A number of local street names are decidedly sylvan – such as Acacia and Elm Tree. Others have a Scottish bias whilst some others are intended to suggest a high class of development – like Clifton who was a first class cricketer associated with the MCC around 1817 or Carlton after the Prince Regent’s residence Carlton House.. But a number of streets have more specific origins.
Abbey Road: nearby Kilburn Priory was attached to the Abbey of Westminster.
Abercorn Place: after James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn (1811-85), politician and landowner. Lord Abercorn was a governor of Harrow School on whose estate the road was built.
Aberdeen Place: after George-Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen (1784-1860). He was Prime Minister from 1852-55).Lord Aberdeen was also a governor of Harrow School.
Allitsen Road: after nearby resident the composer, Mary Allitsen.
Alpha Road: the first street built on the Eyre Estate.
Avenue Road: this was its name from its start in early 19C presumably because it was a wide road leading north out of the Park.
Barrow Hill Road: Barrow Hill is next to Primrose Hill. Despite its name, no evidence of a burial site has been found.
Bentinck Close: possibly after Lord George Bentinck (1802-1848), Conservative politician and race horse owner.
Blenheim Road and Terrace: after Marlborough’s victory at Blenheim.
Blomfield Road: Charles Blomfield, Bishop of London.
Boundary Road: boundary between parishes of St Marylebone and Hampstead.
Cavendish Avenue and Close: land owned by Cavendish family.
Charlbert Street: formerly Charles Street, probably after Charles Watkins, a property developer who was working around 1822-1830.
Charles Lane: ditto
Circus Road: reflects the circular shape of the original Eyre Estate building plan.
Cochrane Street:
Culworth Street:
Eamont Street:
Fairlop Place and Oak Tree Road: Fairlop Oak, a celebrated tree in Essex.
Greenberry Street: possibly a corruption of Green Barrow Hill.
Grove End Road: the end of Lisson Grove.
Hall Road: after the builder William Hall who died in either 1832 or 1833.
Hamilton Terrace: after Charles Hamilton who was a Harrow School governor.
Henstridge Place: means the ridge where stallions are kept.
Kingsmill Terrace: a member of the Eyre family.
Langford Place: owner of Lileston manor in 14th century.
Lisson Grove: manor of Lileston. Originally the road was lined with trees.
Loudoun Road: most likely from John Loudon, a landscape gardener.
Lyons Place: John Lyon (c.1511-92) founded Harrow School.
Mackennal Street: Bertram Mackennal, sculptor, lived nearby.
Maida Vale: a battle (1806) in southern Italy in the Napoleonic wars.
Marlborough Hill and Place: the Duke of Marlborough.
Melina Place:
Newcourt Street:
Norfolk Rd:
Northwick Terrace: Lord John Northwick, Harrow School governor.
Nugent Terrace: George Nugent-Greville, Baron Nugent (1789-1850).Lord Nugent who was MP for Aylesbury lived in Langford Place.
Ordnance Road: The Board of Ordnance, the original lessee of St John’s Wood Barracks.
Prince Albert Road: after Queen Victoria’s husband.
Queen’s Grove and Terrace: after marriage of Victoria to Albert in 1841.
Randolph Avenue: Lord Randolph Churchill, who was MP for South Paddington in 1885.
Ryder’s Terrace: possibly from OE ried, ryd meaning a clearing in a wood.
St Ann’s Terrace:
St John’s Wood: land owned by the Knights of St John.
Scott-Ellis Gardens: Built by Thomas Scott-Ellis, 8th Baron Howard de Walden (1880-1946) who was a landowner, writer, Olympic athlete and patron the arts.
Shannon Street:
Springfield Road: from an area called hanging field and spring field at the beginning of the 19th century
Townshend Road: the commander who received the French surrender of Quebec in 1759.
Walpole Mews: Walpole Eyre.
Wellington Road and Place: the Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon at the battle of Waterloo in 1815.
Woronzow Road: after Count Woronzow or Vorontsov, Russian ambassador from 1785-1806
We are indebted to “St Johns Wood & Maida Vale Past” by Richard Thames for much of this information. If any reader can supply the explanations missing for the remaining eight streets, please add them to the website.
Comments about this page
Hi Bridget,
Thank you very much for taking the trouble to reply to my questions with your info.
What I don’t understand from what you’ve said is that it appears that in 1804 Marlborough Hill was given that name because it was the centenary of the 1704 Duke of Marlborough’s battles. Well the oldest houses in this road are later Victorian, which makes it seem like that was when the road was created. Are you saying that the road was given that name from about 1804 before these existing houses were built?
All the Best
Philip
I think originally the road was called Marlborough Hill Gardens as it was mainly occupied by nursery gardens but when the villas were built – as you say, later on in the century, it was just called Marlborough Hill.
Hi,
I live in Marlborough Hill, and your website says it was named after the Duke of Marlborough. Which particular Duke would that be, when was the street named that, and was he the landowner of this street, or was it’s naming to do with some battle he fought?
All the Best
Philip
It is named after John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (1650-1722) who was victorious against the French in the reign of Queen Anne. I don’t think he had anything to do with the street or the land it is on, which belonged to the Eyre estate but celebrates his fame in the early nineteenth century which saw the centenary of his famous battles at Malplaquet and Blenheim(1704) as Blenheim Terrace and Blenheim Road were chosen as the names of other St John’s Wood streets. His title was taken from the English town.
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