Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Leinster Gardens

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
London borough
  
City of Westminster

Major cities
  
London

Leinster Gardens

Similar
  
Bayswater tube station, Queensway tube station, Hempel Hotel, Hilton London Paddington, Kensington Gardens

Hidden london fake facade in leinster gardens w2


Leinster Gardens is a street in Bayswater, London. It has two false façades at numbers 23 and 24, constructed in the late 1860s, at the time of the original steam engine-hauled underground railway that had a short section exposed to the surface in the space between residences at numbers 22 and 25.

Contents

Map of Leinster Gardens, London W2 3AN, UK

Locomotives were fitted with condensers to reduce fumes, but "venting off" was still needed in open-air sections to relieve the condensers and keep the tunnels free from smoke. In this upmarket area, the railway company hid this unsightly practice from residents. The false façade also maintained a continuous frontage along a prestigious terrace. The façade is 5 feet (1.5 m) thick, behind which is a ground level opening above the rail line. The façade includes 18 blackened windows and front doors with no letter boxes.

In the 1930s, a hoax was played on guests who were sold ten-Guinea tickets to a charity ball at Leinster Gardens, only to turn up in evening dress to discover the address was fake.

Adjacent streets and areas include Queensway and Craven Hill Gardens. The façade of 23 & 24 played a part in the BBC TV series Sherlock, being used in the episode "His Last Vow".

Three bedroom apartment leinster gardens bayswater w2


References

Leinster Gardens Wikipedia