Pimlico - "Poor Man's Belgravia"

Old Pimlico

The Pimlico area was once a marshland that was reclaimed using soil excavated from St Katherine’s Dock, Tower Bridge. Henry VIII was once believed to have sailed past in a barge and remarked on the stench coming from Pimlico. The marshland has now gone and the area was redeveloped by Thomas Cubitt in the mid-19th century when white stucco-fronted houses were designed and built as a more affordable version of his Belgravia. Although many were bombed during the war, plenty still remain and are sometimes know as the grid.

In 1957, the Churchill Gardens estate (managed by CityWest Homes) was built to provide local authority housing to replace bomb-damaged homes. Today, many of the vast complex of flats are in private hands and the flats are particularly popular with buy-to-let investors because they provide excellent yields.

The Chelsea bun – “the best of all buns” according to Jane Grigson, is a rare instance of a traditional food being clearly associated with just one source, in this case Mr and Mrs Hand’s Bun House off Jew’s Row, just off Pimlico Road. The Chelsea Bun baked and consumed on the premises of the Bun House was it is said renowned for its lightness and in the early 18th century, King George II and King George the III had both dropped into for this desirable 18th century confection.

The attraction of Pimlico, which was turned into an independent republic in the Ealing comedy film Passport to Pimlico, has always been its proximity to Westminster and its excellent transport links. Victoria station is close by and trains take passengers not only to the City and West End but also to Gatwick airport in half an hour.

Modern Pimlico

The street scene is changing and many of the small hotels and guest houses are closing and being replaced with elegant houses and apartments. Shops are changing too with the arrival of Starbucks and Café Nero and a continuing flow of smart bars and restaurants are also opening. There are smart independent florists and a growing number of boutiques. Pimlico Road SW1W, which links Pimlico with Chelsea, has been nicknamed the new King’s Road, after its chic shops, antique dealers and lively bars and pubs.

There are plenty of state schools in the area and Pimlico has its own secondary school, but private schools, such as the famous Hill House, are just a short walk away in Chelsea.

And it is the bars, restaurants and shops of Chelsea that also appeal to Pimlico’s residents. Just five minutes away is London’s most romantic restaurant, Poule au Pot – bringing a whiff of rural France to central London. The shops of Sloane Square SW1W, King’s Road SW3 and Knightsbridge SW1X are a brisk walk or short bus ride away.

The theatres of the West End are also just five minutes away in a taxi.