Chelsea Insider Low - Cadogan

46 | INSIDER | Open spacesChelsea Physic Garden,Royal Hospital RoadWalk past Wren’s glorious Royal Hospital(the finest brick building in London?)towards the river, past Gordon Ramsay’sflagship restaurant and arrive at anunpretentious brick wall. Hiding behindthat long, low wall is the ultimate secretgarden – the Chelsea Physic Garden.It has been there since 1673, when theriver was its southern boundary andships moored there with plants discoveredfrom all around the world.Explore and enjoy the greatest varietyof trees and rare plants in London: themagical miniature world of the Victorianfernery, a special land of natural medicineand perfumed flowers. Where better,ever, anywhere, to take tea and cake ona summer’s afternoon?Albert BridgeI’m so glad the bridge is back in actionand reborn out of its scaffold shroud ofthe past two years. I missed it like an oldfriend.My favourite gateway into Chelsea (Igrew up south of the river), it is alwaysThe Insider’s Guideto open spacesBy Paul Davis,local architectand lover ofLondon past andpresent. Onceupon a timehe raced carsbut now, forrelaxation, hegardens andplants treesthe prettiest of London bridges. At night itsparkles in the Thames, like the thresholdinto a magic kingdom.Go and stand on it at dawn, see the sunrise over Battersea Park and the grand oldPower Station, the seabirds wading at lowtide, stillness and space in the middle ofLondon. At sunset, sometimes the waterseems to catch fire, all the reds of a paintbox colouring in the water around thehouseboats. Even the chimneys of LotsRoad Power Station appear romantic inthe evening light. No wonder Turner andWhistler loved to paint this panorama,available to us all.Chelsea Arts Club,Old Church StreetAnother treat only found in Chelsea.Beyond the snooker table, the piano, therandom bucket leather chairs in the bigbow window, you will find the garden.The crumpled flagstones characterfullyshabby, the rose arbour glorious in whiteblooming all summer long. Explore thegarden’s corners, the romantic secretnook hidden behind the statue of Diana.Reinvented (in part) only recently, thequirky thatched arcade under the cleverlycropped cupressus trees, a columnarcolonnade, provides shelter from the rainwhile supping wine, smoking cigars anddebating the vagaries of artistic directions.Ranelagh Gardens,Royal Hospital Chelsea,Royal Hospital RoadThis shady retreat is a place of absurdextremes. In June, it is one of the mostdensely populated places during theChelsea Flower Show. That is a wonderfulevent and part of what makesChelsea world-class. But for 11 monthsof the year, it is almost forgotten.Walk through the London Gate of theRoyal Hospital, past Light Horse Courtand into Ranelagh Gardens and don’t besurprised if you find yourself in your ownprivate park, alone. The idea I most love,as you walk towards the river in leafysolitude, is that 270 years ago this wasthe site of London’s most fashionablepleasure ground.Designed by William Jones and paintedby Canaletto, the Rotunda, a magnificent120ft diameter domed pavilion, was partof the riverside setting with Wren’smasterpiece.This is where the ‘masquerade’ wasintroduced to the English public, whenoysters were common fare, whereprinces and dukes mingled with peoplefrom all walks of life.Mozart played there as a nine-year-oldwhile living in Ebury Street just aroundthe corner. Nell Gwyn was there andcourtship was in the air.The entrance fee was two shillings andsixpence then – now it is free.Chelsea GreenThe heart of an urban village in the middleof a world city. A tiny triangle of openspace, dissected by a path lined withbenches and adorned with two cherrytrees (best at springtime in pink blossom).Most remarkable is the atmosphereand character created by useful, everydayand still elegant (it is Chelsea, afterall) shops. A real fishmonger, open-frontedwith traditional grey Carrara marble slabs;the pie (Man) shop; a local butcher; Finn’sfine food delicatessen; Jane Asher’s cakeshop and an excellent wine merchant.Especially essential, there is a goodpharmacy, newsagent, dry cleaner andshoe repairs, a picture framer and, mostimportantly (this little boy never grew up),a wonderful toy shop. The few clothesboutiques here are not to be found onevery high street or miserable mall.Tom Aikens and others provide varietyin restaurants and not a Starbucks insight – hooray!