South Hampstead History
Recognised as a residential area for only the last 150 years, the relatively new South Hampstead boundaries are hard to define. Until the mid-nineteenth century, the area we now call South Hampstead was agricultural land belonging at one time to a Priory located in the west end of South Hampstead. Built in 1134 (approx) for a group of nuns on the site of hermitage, the Kilburn Priory was by the ancient Watling Street (it actually stood close to where the Kilburn High Road station stands now) and provided travellers with food, lodgings, and safety from robbers. In 1536 Henry 7th dissolved the Priory and unfortunately there are no remains left today.
Though now entirely rebuilt, Abbey Road is one of the oldest in the district, and was once a path through fields from London to Kilburn Priory. The road is named after Westminster Abbey to which the Priory belonged. In 1850, when the railway was widened at Kilburn High Road station, parts of the Priory’s foundations were discovered.
South Hampstead Station was originally built in 1879 as Loudon Road Station; it was closed in 1917 as a wartime measure and reopened as South Hampstead Station in 1922 for the new Watford to Euston line. It was rebuilt following a fire in 1968.
Alexandra Road was built soon after the marriage of Princess Alexandra and the Prince of Wales 1863 and once ran all the way to Kilburn. A short stretch of housing on the road still has the original four storey houses, which are now converted into flats. The most famous resident of Alexandra Road was Mrs. Lillie Langtry. She lived in Leighton Estate and was famed for not only her beauty but also as Edward 7th’s (whilst he was the Prince of Wales) mistress towards the end of the 1870s. She now has a pub and a road named after her in South Hampstead.
Fairfax Road was originally known as Victoria Road and was renamed in 1870 as a tribute to General Fairfax (who died in 1671). Presently there is a row of modern shops on the Western side of Fairfax Road which replaced an earlier row of specialised shops dated back to 1888 including a Berlin wool shop, a straw hat manufacturer and a fancy repository.
Returning to present day, South Hampstead provides a mixture of residential style properties, ranging from the original semi-detached houses, to the large mansion blocks, garden maisonnettes and the double fronted conversions - much sort after by people looking to move into the area thanks to their extra width. The Heath and Hampstead Society, founded in 1897 continue to preserve the area from the modern-day troubles of traffic and struggles to protect the areas outstanding architectural delights, to maintain its distinctive shops, to enhance the conservation area and, above all, to care for its glorious heritage – the Heath.