the Cosmopolitan Notting Hill's development

The History of Notting Hill The Notting Hill area has a rich and varied history. As the area continues to develop, it is important to consider the history so that the area can maintain some its interesting heritage. Understanding the history of Notting Hill also helps us to understand how the area looks today.

Pre-19th Century The Notting Hill area can be found in records dating as far back as the 13th Century, albeit under an earlier version of the name; Knottynghull. The Knott section of the name may have been derived from the Viking king Cnut. If this is the case, then it is likely that a settlement at Notting Hill has existed in some form for over 1000 years. In the 18th century, Notting Hill became known for its brick making and pig farming industries. The soil in the area contained high levels of clay and was therefore perfect for brick manufacture. The extraction of the clay for the production of bricks and pottery left a number of large holes around the area. A number of firing kilns also appeared in the area to facilitate the making of bricks. One of these historic kilns can still be seen on Walmer Road. Many of the local pig farmers were forced to live in squalor due to the rapid expansion of the area and the westward expansion on London. Sanitation in the area was poor and many of the clay extraction holes filled up with sewage, pig slurry and stagnant water.

Development in the 19th Century In the early 19th century, wealthy landowner James Well Ladbroke began to develop his Notting Hill estate into a carefully planned suburb. He aimed to attract wealthy Londoners to move to the area. His development mainly consisted of large terraced houses with communal garden areas or “pleasure grounds”. These houses were largely used by upper middle class families who had a small number of servants. The area also became popular with the artistic and cultural elites of London. Notting Hill was subsequently featured in a number of late 19th and early 20th century works.

Post-War London During the Blitz, a large number of the townhouses in Notting Hill were damaged or destroyed by bombs. In response to the changing demographics of the area, many of these houses were rebuilt as Homes of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs). HMOs normally contained private bedroom areas for occupants, but communal areas such as the kitchen and bathroom would be shared with others in the house. Many landlords took advantage of this change of use and many of the homes in Notting Hill became slums. One particular landlord who operated in the area, Peter Rachman, became so infamous for his dealings that the term “Rachmanism” began to be used to describe the exploitation and intimidation of tenants. Notting Hill was once again thought of as one of the worst areas of London. Ultimately, the housing conditions in the Notting Hill area helped to improve rented housing across the whole country. The Notting Hill Housing Trust was integral in shaping and supporting legislation that was designed to improve the standards of rented accommodation for all tenants.

The Black Friar, Notting Hill in London, England. Afro-Caribbean Immigration The cultural heritage of Notting Hill also began to change in the post-war period as an Afro-Caribbean community began to develop in the area. Many of these residents had come to Britain following the 1948 British Nationality Act, which allowed all Commonwealth citizens to have the full right to settle in the UK. Many of the new residents in Notting Hill came from the West Indies area of the Caribbean. They found work doing low-paid manual labour roles and they found cheap accommodation in the slums in the area. This often put the new residents in direct competition with white working-class residents of the area, who were already experiencing poverty and exploitation from unscrupulous employers and slum landlords.

Notting Hill Gate in the early 1900s Race Riots In the 1950s immigrants started arriving from the West Indies, something which caused tension among the existing white population. The new arrivals were unwelcome, and barred from local pubs, they opened their own illegal bars and clubs. Moreover, few landlords would accept black tenants, giving greedy landlords like Peter Rachman the opportunity to make fast money by housing large numbers of people in tiny, slum properties at extortionate rates. Tensions in the Notting Hill area came to a head in 1958, following an attack on a white woman of Swedish descent. She was attacked by a small group of white youths because she was known to be married to a black Jamaican immigrant. Following the initial attack, the group grew larger and began to target homes where there were known to be West Indian residents. Fighting, rioting and civil unrest spread throughout the Notting Hill area as black residents took to the streets to protect themselves. Over 140 people were arrested over the course of the riots, which lasted for around a week.

