Fom Westbourne Green to Little Explorer Venice Explorer Trail - inside you’ll find a fascinating trail around the area with a TRAIL series of fun and interesting questions. The walk will take a few hours, with park breaks and places to stop and enjoy reading, so it can be split over a few days, and picked up again at any point. Note: some of the answers can be found on the map, some on the trail and some here in this fact-packed Local History section:

1846-7 North of the canal, the ran between the Canal and Alfred Shepherd. In 1927–29, it was workhouse was built next to the Road) the most overcrowded in extended by Shepherd and H. A. Lock Hospital. The Poor Law , with three and a half Thomerson, adding Turkish baths, Amendment Act of 1834 stated persons to a room. Subletting had a library and assembly rooms. now “there should be no relief for gone so far that a room might have a grade II listed building. poverty or unemployment outside different tenants by day and by 1928 Alexander Fleming the workhouse”. All who wanted night. This was controlled only by discovered penicillin at St Mary’s aid had to live in a workhouse. declaring buildings to be lodging Hospital. houses. 1851 St Mary’s Hospital opened 1929 The slums of Brindley, to patients in Norfolk Place with 50 1863-67 St Mary Magdalene’s Clarendon, and Cirencester streets beds in what is now the Cambridge Church was built in the centre of had Paddington’s highest density, Wing. The building, in red brick with the slums; the recently restored of 1.75 or more persons to a stucco dressings, was designed interior of the church is ornately room, and was ‘one of the most however see and 1820 An Island in a pool was by Hopper and Wyatt and erected decorated, the architect was Local History discreditable in ’. Wesbourne Green on the map created linking the Paddington 1843-61. George Edmund Street. 959 The monks of as well as Paddington, a small Arm with Regents Canal. This was 1929 control of the workhouse claimed to have been granted a 1853 Lord Byron jokingly 1867 Timber wharves and mills settlement. known as Broad Water. It came and Infirmary transferred to London small farm at Paddington and to compared polluted Paddington to were built on Amberley Road along to be known as Browning’s Pool County Council, who renamed the have held two hides there in 1042. 1788-91 St Mary’s Church was Venice, but it would be 100 years the canal. later. lived at 19 site the Paddington Hospital. In A hide is a former measure of land built, replacing St James’ to before the name stuck. Warwick Crescent 1862–87. 1870 St Mary Magdalene School 1935 the hospital had 605 beds. typically equal to between 60 and designs of John Plaw. In 1831 the 29 May 1854 Paddington Station opened on Cirencester and 120 acres, being the amount that famous actress Sarah Siddons 1838 The Great Western Railway 7 October 1940 to 6 June opened. Clarendon streets. would support a family and its died and was buried here. There opened. Housing spread in the 1941 The London Blitz! Diana dependants. is an imposing statue to her in the 1840s, mainly south of the railway. 1854 Beauchamp Lodge was 1871 St Saviour’s Primary School Marr-Johnson established the churchyard, near the church. built next to the canal. The writer opened on Shirland Road. Beauchamp Lodge Settlement 1222 St Catherine’s Chapel stood 1842 The Lock Hospital moved to Katherine Mansfield stayed as (BLS) at the height of the Blitz in on the site of St Mary’s Church, 10 July 1801 The Paddington a four-acre site in Harrow Road 1867 Harrow Road. Vine Court a music student at Beauchamp 1940 as a nursery, youth centre Paddington. Arm () opened. (now modern flats on Elmfield Way Roman Catholic School opened, Lodge in 1908–9. and a place for hot meals, and A huge crowd (estimated to be and Admiral Walk) bought from the becoming Our Lady of Dolours 1678 The second parish church a depot to receive clothing for 20,000 people) turned out in what Great Western Railway Co. The 1863 William Whiteley opened School in 1907. of Paddington was built – again on Blitz victims. She persuaded the was then a small rural village, Lock H ospital in was his first shop in . He the same site – and its dedication 1915 Senior Street council school authorities to find homeless families with five notable residences: originally for lepers, the ‘Locks’ bought and rebuilt much of the was to St James. It was at the opened, becoming Edward Wilson Westbourne Place, Desborough were the rags used to tie their neighbouring property, Westbourne second church that the well-known Primary School in 1951. Edward Lodge, Westbourne Farm, Bridge sores, then it became a hospital Grove became one of the capital’s painter William Hogarth was Wilson, the Antarctic explorer, lived House, and Westbourne Manor for venereal disease. Later it was leading shopping centres. married to Jane Thornhill, on the 23 on Bourne Terrace. The school’s House. referred to variously as a ‘Rescue March 1729. 1865 The commercial prosperity motto is “To seek, to find & not Home’ and ‘Asylum’. The Lock 1810 The Hero of Maida pub was of contrasted to yield” a quote from Tennyson C1700 The Manor of Westbourne Bridge, where Harrow Road licenced. The name Maida was first with a rapid social decline in the inscribed on the cross marking the was built near the site of what is crossed the canal was named recorded in 1807, the year after streets between the railway and the spot where Scott and Wilson died. now Amberley Estate. after it. Sir John Stuart’s victory over the canal. Subletting to weekly lodgers 1923–25 Porchester Hall was 1750 the whole area was fields, French at Maida in Calabria (Italy). had made Brindley Street (which built by the local architect Herbert no railway, no canal yet. We can

