Chelsea Harbour & Imperial Wharf

Chelsea Harbour stands on what was once the 28-acre estate of Sandford Manor House, a property steeped in history and rumoured to have been home to Nell Gwyn[JL1] [JL2] . By the start of the 19th century, the estate had fallen into decline and was purchased by a gas company. Part of the land eventually became a Victorian railway coaling dock on the Thames, later used as a coal yard by British Rail's predecessor companies.

The site, spanning 20 acres, forms a triangle bordered by the River Thames and Counter's Creek to the south and east and the West London Line to the west. When redevelopment plans began, Hammersmith and Fulham Council, which had granted the planning permission, attempted to transfer Chelsea Harbour to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. However, the Royal Borough declined, with then-leader Nicholas Freeman stating that Chelsea Harbour was not part of their plans.

Chelsea Harbour was designed by Moxley Jenner & Partners and developed by Mansford, with Bovis Homes Group overseeing the project. It became one of the most significant construction projects in the UK at the time. Initially, 16 buildings were planned to cover 14 acres, but only 12 were completed due to a downturn in the economy during construction.

When planning permission was granted in April 1986, the site, including its lock, was utterly derelict. The former coal dock and lock had been filled with contaminated materials, which had to be excavated and removed. The Dock was reduced by a third to create a 75-berth marina, and the lock was reconstructed. Work began in May 1986, and within a year, the Dock had been excavated, its north wall rebuilt, and the lock restored.

The "Chelsea Crescent" structure, containing 64 apartments, was completed in eight weeks. Meanwhile, three new bridges were constructed on-site, including Europe's largest "thrust bore" tunnel, which was hydraulically jacked into place beneath a live railway line over a single weekend. The 18-storey "Belvedere" tower, a key development feature, was topped out six months after work began. The team poured a new floor every four days using quick-setting concrete, with pre-fabricated sections built on the ground and lifted into place.

Harrods Estates managed the sale and letting of the 310 apartments priced from £2 million each. The 261,000 sq. ft. site offers 24-hour security and porter services, catering to its upscale residents. While the Marina is not used commercially, it hosts luxury yachts and speedboats, accessible from the Thames at high tide. A sizeable hollow sphere atop "The Belvedere" signals tide conditions to those using the lock.

The area around Chelsea Harbour has since been further developed with the addition of Imperial Wharf, a riverside project by St George plc. The name pays tribute to the Imperial Gas Light and Coke Company, which began operating there in 1824.

At the heart of Chelsea Harbour is the Design Centre, a hub for high-end interiors with over 70 showrooms across 66,000 sq. ft. of space. This is one of the most important resources for interior design and architecture. Topped with large glazed domes, the Galleria-style centre serves as the focal point of the development. Nearby, the offices are housed in two buildings known as "Harbour Yard" and "The Design Centre East", completing this luxury riverside destination.

Chelsea Lots Road Power Station

Lots Road Power Station, once a coal, oil, and later gas-fired facility, sits on the north bank of the Thames in Chelsea, within the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. Initially, It was built to supply electricity to the London Underground system, though some mistakenly refer to it as Fulham Power Station, located a mile downstream.

The idea for Lots Road Power Station was first proposed by the Brompton & Piccadilly Circus Railway (now part of the Piccadilly line) in 1897. By 1901, it was under the control of Charles Yerkes' Metropolitan District Electric Traction Company, and its purpose was clear: power the transition of the District line from steam to electric trains. Construction began in 1902 and wrapped up in December 1904, with operations starting in February the following year. In its early days, the station burned through 700 tonnes of coal daily and boasted a generating capacity of 50,000 kW, making it the largest power station in the world at the time. Eventually, it powered much of London's railways and tramways.

Over the decades, the Lots Road Power Station has undergone several upgrades. The 1920s brought new fuel-handling systems, and by the 1960s, it had switched from coal to heavy fuel oil and from 33⅓ Hz to 50 Hz generation. This overhaul also saw the number of chimneys reduced from four to two. Then, between 1974 and 1977, as North Sea gas was discovered, the boilers were converted to burn natural gas, with oil as a backup option. In its later years, the station worked alongside Greenwich Power Station to supply electricity to the Underground network.

Interestingly, Lots Road also played a pivotal role in the early days of UK commercial radio. In October 1973, when the first two stations, LBC and Capital Radio, went on air, they lacked a proper transmitter site. A temporary antenna was strung between the two chimneys to broadcast until their permanent location was completed. The site continued to serve radio broadcasts until 2001.

By the early 1990s, the decision was not to re-equip the ageing station. Instead, it would continue to operate until its machinery could no longer function. In October 2002, after 97 years of electricity generation, the turbines were finally switched off. Since then, the National Grid has fully supplied the London Underground's power needs, though Greenwich Power Station remains on standby in case of grid failure.

In 1999, London Transport sold the Lots Road site to Circadian for £34 million, with plans to transform the power station into a mix of shops, restaurants, and apartments. The vision also included two skyscrapers on the adjacent land. However, the project was delayed when Kensington & Chelsea Council refused permission for one of the towers. While Hammersmith & Fulham Council granted permission for the taller South Tower, the developer wanted approval for both. It wasn't until January 2006 that the Secretary of State approved the entire development. Initially slated for completion by 2013, it was delayed by the economic downturn.

In September 2010, Thames Water announced plans for the Thames Tideway super sewer, with Cremorne Wharf Foreshore—near Lots Road—selected as one of the preferred access points. By 2013, developer Hutchison Whampoa had rebranded the eight-acre site as "Chelsea Waterfront," launching what would become the most extensive riverside development on the north bank of the Thames in over a century. The £1 billion project, celebrated with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by then-Mayor, Boris Johnson, aimed to create 706 new homes.

Lots Road has undoubtedly had a transformative journey from a powerhouse of London's Underground to a modern riverside development.