Chelsea means ‘landing place on the river for chalk’ and is an Anglo-Saxon name.
Chelsea has been a fashionable area of London since Tudor times. It was prominent in the 19th century for being the place for artists and poets and again in the 1960’s as the centre of the Swinging Sixties.
Chelsea runs along the River Thames from Chelsea Bridge along Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk. Lots Road to Chelsea Harbour. The harbour is not commercially used but is home to luxury yachts and speedboats. These can access the Thames at high tides. Around the harbour are luxury apartments, offices and a hotel.
Some of the houses in Cheyne Walk have blue commemorative plaques on the wall these are in respect of former famous residents such as J M W Turner and T S Eliot. Also on this street is a statue of Sir Thomas More.
The Duke of York’s Barracks off the Kings Road are now a shopping mall but the Chelsea Barracks in Lower Sloane Street are still used by the Household Division of the British Army.
The National Army Museum tells of the British Army from the Battle of Agincourt to the early 21st century and consists of five permanent galleries with occasional special exhibitions.
The Royal Hospital Chelsea was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and was built in l692 for ex-servicemen. It nowadays houses around four hundred war veterans known as Chelsea Pensioners. When in the grounds of the hospital or around town it is possible to see these gentlemen in their uniforms of blue winter or red summer coats and three-cornered black hats.
The Chelsea Physic Garden was constructed in 1673, it was known then as the Apothecaries’ Garden and was for students to study medicinal plants and healing. It is one of the oldest botanical gardens in Europe and has in its grounds many species of rare plants and trees.
Property to rent in Chelsea is widely available with prices around £225-£350pw for a studio apartment, £350-£450pw for a l bed flat and £450-£650pw for a 2 bed flat.
The property market in this area attracts a lot of international and English attention. It is rather complex as the market consists mainly of short term leases under Earl Cadogan as freeholder. The Earl owns a considerable portfolio of residential and retail property in the area including Peter Jones and Harvey Nichols plus twelve hotels. He also maintains the garden squares some of which include tennis courts and can be accessed by residents for annual fee.
The property market in Chelsea has seen a massive boom in recent years and rose by 19% between 2005 and 2006.
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