In Roman times it was little more than a main road linking London to the Roman settlement of Calleva Atrebatum in Hampshire and it was not until the Saxons arrived around the 8th century that there was a settlement here. It is thought that the incomers were mainly from Germany and Holland.
London - Notting Hill History
By the 14th century much of the area was farmland and eventually a small community began to emerge. Its name was recorded in1356 as Knottynghull. By the time the 19th century came around Notting Hill was sometimes referred to as the Potteries (because of a nearby pottery factory) and also by the rather unkind name of Piggeries because there were more pigs than people.
The 20th century saw clashes between the Afro-Caribbean immigrants from the West Indies and gangs of indigenous ‘Teddy boys’ who dressed in the style of Edwardian dandies. They felt the black community was encroaching on their turf and there were many unpleasant clashes between the two groups, which were widely referred to as The Notting Hill Race Riots. The first one occurred in August 1958.
London - Notting Hill Carnival
In 1958, the year after the race riots, the idea for the Notting Hill Carnival emerged - this was the Caribbean reply to the riots and the violence. It took a few years to sort it all out but the first Notting Hill Carnival finally took to the streets in 1965 and has grown and prospered ever since. Today it is Europe’s biggest street festival, stretching for twenty miles and entertaining over a million carnival revellers. It takes place every year over the August Bank Holiday weekend, usually the Sunday and the last Monday in August.
London- Notting Hill Today
Notting Hill is in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, a cosmopolitan district that has been gentrified to the point where it takes serious money to live here. It is full of attractive terraces of Victrorian houses, most of which are privately owned and a long cry from the 1950s when most were carved up into small flats for the immigrants who were flocking to the area. Today it is is a fashionable area known for its excellent restaurants and cafes and good pubs. Plus, of course, the famous Portobello Road Market, one of London’s most famous markets.
Notting Hill - The Movie
The 1999 romantic comedy film starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, set in Notting Hill, brought a lot of publicity to the area and fans of the movie like to check out the place where the most famous film star in the world fell for just an ordinary guy.
Guided Tours
There is a Notting Hill and Portobello Market tour on Saturdays at 10:45 am. Meet at Holland Park Tube, Central Line. No need to book ahead, just turn up.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
