Kensington, London

Kensington is a district within the area of Chelsea and Kensington, just a short stroll away from Charing Cross. Kensington High Street is the backbone of the district and one of the top shopping streets in London. It is lined with upscale luxury shops. Kensington is a high-class district, home to many affluent citizens. Such is the case with nearby Chelsea as well. Kensington is best known for its attractions, which include the Natural History Museum, Kensington Gardens and Kensington Roof Gardens, Holland Park, the Royal College of Art, the Royal Albert Hall and Imperial College London.
The Natural History Museum is located at Exhibition Road in Kensington. There are around 70 million items on display here. The five major collections are Zoology, Entomology, Botany, Palaeontology and Mineralogy. The museum's lush wildlife garden contains fascinating flora and fauna. The museum was founded after Hans Sloane, an Irish doctor, donated his collection several centuries ago. In 1873 construction of a new museum building began. It was completed in 1880 and featured a Romanesque design. It was inaugurated the next year. It received the name Natural History Museum in 1992. An interesting part of the building is the Central Hall, housing an exhibit of dinosaur skeletons. A recent addition is the Darwin Centre, featuring a vast collection of interactive materials and preserved specimens. Demonstrations and lectures are held on a daily basis, and sometimes broadcast online. Other museums at this road are the Victoria and Albert and the Museum of Science.
Just west of Hyde Park is the royal park Kensington Gardens. The bigger part of it is on the territory of Westminster City. It spreads over 275 acres. The attractions here include Kensington Palace, Albert Memorial, Serpentine Gallery, Round Pond and the statue of Peter Pan. Near Kensington Gardens is Kensington Roof Gardens, located at the top of a building at Derry Street. The landscaping was completed in 1938. The Gardens have three main sectors - a woodland garden, a Tudor garden and an elaborately designed Spanish garden. The woodland sector features over 100 tree species, a garden pond and an enchanting stream. Beautiful roses and wisteria are grown in the Tudor gardens. The Spanish garden features a Moorish style with palms, vine-covered passageways and ornate fountains.
Another attraction that merits attention is Holland Park. It is a public park as well as a district. It was a rural area before the 1800s. It got its name from Holland House, as it was part of its grounds in the past. Over time certain sectors of the grounds were sold off, which is how Holland Park developed. It is a prestigious residential district today; one of the most expensive in the world. You won't find a house for less than ten million pounds here.
The Royal College of Art is the only entirely postgraduate design and art university in the world. It was established in 1837 and received a royal charter 130 years later. It is a very elite school with less than 1000 students. The trends of 1920s British sculpture and 1960s Pop Art were augmented by the RCA. Famous graduates include Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, Duchess of Argyll, Turner prize winners Tony Cragg and Richard Deacon, artist Roger Dean, painters Peter Blake and Frank Auerbach and designers Christopher Bailey and Ossie Clark.