South Kensington Living
Courtfield Gardens
Courtfield Gardens is just south of Cromwell Road and it comprises two garden squares surrounded by large mature trees. There is a church in the middle of the east gardens. In fact, the square is dominated by the large church spire.
The houses are mainly five-storey (plus basement). Some are entirely stucco and some are part brick faced.
The firm of Richard and Thomas Pargeter built most of the houses. In 1873-5 they constructed Nos. 1-12A which is the southern terrace west of Collingham Road. In 1876-8 they built Nos. 14-22 which is the bulk of the western range up to Barkston Gardens. Nos. 23-25 (north of Barkston Gardens) were built by William Radford in 1877-8. Pargeters continued with the northern range of Courtfield Gardens with Nos. 26-38 (1875-6). It has been suggested that the design for the façades used by the Pargeters was based on designs by Charles Aldin for houses in Queen’s Gate Place.
The rest of the north stretch of Courtfield Gardens (east of Collingham Road) had originally been allocated to William Jackson, an experienced Kensington builder who was constructing houses on the adjoining Cromwell Road frontage. But in 1875 he sold most of his allocation on to Richard Igglesden and David Myers. They built Nos. 42-50 (1876-8). (Jackson still built Nos. 39 and 50B (1873-4).) George Hughes, an architect, was apparently Igglesden and Myers’ partner in the development. It is assumed that he produced the designs. The facades are more rigorously classical than was usual in mid-Victorian times. The ironwork is particularly attractive.
On the east side of Courtfield Gardens, Jackson was the lessee and builder of Nos. 51A-59 (1878). The terrace was continued by the builder William Douglas who built Nos. 60-64 (1880-1). Douglas seems to have adopted the restrained style used by Jackson on his range and there is no great difference in style between the two parts of this terrace. (The new end house, No. 65, was designed by Mayell, Webb and Hart, architects and built in 1954-6.)
Most of the south side of Courtfield Gardens, east of Collingham Road, was built by William Radford, who had been only 25 when he built his first house (50A) in Courtfield Gardens 1875. In his southern allocation Radford built Nos. 68-69 in 1879-80, and Nos. 70-76 in 1875-7. He also built No. 67 as part of Courtfield Mews but this was rebuilt in 1953-5 by Rogers, Chapman and Thomas, architects.
William Radford was still on the scene in 1913 when he converted four houses into flats - Nos. 68-70 Courtfield Gardens, two of which had never been regularly occupied since construction.
