Located in the South West of London, Chelsea is an affluent area where you will find colourful houses, river views, and high end restaurants.
Curious Fact 1: The name Chelsea is translated from Old English as the “landing place on the river for chalk or limestone”.
Curious Fact 2: King Henry VIII acquired the manor of Chelsea from Lord Sandys in 1536; Chelsea Manor Street is still extant. Two of King Henry’s wives, Catherine Parr and Anne of Cleves, lived in the Manor House.
Curious Fact 3: The Chelsea flower show was originally called the Royal Horticultural Society’s Great Spring Show and was held in 1862 at the RHS garden in Kensington. It moved to the Chelsea General Hospital’s grounds in 1913.
Curious Fact 4: Michelin House opened as the original UK headquarters for the Michelin Tyre Company in 1911.
Curious Fact 5: The area in Chelsea known as World’s End was home to Vivienne Westwood’s famous SEX shop in the 1970s.
Curious Fact 6: Chelsea was one of the major centres of London’s ‘swinging sixties’, in particular the Kings Road.
Curious Fact 7: The name Chelsea is translated from Old English as the “landing place on the river for chalk or limestone.
Curious Fact 8: Chelsea is famous for Chelsea buns (a long strip of sweet dough rolled up raisins) as well as Chelsea China, the first factory-made porcelain in England.
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