Supported by Westminster Housing accommodation. BLS have been contained housing of varying bodies and local communities, in working with local communities shapes and sizes, known as a the regeneration of the Paddington ever since to provide services mixed development. Basin, which now includes an and support through community amphitheatre, shops, restaurants, 1968 Paddington General Hospital development projects. hotels, gyms and apartments. affiliated with St Mary’s Hospital in Westbourne Green 1950 The Blue Lamp a British Praed Street and was renamed St police drama directed by Basil Mary’s Hospital (Harrow Road) or, Dearden was filmed in the area more colloquially, St Mary’s Harrow Little Venice and shows the living conditions Road. The St Mary’s Hospital FREE of the time. The film became the Group also contained St Charles’ inspiration for the 1955–1976 TV Hospital, Paddington Green series Dixon of Dock Green, where Children’s Hospital and the Western Jack Warner continued to play PC Ophthalmic Hospital. Explorer Dixon. 1969 Canal House, now known as 1950s Beauchamp Lodge was The Battleship Building, was built advertised by the Council as a as a maintenance depot for British ‘Little Venetian community centre’. Rail and occupies a site near an That slight joke is how Little Venice elevated section of the . 2009 Little Venice Sports Centre was born! Dilapidated for many years, the opened. The centre was designed building was converted into offices 1954 Paddington Hospital became by Mark Hewitt and David Boyd TRAIL in 2000 by Allford Hall Monaghan Paddington General Hospital. of LCE Architects. The building Morris Architects. A walking trail from Westbourne Green to Little Venice - full of appears to grow out of the St 1957 The worst slums, between 1969 A new fire station opened Mary’s Churchyard. the railway and the canal, were interesting finds and facts, including how Little Venice was born! in Paddington. Today, it remains transformed by London County 2013 Crossrail Tunnelling one of the busiest fire stations Council, which had bought 206 machines Phyllis and Ada built in London with more than 2,000 properties from the borough the new train tunnels through ‘shouts’ every year. council and 266 from the Church Paddington. The new Elizabeth line Commissioners. 28 July 1970 The Westway is due to open in 2022. opened. Built to connect the 1958 Michael Bond, who lived proposed London Ringways on Maida Avenue overlooking the MAP motorway scheme to Paddington, canal, wrote Paddington Bear. it was the first urban motorway 1962 The Warwick Estate, as it project in London and attracted INSIDE came to be called, was opened criticism for the lack of care over and soon extended west of Harrow the environment, the wellbeing of Road over the site of Brindley local residents and communities, Street. As part of the London and handling those whose homes County Council’s commitment would be demolished, with 3,356 to preserving open spaces, a people needing to be rehoused. 2019 Grand Junction, a new canal-side walk was incorporated 1998 The Heathrow Express venue for community, arts and into the design of the estate. arrived at Paddington and the culture opened at the stunning St The design was drawn up by Paddington Partnership was Mary Magdalene’s Church, with Sir Hubert Bennett, the head of set up to connect landowners, a new modern wing and cafe the LCC Architect’s Department.

development schemes, funding designed by Biba Dow. | Design & print: Positive Works by HLEP - happylizzy.com Produced Bennett made sure that the estate https://www.british-history.ac.uk/ https://hidden-london.com/gazetteer/little-venice/ https://knowyourlondon.wordpress.com/2017/03/22/two-figures-public-art-paddington-basin/ Fun trail with quiz and local history! https://www.theundergroundmap.com/article.html?id=761&zoom=13&annum=1860 https://londoncanals.uk https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Venice,_London https://w9w2.co.uk/the-history-of-little-venice/ https://hydeparknow.uk/2017/11/11/browning-never-dreamt-up-little-venice/ https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/middx/vol9/pp198-204 https://www.pinterest.co.uk/sarahgudgin/around-st-mary-mags-paddington/ https://mappinglondon.co.uk/2017/londons-hidden-rivers/ http://www.parishoflittlevenice.com/st_mary_index.php https://www.lecolebilingue.com/page-anglaise.html https://www.thisispaddington.com/the-story-of-paddington https://grandjunction.org.uk/events/ Westbourne Green Little Venice Explorer

START Z FINISH HERE Shirland Rd. TRAIL Clearwell Dr. Warwick Avenue A Randolph Road Clifton Gardens Street

Little Close venice B Barnwood Close gardens Crompton Aldsworth Bristol Gardens warwick avenue station

