Coming away from Portobello and Westbourne Park with their colourful houses the stock becomes a little more sombre and smart, cream/white and stucco townhouses predominate here in this often overlooked village. The area is made up of thoughtfully designed streets, one ways, cul de sacs and the like: Bridstow Place, Kildare Terrace, Alexander Street, Newton Road are examples of peaceful, pretty, Westbournia village living.
This is a tranquil, smart area in which to live with and yet just stroll out of your front door for "locals" (pubs and restaurants) to die for: vibrant hot spots like the Oak, the Westbourne Pub and the Cow, whose customers spill out onto the streets of a summer's evening. Across from the Westbourne is a pretty curve of independent shops (The Idlers' Academy, for one) leading down to the quiet Alexander Street leading via cherry trees to the plane trees and neat, public garden of Westbourne Gardens. Thomas Hardy lived in this area, mainly at no 16 Westbourne Park Villas, which was his home 1863-67.
This area is very well served; from the mainstream, Waitrose on Porchester Road, to the home-cooking wonder that is Haminado’s deli on Chepstow Road. Work off a heavy night with a traditional sauna, steam or swim at the hidden gem that is Porchester Baths with its glazed roof over the 30m pool.
Westbournia lies immediately to the north of Westbourne Grove up to the Great Western Railway.
Quiet streets are a character of this village, the stuccoed Kildare Terrace opening out to Kildare Gardens, peace and charm, with walk-throughs to the comparative hubbub of Eastern Westbourne Grove and Queensway.
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