London Holland House [Holland Park] Youth Hostel 1958 to 2014

YHA (England and Wales) Youth Hostel Profile compiled by the Association’s volunteer archivist, John Martin, 2018-01-01

King George VI Memorial Hostel, Holland Walk, Kensington, London W8 7QU Historic County: Middlesex GR: TQ 248797 & 249797

Holland House was built in 1607 for Sir Walter Cope, Chancellor to King James I. It was one of the first great houses of Kensington and was occupied by Cromwell’s army during the English civil war. The mansion was severely damaged by incendiaries in 1940 and was sold by the 6th Earl of Ilchester to London County Council to use as a public park, leaving the authority with the task of saving what was possible and useful. A new use would be to incorporate what could be saved into a much-needed modern youth hostel for the capital.

All except the east wing and the south front was demolished. The east wing and a new building further east, designed by Sir Hugh Casson and Neville Coder, would combine to form the new hostel. The property was taken leasehold for a peppercorn rent, from 29th September 1956 for 200 years from London County Council, and was passed to the YHA Trust in 1961.

1 2

3 4 The south entrance (1&2) and east wing (3&4), all that remained of Holland House after war damage. Work is being done in the lower pictures to prepare the ground for renovation and the building of the new block, probably in 1957 – rare colour transparencies by the YHA London Region Secretary, David Buxton (YHA Archive)

The foundation stone for the hostel was laid on 1st June 1957 by Sir George Wilkinson, Bart, KCVO, chairman of the King George VI Foundation, which provided most of the money to provide and equip the new hostel. It was hoped that at least the new part of the hostel would be ready by the spring of 1958, but it was not put to use until 1st July of that year.

1 2 1: the laying of the foundation stone at the 1957 ceremony; 2: the newly completed entrance block – more transparencies from David Buxton (YHA Archive)

Article from the Youth Hosteller, January 1958

There was an elaborate official opening by the Queen, YHA’s new patron, on 25th May 1959. The 1959 Annual Report announced: Certain outstandingly happy and important events make this year a landmark in the YHA’s history. In the first place, the Association was accorded the highest form of public approval by the Queen’s gracious grant of her Patronage. Her Majesty, in company with HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, also honoured the whole youth hostel movement by her inauguration of the King George VI Memorial Hostel at Holland Park, London, in May.

Four other King George VI Memorial Hostels were opened at this time, at Buttermere in the Lake District, Capel-y-Ffin in Wales, Aberdeen in Scotland and Kinnahalla in Northern Ireland.

Articles from the Youth Hosteller, June 1959

The East Wing, Grade I listed in 1949, was converted to hold hostel dormitory accommodation. The modern buildings were designed to achieve a domestic and fairly informal note [Youth Hosteller, January 1958]. Holland House has had further royal visits: in 1977, when HRH Princess Margaret visited the hostel and presented a medallion to the millionth overnighter, and on 5th June 1980 when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth attended a Garden Party with John Parfitt, as part of the YHA Golden Jubilee celebrations (pictured below).

In 1989-90 there was a major programme of refurbishment at Holland House, when former staff accommodation on the old wing’s ground floor was converted to smaller guest rooms, so that only part of the first floor there was used for staff. This allowed for greater levels of comfort and privacy but expanded the capacity from 194 to 200 beds. YHA renamed the hostel Holland Park in 2007. The tenancy was modified to a short-term 5-year lease about 2010, and the hostel closed on 11th November 2014.

Left: 1960s one-inch pin badge, as sold in large numbers to hordes of hostellers

Overnights – inclusive periods each year as follows 1958-1991: previous Oct to Sept; 1992: Oct 1991 to Feb 1993; 1993-present: Mar to following Feb *: 17 month period

1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 … … … … … … … … 9314 37899

1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 50122 52290 54094 54094 58062 56657 56709 57325 57344 57887

1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 60014 60901 60937 61916 62371 62895 58830 63113 63932 63987

1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 65148 59550 57302 56760 69412 79576 82604 open open open

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 65160 51823 56303* 40476 47634 52500 54040 57701 58417 56110

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 55180 46732 47711 38321 37993 36317 48456 48249 47212 48248

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 48555 51320 52650 51193 40036 … … … … …

Images of Holland House, January 2013 (author’s photographs)