Getting To Know Lancaster Gate

From Bayswater to Hyde Park, the West London area truly is a sight to behold. With early Victorian town planning at its core, this affluent area of London really does reflect the beautiful history of the city. With its abundance of landmarks, parks and new developments, the area of Lancaster Gate promises a great many draws. This is why hotels in the area offer such delights as chocolate afternoon tea and spa days, their staff knowing full well that people visit the West London area to relax and enjoy the London lifestyle.

Whatever the reason for your stay in West London’s Lancaster Gate area, it’s always wise to get to know the surrounding environment. Whether you’re interested in nightlife, entertainment or simply want to find your way around, these amazing facts, landmarks and tidbits of history will no doubt help you to feel right at home in Londons classiest locale.

History of Lancaster Gate

Planned as a community development just North of Kensington Gardens, these 1850s’ era townhouses were once the site of a nursery and tea garden, before becoming the fashionable neighbourhood they are now. Designed by John Johnson Sancton Wood, this beautiful neighbourhood of white townhouses was triggered by the nearby Mayfair’s development and the migration of affluent families to the west of the city. As the Victorian era came and went, a number of the houses were redeveloped as the UK embassies for countries all across the world, thus establishing Lancaster Gate as not only a beautiful neighbourhood but as a staple of the political landscape too.

Terraced townhouse architecture

With the Park Grand’s Lancaster Gate London accommodation offers, it’s easy to see just how ingrained the hotel is into the local architecture. The Lancaster Gate hotel is very much typical of the area’s architecture, the Italian detailed French stuccoed townhouse has been painted white and overlooks rows of grand, high ceilinged homes.

Why did it become so popular?

One of the reasons why Lancaster Gate is such a popular area to live is because of the Grosvenor families purchasing of land in the nearby Mayfair area. This led to the development of expensive houses which drew in much of the London nobility. This, of course, spread into the surrounding area to such a great extent that even after the decline of the English aristocracy, the area still retained its wealth through offices, guest housing, and of course, embassies buying up the land. The wealth and status of the area might not be as influential nowadays but still acts as a symbol of London’s class and history. No wonder accommodation such as the Lancaster Gate Hotel have made their home here, London tourists love the iconic look of the area and everything that it stands for.

Travelling to Lancaster Gate

As a central locale in the city, Lancaster Gate is easily reachable for those who want to visit.

By Tube

Located in the Paddington area, Lancaster Gate Tube Station is a Central Line service that gives underground users a direct link into the centre of the area. Lancaster Gate Tube Station is situated in Zone 1 and provides easy access to many areas of the city, including Epping, London Liverpool Street, Shepherd’s Bush and Ealing.

By bus

Bus services into Lancaster Gate are very frequent and include the 94 to and from Piccadilly Circus, the 148 to and from South London’s Camberwell Green and the 207 bus to White City. These bus services give speedy connections into other areas of the city from Central London, and easy direct access into West and South London.

By train

Whilst Lancaster Gate doesn’t have its own train station, the nearby London terminus of Paddington provides access to national rail services to the West of England and the suburbs of London. This famous train station acts as the London terminus for the Great Western rail service, serving areas such as Somerset, Wales, Oxford and many London suburbs.

By car

Lancaster Gate is easily reachable by car via the A40 Westway road and via the A5. there are a variety of parking complexes around this area, including outside the Park Grand hotels and Paddington Station.

Attractions near Lancaster Gate

There are a broad variety of attractions in the Lancaster Gate area that have kept it on the map for hundreds of years now. With its proximity to the centre of London and its own unique charms, Lancaster Gate provides everything from high-end restaurants and shopping, historic landmarks and entertainment.

Kensington Gardens

Kensington Gardens is one of the main attractions in the Lancaster Gate area. Cordoned off from Hyde Park in the 18th century, Kensington Gardens overlooks the other side of the Serpentine Lake and includes many historic monuments, landscaped gardens and fountains. A walk through Kensington Gardens truly is a breath of fresh air.

Serpentine Gallery

On the border of Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park is the popular contemporary art gallery, the Serpentine. Having hosted exhibitions from many influential artists, the Serpentine Gallery provides free to visit exhibitions that explore many aspects of contemporary art, including installations, sculpture, painting and much more.

Natural History Museum

One of the most famous museums in the country, if not the world, the Natural History Museum was first founded on the collections and findings of Charles Darwin, celebrating, exploring and educating the public on many aspects of the natural world. Based on Museum Row in South Kensington, the millions of objects in the Natural History Museum explore the likes of prehistoric dinosaurs, space rocks and the human body.

Royal Albert Hall

The Royal Albert Hall is quite possibly the most famous London music venue. With its legendary programming and versatile genres, the hall seats over 5000 people and has played host to the likes of the Rolling Stones, David Bowie and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Pubs, eating and shopping

Lancaster Gate and Paddington are well known for their traditional pubs and bars, giving locals and visitors alike a chance to dine and socialise in the comfort of interiors like The Victoria on Strathearn Place. There are also plenty of restaurants near Lancaster Gate that provide a variety of high-end dining experiences, whilst the nearby Bayswater superstore, Whiteley’s department store and White City shopping districts ensure a variety of shopping