| There are three dimensions to Notting
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| | Road.
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| Hill. First the area of shops and streets
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| | Porto Bello, in the Gulf of Mexico, was
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| around Notting Hill Gate, with a fair
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| | captured from Spain by Admiral Vernon in
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| amount of buzz and interest, and some
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| | 1739, and a farm in the countryside north
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| quaint artisan housing all madly
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| | of here was patriotically named after it.
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| fashionable today: second, Portobello
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| | This road once led to that farm.
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| Road market, to be seen any day, but in
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| | Nothing much happens to start with, but
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| full flood only on Saturdays and third,
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| | after crossing Chepstow Villas with big
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| for the housing enthusiast, the
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| | Victorian detached houses, as you would
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| extravagances of the Ladbroke Grove
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| | expect from the name, you reach very
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| Estate.
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| | respectable antique shops and rather less
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| This route covers all three aspects
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| | respectable antique stalls, where there
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| consecutively, but it makes quite a long
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| | is plenty to explore. Keep going, over
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| walk. Be aware that the Notting Hill
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| | Westbourne Grove. At the crossing of
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| Carnival takes place in the last weekend
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| | Elgin Crescent and Colville Terrace, the
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| of August.
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| | street market becomes more conventional
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| Start at Notting Gate station (Central
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| | selling fruit and vegetables but just as
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| and Circle Lines). First briefly explore
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| | vivid.
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| the now attractive streets on the south
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| | There has been a market here since 1871,
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| side of the main road Litigate Street or
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| | starting with gypsies buying and selling
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| Farmer Street, for example, Hillgate
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| | horses for the Hippodrome (see below). It
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| Place running east west provides a frame.
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| | brought down the standard of the
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| These densely packed terraces date from
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| | neighbourhood, as at Covent Garden, but
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| 1851 and were designed to house artisans
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| | the overspill of antiques from the closed
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| providing services for the wealthy all
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| | Caledonian market after the Second World
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| around. It was a hopeless cause, and they
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| | War, restored the tone somewhat.
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| soon had multiple occupants and turned
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| | After Blenheim Crescent you are in the
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| into serious slums. There is little
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| | historic part of Portobello Road. On the
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| evidence of that now in the painted
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| | left is the Electric Cinema,
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| facades window boxes and fast cars in the
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| | purpose-built and one of the earliest
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| street. 20C gentrification has had some
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| | opened in 1911.
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| benefits.
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| | There are also some excellent bookshops,
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| Note the Coronet Cinema (1898), converted
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| | including the Travel Bookshop and Books
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| for cinema use in 1916. Cross back at
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| | for Cooks. To the right down Talbot Road
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| the station to go up Pembridge Road,
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| | there is an unusual church, All Saints by
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| forking right: shops have been added to
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| | William White, built in the 1850s to be
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| the fronts of the houses. Then go left to
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| | the centre of a new religious community
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| begin the long journey up Portobello
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| | here, which never materialised.
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