Forum Topic

Clifton House, Uxbridge Road, W12

Can anyone help? I live in Clifton House on Uxbridge Road. It is a beautiful Victorian house which, to my knowledge; was once a boys home. Does anyone know what it was called back then, or has any kind of history regarding this building. I am not having much luck finding anything on the internet.

Beverley Sims ● 3987d7 Comments

It's a curiously grand building to have been used by the Salvation Army as a hostel, even for single women, and why the Prince of Wales feathers on the front? The yellowish brickwork does not look like 19th Century. I wonder whether the benefactress Angela Burdett-Coutts was connected; see the attached Wikiedia article. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Burdett-Coutts,_1st_Baroness_Burdett-Coutts The building Urania Cottage appears to be on Shepherd's Bush Green, as the one on the right of the photograph looks very familiar and may still stand.

Dan Filson ● 3909d

The answer probably lies in the Hammersmith archives, open on Mondays but make an appointment first.

Caroline MacMillan ● 3951d

Thought I had submitted a reply but doesn't appear to have been received? Anyway, The Census for 1911 shows this building as a refuge run by The Salvation Army and appears to be inhabited by Sisters and many single females, presumably who had fallen on hard times.

James Mercer ● 3951d

Thank you for your reply to my posting. I moved there in October 1995 and have always been interested by this building. As far as I have been told, I live the the very same flat as the mayor. If you do happen to find out any other information, I would be very interested. Thank you once again.

Beverley Sims ● 3964d

Had the question been asked a decade ago, I would have suggested asking the late Tom Morris, a former Mayor of Hammermsith who lived in one of the lower flats (until Parkinson's and the steps up forced him to move), lived until over 100, and might well have known the answer. It was certainly already divided into flats by 1978 and known then already as Clifton House. I've always been intrigued by the very prominent Prince of Wales feathers at the front. These may be a clue as to the history of the building.

Dan Filson ● 3965d

Try the borough archives in Lilla Huset, next to the Ark on Talgarth Road near Hammersmith Broadway. You need to make anappointment. Open Mondays 10am-4pm.

Suzanna Harris ● 3979d

Try the borough archives in Lilla Huset, next to the Ark on Talgarth Road near Hammersmith Broadway. You need to make anappointment. Open Mondays 10am-4pm.

Suzanna Harris ● 3979d