsea Insider Low - Cadogan

40 | THINGS TO DO | Green spacesCremorne GardensThis garden has good views and commemoratesthe former riverside pleasuregardens, which opened in 1845 andclosed in 1877. The Cremorne PleasureGardens hosted entertainment includingconcerts, balloon ascents and fireworks.Whistler captured the scene inNocturne in Black and Gold – the FallingRocket, which became the subject of alibel case (see Art).Cremorne Gardens was regarded assomewhere where respectable womenwould not wish to be seen alone, and itfaced heavy criticism from its neighbours.Staffed garden, open 7.30am untildusk. Public toilet facilities.Lots Road, SW10Dovehouse GreenA gift to the borough from Sir HansSloane in 1733, this was used as a burialground until 1824. It was developed in1947-50, when the small area wasopened to the public and the mortuarywas demolished.The Chelsea Society and the RoyalBorough of Kensington and Chelseaturned the space into a garden in 1977for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee andrenamed it Dovehouse Green. Thegarden was reworked again in 2003 forthe Queen’s Golden Jubilee. It is a quietspot to sit and escape the commotion ofthe King’s Road.Dovehouse Street, SW3Roper’s GardenClose to Chelsea Old Church, thisgarden was once an orchard, whichSir Thomas More gave to his daughter,Margaret, when she married WilliamRoper in 1521. The buildings weredestroyed by a parachute mine in April1941 and a sunken garden was createdon the site in March 1964.An ancient cherry tree was planted init to mark the visit of Gunji Koizumi, a‘The Female Blondin’Cremorne Pleasure Gardens drew crowds towatch spectacles, and one of these was anattempt by Madame Genevieve, or ‘theFemale Blondin’ as she was billed, to crossthe Thames from the gardens to Batterseaon a tightrope in August 1861. It nearlyended in disaster.After she had started crossing thetightrope, the guy ropes were cut by someoneso they could steal the lead weights.She managed to avoid danger by slidingdown a rope and reaching a boat on theThames. The tried again a week later andsuccessfully completed the stunt.martial arts master who introduced judoto the UK in 1918.Cheyne Walk, SW3St Luke’s GardenThe gardens next to St Luke’s Churchhave beautiful flower displays, a playgroundand a games area (see Sports).They are a popular place to sit.The site was consecrated in 1812 tocope with the parish’s growing populationand it was used as a burial grounduntil 1857. It became a public garden in1881 and the gravestones were movedto form a boundary wall. The gardenswere developed in 1887, and the churchand the gardens are Grade II listed.Open 7.30am until dusk.Sydney Street, SW3.Good sportsSweat it out on the squash court, testyourself on a treadmill, or leave it to theprofessionals from the comfort of thestands at Stamford Bridge with thisrun-down of some of the area’s stunningsport and leisure venuesChelsea FCNow one of the top teams in the world,Chelsea Football Club was founded in1905 by two brothers, HA and JT Mears.They entered the second tier of theEnglish Football Leagues and immediatelybegan drawing big crowds – on GoodFriday that year, their match againstManchester United was attended by67,000 people.After only two seasons in existence,Chelsea FC reached Division One – thehighest level of competition in the Englishgame at the time. They found success inthe 1950s, 1960s and 1990s, winningthe League Division One title in 1955 andFA Cup titles in 1970, 1997 and 2000.On July 2, 2003, Roman Abramovichbought the club and made it a globalpowerhouse overnight. In his first offseasonperiod, Abramovich spent morethan £100 million on players. During theRussian oligarch’s ownership of the club,Chelsea has finished either first or secondin all but one Premier League seasons(2008-9). It also won three FA Cuptitles, reached the final of the UEFAChampions League (2007-8), and haslifted the Football League Cup and theFA Charity/Community Shield twice.The Stadium, Stamford Bridge, seats41,841 spectators and prices range from£41 to £87 for a Premier League fixture.Tickets for matches are often hard tocome by – they only go on general saleafter being offered to members and season-ticketholders. If any are available,they appear two weeks from the date ofthe fixture.Stamford Bridge, Fulham Road, SW61HS. Ticketing sales & enquiries: 08719841 905 (UK), +44 207 835 6000 (Intl.)www.chelseafc.comSport centres andfacilitiesChelsea Sports CentreInside its charming exterior, the ChelseaSports Centre houses a swimming pooland has facilities for five-a-side football,basketball, badminton and table tennis.There’s also a gym (see Fitness Centres).Monday-Friday 6.30am-10pm,Saturday 8am-8pm, Sunday 8am-10pm.Chelsea Manor Street, SW3 5PLT: 020 7352 6985www.gll.org/centre/chelsea-sportscentre.aspChelseaSportsCentre