Kensington High Street, at the centre of the borough, is further west than South Kensington and perhaps less visited by tourists.
Honestly the street itself isn’t fantastic, four lanes of luxury SUVs and busses do not make for a relaxing stroll. Fortunately you can retreat into Holland Park for some peace and quiet.
Having seen pictures of the Design Museum’s grand entrance hall before visiting I expected there to be more to see.
Much of the space inside is dedicated to seminar rooms so the exhibitions are fairly small. Worth seeing, but they won’t take the whole day.
Japan House, a Japanese cultural centre, is one of four worldwide with ties to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Most of the ground floor is a terrifyingly expensive shop, with other floors having exhibition spaces and a restaurant.
The former home of Frederick Leighton, a famous and immensely wealthy Victorian artist.
The house is best known for its ornate Arab Hall, decoarated with tiles from Damascus.
The best way to visit is to get a ticket for both Leighton and Sambourne houses for £22.
The immaculately preserved home of Linley and Marion Sambourne. Linley Sambourne drew cartoons for Punch, one of the most famous satirical magazines.
As well as magnificent quantities of Victorian clutter you can see many of Linley’s cartoons and photographs that he took for inspiration.
Connecting Kensington High Street to Notting Hill, Holland Park is more wooded and natural feeling than many of the royal parks in the centre of the city and features a famous Japanese Garden - the Kyoto Garden - to explore.