Rubbish is strewn across Acklam Road, West London, following last night's scenes of violence when the Notting Hill West Indian carnival erupted in rioting Notting Hill Carnival Notting Hill Carnival emerged partly as a response to the troubles and partly as a way for the local Afro Caribbean residents to celebrate their culture. The first one was initially intended to be a children’s fayre, with music courtesy of the steel bands who regularly played in Earl’s Court. But although the carnival didn’t take place in Notting Hill till the mid-60s, the event actually has its roots in the Caribbean carnival organised by Claudia Jones, the communist founder of the West Indian Gazette. In January 1959 St. Pancras town hall hosted the first evening of Caribbean music, dancing and food. Today Notting Hill Carnival attracts around a million people every August Bank Holiday, making it the biggest carnival second only to Rio de Janeiro’s. Following the rioting in Notting Hill, local residents and activists decided to hold a Caribbean Carnival to celebrate Afro-Caribbean culture in the United Kingdom. The carnival was held in St Pancras town hall and was televised on the BBC as a way to improve race relations. Within a few years, the Notting Hill carnival had become an annual event which attracted thousands of people, including many visitors from outside of the West Indian community. The Notting Hill Carnival is now the largest carnival in Europe and attracts over 1 million visitors per year. During the 60s the existence of underground (and often illegal) music venues made Notting Hill hip - it’s fair to say that in the 1960s Portobello Road rivalled the King’s Road in the pop culture stakes. Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton lived in the area, Jimi Hendrix tragically died here. W11 was immortalised in album covers and feature films, and venues like The Globe, The Tabernacle and All Saints Church Hall saw the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley and Pink Floyd performing. Record shops opened in the area, mostly stocking rock, reggae, dub and ska, some of which are still open today, like People’s Sound on All Saints Road, and most famously Rough Trade. Unfortunately once London’s swinging era was over things started to turn sour again. In 1976 a bloody riot erupted at Notting Hill Carnival. A recently passed law, known as the “sus” law, meant that police officers could stop and search anyone without hard evidence - if the officer suspected an individual might be planning a crime, they could be detained. This coupled with the fact that 3,000 police officers turned up to the carnival – ten times more than at previous events – turned out to be too much provocation for many black youths, who felt they were being targeted. 100 officers and 60 revellers were taken to hospital, and there were two convictions. The infamous Trellick Tower, a 31-storey council block, was finished in 1972, and is a prime example of Notting Hill’s transformation over the last three decades. Designed in the Brutalist style of the era by Erno Goldfinger, it was hated by many – Ian Fleming loathed it so much he named a Bond villain after the architect. But it wasn’t just its grey, depressing appearance; the lifts hardly worked, the smell of urine permeated the bock, and there were reports of vandalism, burglaries, and even rape and suicide. Cheap, attractive houses encouraged young professionals and families to move to Notting Hill in the 1980s. Former multi-occupancy dwellings were restored to single-family homes or turned into flats, and as the income of the inhabitants rose, shops, restaurants and bars became upmarket. Nowadays designer boutiques and delis line Ledbury Road, and the average cost of a one bedroom flat is a cool half a million. The Trellick Tower has been deemed a Grade II listed building and a two bedroom flat can fetch half a million pounds – the high rise has become a prime property location. Notting Hill still has a large Afro-Caribbean population, and Westbourne Park is home to the largest Moroccan community in London. There are smaller Asian and Spanish contingents among others, evidenced in shops, restaurants and cafes of different nationalities, ensuring that despite its gentrification, W11 remains vibrant. After all, even Richard Curtis’ rom-com couldn’t ruin the neighbourhood. Gentrification In the late 20th Century, Notting Hill started to regain popularity amongst upper middle class Londoners. Many of the former HMOs have been converted back into large, single occupancy houses. The area has once again become a home to cultural elites and wealthy politicians. Notting Hill has some of the highest house prices in the country. The area is also home to a large number of independent shops, restaurants and cafés.

Portobello Road [Kensington and Chelsea] References: 1. https://www.mynottinghill.co.uk 2. https://www.allinlondon.co.uk