With Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, beautiful green spaces are part of what makes Kensington such a special place to stay. Holland Park offers something a little different though. It may not be one of London’s Royal Parks, but that’s exactly what makes it feel so delightfully local. Its paths wind past garden walls, historic Holland House and even a peaceful Japanese garden – all surprisingly removed from Kensington High Street just outside the gates. Read on to discover how to enjoy a perfect day in one of Kensington’s loveliest corners.
Elegant Holland House in a 1907 photograph. (credit)
From Holland House to Holland Park
We love walking in London because history is simply everywhere – layered into streets and gardens you might pass without a second thought. Holland Park is a perfect example. Before it became the green space we know today, this entire area was part of the estate surrounding Holland House, a grand Jacobean mansion built in the early 17th century for Sir Walter Cope. Originally known as Cope Castle, the house later took the name Holland House after passing to Henry Rich, the Earl of Holland.
Remarkable photograph of Holland House library destroyed during WWII. (credit)
Over the centuries, Holland House became one of Kensington’s great social and cultural addresses, welcoming writers, politicians and artists. The house was largely destroyed during the Blitz in 1940, but important parts remain, including the east wing, sections of the ground floor and south facade, outbuildings and formal gardens. Today, these remnants give the park its atmospheric quality and form a dramatic backdrop to the open-air performances of Opera Holland Park.
A quiet corner to explore in London.
Start with a Stroll through the Gardens
Step through the gates of Holland Park from Kensington High Street and the city seems to fall away almost at once. That’s part of the magic of this park: one moment you’re surrounded by shops and restaurants, and the next you’re following a grand tree-lined path past lawns, garden walls and peaceful corners. It’s a lovely way to begin a day in Kensington, especially if you’re staying nearby and can slip in early for a morning stroll before the neighborhood fully wakes up.
Holland Park’s beautiful Kyoto Garden.
Follow the paths deeper into the park and you’ll eventually come to the Kyoto Garden, one of Holland Park’s most peaceful and memorable corners. With its waterfall, koi pond, stone lanterns and carefully planted maples, the garden is beautifully composed in every season, from spring greenery to a celebration of colors in autumn. Created as a gift from Kyoto to celebrate the friendship between Japan and Great Britain, it’s a place to slow down for a few moments, whether you stop for photos, quiet reflection or simply to enjoy the sound of the waterfall in the middle of Kensington.
You might also keep an eye out for Holland Park’s peacocks, who occasionally add a flash of color to the gardens. Though they do tend to appear entirely on their own schedule.
Relax in the gardens or stop in the café at the Leighton House.
Explore the Artists’ Homes Around Holland Park
Continue your walk just beyond the park and the surrounding streets reveal another side of Kensington’s history. In the late 19th century, Holland Park Road and nearby Melbury Road became one of London’s most creative addresses, home to a circle of artists who built remarkable studio-houses where they could live, work and welcome patrons. These homes were part private residence, part studio and part showcase – places where art was created, displayed and very much part of daily life. The finest surviving example open to visitors today is Leighton House at 12 Holland Park Road, one of London’s most extraordinary small museums.
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A visit to Leighton House is like stepping inside an artistic world. The grand north-facing studio showcases Leighton’s life as a working artist, while the spectacular Arab Hall is the showstopper, with its shimmering tiles, golden dome, fountain and richly layered color and design. Every room shows Leighton’s eye for beauty, from his travels and collecting to the way he created his home as a work of art in itself.
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Before heading back into the park, stop at the café at Leighton House – especially on a cooler day when a warm drink makes the perfect companion for a stroll through Holland Park. Architecture lovers may want to linger in the surrounding streets, where this artistic enclave is still part of the neighborhood’s character. Next door at 14 Holland Park Road, Valentine Prinsep’s former studio-house was designed by Philip Webb, an important Arts and Crafts architect closely associated with William Morris. Nearby Melbury Road was home to artists including Luke Fildes, G.F. Watts and William Holman Hunt, whose house and studio were at No. 18. Together, these homes helped make this corner of Kensington one of Victorian London’s most fashionable artistic addresses.
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For another view into Victorian life, visit Sambourne House at 18 Stafford Terrace, the preserved family home of illustrator Edward Linley Sambourne. While Leighton House shows the grand artistic ideal, Sambourne House feels more domestic – full of pattern, objects and the atmosphere of a late Victorian home. Together, they make this area around Holland Park feel like an open-air chapter of London’s artistic past.
Don’t miss the special exhibitions at the Design Museum at Holland Park.
Visit the Design Museum
After exploring the Victorian artists’ houses around Holland Park, the Design Museum offers a refreshing change of pace. Set just beside the park on Kensington High Street, it brings the story of design right into the present day, with exhibitions on contemporary creativity in all its forms – from fashion and architecture to graphics, product design and the ideas shaping how we live now.
It’s an easy stop to add to a perfect Holland Park day. You can wander the gardens in the morning, visit Leighton House or Sambourne House for a look into Kensington’s artistic past, then step into the Design Museum for a completely different perspective on the neighborhood’s cultural life. With a free permanent display and a changing program of special exhibitions, it’s always worth checking what’s on during your stay.
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Enjoy a Meal at Belvedere
For a more leisurely Holland Park visit, Belvedere is one of the park’s great pleasures. Set within the former ballroom of Holland House, the restaurant carries forward the area’s long tradition of entertaining in a setting that still feels wonderfully special. Even the name feels fitting: Belvedere comes from the Italian word meaning “beautiful view.”
Today, Belvedere pairs that historic setting with warm Tuscan interiors and a Mediterranean menu by chef Lello Favuzzi inspired by Southern Italy. It’s perfect for a relaxed lunch during a day in the park, an elegant dinner or a pre-opera drink if you’re planning an evening at Opera Holland Park.
For a more casual afternoon, pick up something nearby and enjoy a picnic on the grass. That’s part of the appeal of Holland Park – it can be as relaxed or as refined as you want it to be.
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Summer Evenings at Opera Holland Park
If you’re visiting London in summer, Opera Holland Park is one of the most memorable ways to experience the park. Performances take place in a canopied open-air theater beside the remains of Holland House, where the setting itself becomes part of the experience. It’s a beautiful blend of music and gardens that is one of the area’s great summer traditions.
Make an evening of it by arriving early for a walk through the park, stopping for a pre-performance drink or dinner at Belvedere or nearby, then settling in for opera in one of London’s most atmospheric summer settings. Be sure to check the season schedule in advance, as performances are one of Holland Park’s seasonal highlights.
Stay very near Holland Park at the Phillimore.
Stay Near Holland Park
One of the charms of staying near Holland Park is that it doesn’t have to be a place you visit just once. It can become part of your London routine, whether that means a morning walk or run through the gardens, a sunny picnic on the grass, a visit to the Design Museum or Leighton House, or an evening opera performance. This is especially true at Phillimore, one of our most elegant Kensington apartments, where Holland Park is just moments away.
Gorgeous garden setting at Phillimore where you can hear the music during Opera Holland Park.
Phillimore is just one of our many Kensington vacation rentals near Holland Park, making it easy to enjoy this neighborhood treasure as part of your London stay. With so many London Perfect apartments located near the park, you can experience Holland Park not as a one-time visit, but as part of daily life in Kensington – a beautiful place to return to again and again.