S ROAD Formosa St. St Mary Clifton Villas magdalene Y Clifton Blomfield Road Nurseries Park Place Little venice church sports centre C Blomfield Road T Delamere Terrace Villas P Maida Avenue U Senior Street X Rembrandt City of gardens st mary’s westminster D W St Mary’s Terrace churchyard Church Street E Warwick Avenue college Terrace V Bourne O Paddington Green F Warwick Crescent K N Chichester Rd R

Villas J M Westbourne Green Terrace Rd Q Open Space Harrow Road Harrow Road Blomfield I WESTWAY A40 G Harrow Road

H Westbourne L

WESTWAY A40

Westbourne Bridge royal oak station

RAILW North Wharf Road AY TO PAD DINGT ON > Bishop’s Bridge Road

Westbourne Green to Little Venice Explorer Trail

M. Turn right and walk briskly Q. Turn back now and take Church Enjoy the walk, learn some interesting local history along Harrow Road until you reach Yard Walk to the right, past the and have fun with the questions! the peaceful St Mary’s Church on Phileas Fox Nursery School. the left of the busy road. Walk to the right of the church and into 16. Can you see three mysterious Paddington Green. metal figures in the green on the left? Search the bench for a clue 14. Who is the statue of? as to who they are! N. Walk back towards R. Walk up St Mary’s Terrace. On Westminster College and enter the right, find the hidden entrance St Mary’s Churchyard. to St David’s Welsh Church Continue on St Mary’s Terrace. O. Walk towards St David’s Welsh Church on the left (now a French 17. Find the street sign where 19. What is the tunnel called? school). two roads meet. T. Turn back and walk under the Later you will need to find the 18. Find two school entrances bridge. entrance to the old church! on this road, what schools are 20. What sort of a theatre can they? 15. Can you find the skull and you find? crossbones gravestone? S. When you reach the canal, turn A. Start at the Amberley 4. What is the name of the tower J. As you walk up Harrow Road, U. Continue to pass Jason’s Canal left and cross over the bridge, then Boat Trip mooring. Read the plaque Clubhouse. The clubhouse hosts block by the park? on your right is the Battleship P. Walk to the end of the Church turn right down the steps onto the daily activities, lunches, coffee Building. Cross over Warwick yard to find the Little Venice Sports on the wall behind you. . There are six tower blocks on canal towpath. Look up the canal mornings, bingo and cinema club, E Crescent to find the grand Centre, a beautiful sustainable the Warwick and Brindley Estate. to the tunnel. 21. What is the name of the for retired residents from the 63 Beaumont Lodge. The Beaumont building. Each has 21 floors and 125 flats. island? retirement flats on the Amberley Lodge Settlement charity opened a Estate. F. Take the left path to walk community centre here in 1940. V. Take the canal path across the through the park. canal and cross Warwick Crescent 1. What buildings used to 9. What is the building used for to find a stone sculpture on the stand beside the canal before 5. Can you see the wild now? wall. Amberley Estate was built? meadow? K. Walk down Warwick Crescent 22. Find the clues to tell you B. Head south between Barnwood G. Leave the park and continue to the canal stairs, go down and what the sculpture is about. Close and Aldsworth Close, turn along Harrow Road. join the canal. Turn right and walk left and walk down the canal under the bridge. W. Cross back over the canal via to The Waterway. This was the 6. What three scenes can you the bridge. 10. Can you see the bubbles in site of the Kilburn Aqueduct, see on the wall tiles? the water after the bridge? Find 23. From the bridge, which which carried the canal over the When you reach Westbourne a clue explaining on the wall organisation’s headquarters can Westbourne River. The river is Terrace look back on the wall for you see? now hidden underground. Cross a clue. Walk past the Battleship Building over the canal via the foot bridge, again! X. To the left of the bridge, find the taking in the amazing view. 7. Which famous author lived beautiful Bloomfield Garden. here? 11. Which company is based 2. When was the footbridge there now? 24. Which school planted the rebuilt? Can you find a clue? H. Continue up Harrow Road. How garden? many iron bridges do you see on 12. Can you find the Electric C. As you leave the footbridge, the right crossing the railway? Barge? Which charity operates Continue down Blomfield Road, cross the green with the stones, it? and take a right into Clifton Villas. I. Paddington Fire Station, A21, with St Mary Magdalene’s Church Discover the entrance on the right to your right. is home to two fire engines, a L. Follow the rainbow under the fire rescue unit and an aerial Westway to find “two figures to Clifton Nurseries. 3. What is the name of the new appliance, with around 22 meeting place” sculpture by Sean Y. Turn left onto Bristol Gardens community space and café that firefighters on each of the four Henry. Take the Paddington Central and continue to St Saviours School. opened there in 2019? watches. footbridge over the canal and then pass through the yellow tunnel. 25. What year did it open? D. Continue on crossing Bourne 8. Can you see the old red phone Terrace to enter Westbourne outside the station? 13. What is it called? Z. Continue down Shirland Road Green. and the walk ends at the Hero of Maida Pub!