High St. Kensington Arcade

High St. Kensington Arcade

High St. Kensington Entrance

High St. Kensington Entrance

High St. Kensington Platform

High St. Kensington Platform

 

The first station on Kensington High Streetwas built in 1863 and was a beautiful Palladian mansion like a plantation house (only bigger). The platform and tracks were covered by a massive iron and glass roof. Even more amazing than the appearance of the station is the identity of the previous occupant of the site. William Cobbett, the radical reformer, owned a seed farm on this land. In a shed at the rear he published a newspaper The Political Register, in which he pressed for electoral reform. In 1821 he set off on horse back for a tour of England. Returning to the farm he wrote up his observations. The material was very controversial and critical of the government. He was eventually imprisoned for sedition. Adjoining the farm was Tucker's Candle factory and one of the most notorious slums in London, Market Court. The station was demolished in 1906 and rebuilt complete with a shopping arcade.

 

Kensington Arcade is the entrance to the station. The station itself has four platforms - two through platforms and two bay platforms. Platform 1 is used for anti-clockwise Circle line and westbound District line line trains towards Gloucester Road and Earl's Court, respectively. Platform 2 is for clockwise Circle line and eastbound District line trains towards Edgware Road. Platforms 3 and 4 are used for terminating District line trains from Earl's Court. Platform 3 is usually used for the Olympia service and platform 4 is usually only used at the start and end of the day. There used to be a waiting room between Platform 2 & 3 for customer use, but this was turned into a staff room for drivers shortly before the Circle line Hammersmith Extension was implemented in December 2009. It has payphones and wi-fi and, according to TfL, a waiting room.

 

Connections: District Line. London Buses routes 9, 10, 27, 28, 49, 52, 70, 328, 452 and C1 and night bus routes N9, N28 and N31 serve the station. National Express Coaches 701/702 serve the station.