History of Pubs in the Royal Borough

The borough has pubs that can trace their histories back many centuries, as village pubs in Kensington and Chelsea when both were communities independent of London, and as roadside taverns on the routes into the city.

The development of pleasure gardens in Chelsea, and the usage of Kensington Palace by the late Stuart and early Georgian monarchs in the 18^th century drew more people to the area and pubs grew in number throughout the 19^th century as the area became a fashionable suburb for wealthy Victorians.  Numbers of pubs peaked in 1900 with 83 pubs in the borough, which coincided with the peak population of the area.  Since then few pubs have been built or rebuilt, meaning that nearly every pub in Kensington and Chelsea has an historic atmosphere to enjoy.

Contenders for the most historic pub in the area include the Goat on Kensington High Street, established in 1679 and the formerly closed but now due to reopen and the Cross Keys in Chelsea, which opened in 1708.