Westbourne, London

Westbourne is an area now in west London which has transferred its name to local streets such as Westbourne Grove and also to the River Westbourne which used to form the eastern boundary of the area but which has been diverted underground to form one of the lost or Subterranean rivers of London.

Early history

The hamlet of Westbourne, centred on what is still called Westbourne Green, was an old settlement to the west of Paddington. It included a mansion house and a farmhouse. It is recorded in 1222 as Westeburn and in 1294 as Westborn. Westbourne Green is recorded as Westborne Grene in 1548, Washborne Green in 1680 and Wesborn Green in 1754.

Manor and parish

The manor of Westbourne was distinct from the manor of Paddington. But since it had no church, it did not form its own parish, but formed the western part of the parish of Paddington, which did have a church. This lack of a central focus was reflected in the fact that even the manorial courts, in later years, sat in distant Knightsbridge (which caused the manor to be known as "the Manor of Westbourne with Knightsbridge"). The boundary between the Westbourne and Paddington parts of the parish was the river, which ran from north to south.

Buildings and famous residents

In 1746, Westbourne Green had five main houses. The largest of these was Westbourne Place or Westbourne House, which was rebuilt in 1745 by the architect Isaac Ware as an elegant Georgian mansion of three storeys with a frontage of nine windows divided into three parts. The central third was topped by a large pediment and contained the main door, which also had a pediment over it. The lower two storeys were formed into bays at each end, which contained three windows each. Amongst the well-known residents of this house were Sir William Yorke, baronet; the Venetian ambassador; the architect Samuel Pepys Cockerell (a distant relative of the diarist Samuel Pepys); and the General Commander in Chief of the Army, Viscount Hill, who left in 1836. Viscount Hill has given his name to Lord Hill's bridge, now a road leading from the Westway. The house was demolished in 1836 to make way for the houses and gardens of what is now Westbourne Park Villas.

Westbourne Farm was the home, between 1815 - 1817, of the actress Sarah Siddons, who lived there with her daughter. The Farm was at the point where the Harrow Road, the Westway and the canal converge. Mrs Siddons was buried at St Mary's Church, the main church of Paddington, on Paddington Green, where her grave can still be seen.

Thomas Hardy lived in this area, mainly at no 16 Westbourne Park Villas, which was his home 1863-67.

Modern name

When this part of London was developed into a residential area, Westbourne Park was the name given to the area. This is reflected in a number of street names (notably Westbourne Park Road) and in the Underground station Westbourne Park. There is also a Westbourne Park bus garage.

The name Westbourne (which means "west of the river") was by the nineteenth century applied to the river itself, and Westbourne is no longer used as the designation of the area. Instead, Westbourne Green or Westbourne Park are used.

There is, however, a Westbourne ward (north of Westbourne Grove) as part of the political map, and there is also a Westbourne conservation area (for planning purposes).