Kensal Rise

Kensal Green, also known as Kensal Rise, is an area in north-west London, and along with Kensal Town, it forms part of the northern section of North Kensington. It lies north of the canal in the London Borough of Brent, and also to the south, within Kensington and Chelsea. Kensal Green is located on the Harrow Road, about miles from Charing Cross.

To the west on Harrow Road lies Harlesden, while in the opposite direction are Maida Hill and Westbourne. Queens Park and Brondesbury are to the north-east, Willesden is to the north-west, and Notting Hill lies to the south.

Kensal Green is best known for the Grade I listed Kensal Green Cemetery.

Residents and businesses

As of June 2014, the area had seen significant gentrification, attracting people from surrounding areas such as Notting Hill and Queen's Park. It was characterised by numerous independent stores, restaurants, pubs and cafes, and was earning a reputation as a "celebrity haunt-meets-Nappy Valley."

In 2009, Chamberlayne Road in Kensal Rise was named the "hippest street in Europe" by ''Vogue'' magazine. Luxury goods maker Mulberry named its handbag Kensal and launched an advertising campaign with Cara Delevingne. The area is characterised by numerous independent stores, restaurants, pubs, and cafes. There are also various sports clubs, gyms and health studios such as Moberly Sports Centre and Gracelands Yard, as well as nearby Queens Park. The area also boasts Britain's first independent boutique cinema and social enterprise, The Lexi Cinema. It is staffed by local volunteers and its profits go to an eco-village in South Africa.

It has been home to a number of residents including musicians Paloma Faith and Rita Ora, chef Thomasina Miers, film director, DJs and musicians Don Letts and Mark Rae, actress Thandiwe Newton, singer Lily Allen, model-turned-author Sophie Dahl, author Zadie Smith, David Cameron's ex-strategy guru Steve Hilton, the actor and writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Sienna Miller.

It has traditionally been popular with those working in the media and creative industries but those buying properties increasingly include people working in the financial and technology industries, and others moving from nearby Notting Hill in search of more space. The area also attracts Americans thanks to The American School in London in neighbouring St John's Wood, as well as being popular with the French, partly due to a Lycée Français opening in Brent's former town hall.

Community

In 2014 residents successfully campaigned to save its local library after it was sold to a developer. More recently, independent local cinema Lexi raised £141,000 from locals and local businesses for a community hub. The hub was also supported by Brent Council and the Mayor of London.

In 2021 residents of Clifford Gardens successfully campaigned against the asphalting of pavements. They set up a petition and managed to get 544 signatures in a week. When the workmen arrived with lorries and rollers on 20 March they were met by a large crowd of parents with children and buggies blockading the street.

Open space and public realm

Emslie Horniman's Pleasance Park located on Bosworth Road contains tennis courts, five-a-side football pitches and children's playground. Queens Park features tennis courts, golf, a petting zoo and an extensive children's playground.
King Edwards Vll park is within walking distance.

Brent Council announced planned improvements to the public realm in 2019 to enhance the pedestrian experience and reduce traffic. The changes include new cycle lanes, various measures to reduce congestion and an improved public realm with new pavements, carriageway resurfacing, community greening schemes and pocket gardens.

Transport

Kensal Green station (Transport for London Travelcard Zone 2) on the Bakerloo line is about 20 minutes from Oxford Circus and the West End. National Rail London Overground services also operate to London Euston, a journey that takes around 15 minutes. Trains also go to .

London Overground's North London Line services also operate out of Kensal Rise railway station (Transport for London Travelcard Zone 2) and provides regular services to Richmond in the west, Stratford in the east, and Clapham Junction in the south.

Extensive bus services also run from the area, including routes 18 (Sudbury - Euston), 6 (Willesden Bus Garage - Aldwych), 52 (Willesden Bus Garage - Victoria station via Notting Hill and Kensington) and 452 (Kensal Rise - Vauxhall).

Kensal Green is located on the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal (which passes by Kensal Green Cemetery) making it possible to walk and cycle along the canal to Little Venice, the Paddington Basin, Paddington Station and Regents Canal.

In 2020 the Government gave final approval to the High Speed 2 (HS2) train link running from London to Birmingham. This will bring a major HS2 and Crossrail interchange station at Old Oak Common, within walking distance from Kensal Green. It is expected to open in 2026 and will provide high-speed rail across London and to the Midlands, as well as direct connectivity with the Heathrow Express airport rail link and trains to Wales and the West of England. It will be the largest new railway station ever built in the UK.

Schools

The educational charity Ark, founded by venture capitalist Arpad Busson, runs three state primary schools in the area, including Ark Franklin in Harvist Road, which replaced Kensal Rise primary in September 2013. In 2024 Ark Franklin received a letter from the Minister of Education congratulating the school for being in the top 2% for early years performance. As of 2020, the following state primary schools are judged to be “good”: Ark Franklin; Princess Frederica CofE in College Road; and Kenmont Primary School in Valliere Road which was built in 1883–84 to a design by the architect by Edward Robert Robson for the School Board for London and has been Grade II listed since 1984.

Three state comprehensive schools are judged to be “good”, including Queens Park Community School in Aylestone Avenue, and Capital City Academy in Doyle Gardens.

There is a small choice of local private schools. The primary schools are Seacole (co-ed, ages four to 11) in Bosworth Road and The Lloyd Williamson School (co-ed, six weeks to 11) in Telford Road. Bales College is a very small independent co-ed secondary school and sixth form college, catering for ages 11 to 20 on Harrow Road. Many parents use the private schools in nearby Belsize Park and Hampstead.

Kensal Green Cemetery

Kensal Green Cemetery is the first of the 'Magnificent Seven' cemeteries in London. It is the resting place of members of the royal family, including Prince George, Duke of Cambridge, and scores of figures in history including Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Charles Babbage, and William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 5th Duke of Portland.
Architects buried there include, Decimus Burton, Philip Charles Hardwick, and John Shaw Jr.
From the Arts are playwright, Harold Pinter, actor Mario Fabrizi, William Makepeace Thackery, and Anthony Trollope.
The family plot of engineers Marc Brunel and Isambard Kingdom Brunel is also here.
Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, actor Alan Rickman, and actress Ingrid Bergman were cremated in the West London Crematorium, which is located within the grounds of the cemetery.

Cemetery directors and The Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery (a charity) lobbied the Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage for funding to help preserve historical monuments at the site. The 2015 project, which involved repairs to the grade one listed Anglican Chapel and the boundary wall, was estimated to have cost more than £10m.

The cemetery is listed Grade I on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens

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