When the word 'Chelsea' is uttered, what are the associations to you?  Many people associate Chelsea with 'Sloane rangers' or the refined Chelsea harbour.  But what about 'innovative', 'bohemian' and 'punk revolution'?  I know, it is surprising to even think of refined Chelsea in this way, but as you will see, the area's history shows its pull of artists, writers and rock and roll types.

Rural Chelsea 1600s

London, many hundreds of years previous was a fraction in size of what we now consider London.  Chelsea was a largely rural area where the rich aristocrats would escape to for a holiday.  King Charles II was reportedly a regular visitor, and the King's Road shopping High street was named so because the king used this road to access his palace his London.

From 1600s to 1800s Chelsea was also a market to Londoners.  Another famous culinary delight with its origins in Chelsea is the Chelsea bun which is made of long, thin strips of pastry sprinkled with currants and wound into a bun.

Bohemian Renaissance

During the 1800s Chelsea became a hotspot for the bohemian crowds.  All the artists of renown crowded to the tiny Chelsea borough.  Famous painters made Chelsea their home, such as the famous Pre-raphaelite painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and John Singer Sargent.  Other famous writers in Chelsea were the author of Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift and political writer Thomas Carlyle.

It would be another hundred years or so until Chelsea experienced a second renaissance as an area of innovation.

Rock & Roll Sixties

During the 60s and 70s, the King's Road became the new focus for the punk movement headed by Vivienne Westwood with her boutique shop SEX.  The shop is still on the King's Road, albeit it now seems quite tame and has lost some of its shock value.  The Beatles and the Rolling Stones have also stayed in Chelsea throughout the 60s.

2000+

Chelsea is now a 'respectable' high street with an increase of upmarket shops, especially concentrated in the new Duke of York Square where you will find cafes, ice cream parlour, clothes shops.  The innovation and artistic movement have long de-camped to other areas of London, but Chelsea is still indeed an idyllic and elegant destination for all travellers.

Binh Zientek

Accommodation Specialist

Tel: +44 (0)20 7476 7963

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