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Watercolour of bandstand in pleasure gardens in 1852

Cremorne Gardens by T H Shepherd in 1852 - 19th Century

This watercolour view of Cremorne Gardens shows the bandstand in the centre of the pleasure ground. These were opened in the 1840s and the owners hoped to recreate the earlier success of Ranelagh Gardens. The twelve acre site was filled with buildings including the bandstand shown here. Visitors were entertained by fire-eaters, tightrope walkers, performing animals and circus performers. The most popular attraction was the balloonists.

However local residents complained about the noise and disturbance. Over the years the visitors became rowdier and less socially acceptable and the grounds deteriorated. In 1877 the Vestry refused to renew their licence and within months the site was put up for sale. Rows and rows of terraced houses replaced the once splendid grounds.

Copyright: the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Libraries (RBKC Libraries)
Location of original: SB02 A148

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Every effort has been made to seek permission to reproduce those images whose copyright does not reside with The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and we are grateful to the individuals and institutions who have assisted in this task. Any omissions are entirely unintentional, and the details should be addressed to Virtual Museum Team, The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

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