ensington Palace Gardens--really a slice of the
Gardens--a wide road with immense houses, correctly designated mansions,
standing back in their own grounds. This road is only open to ordinary
traffic on sufferance, and is liable to be closed at any time.

The part of Kensington lying to the west of Church Street and extending
to Notting Hill Gate was that formerly known as the Gravel Pits, and
considered particularly healthy on account of its dry soil and bracing
air. Bowack says that here there are "several handsome new-built houses,
and of late years has been discovered a chalybeate spring." Swift had
lodgings at the Gravel Pits between 1712 and 1713, and Anne Pitt, sister
of Lord Chatham, one of the bright bevy of Queen Caroline's maids of
honour, is reported to have died at her house at the Gravel Pits in
1780.

The most celebrated house here was Campden House, completely rebuilt
fifty years ago, and entirely demolished within the last two years. Old
Campden House was called after Sir Baptist Hicks, created Viscount
Campden. It is said that he won the land on which it stands from Sir
Walter Cope at a game, and thereupon built the house. This is the
generally accepted version of the affair, but it is probable that there
was some sort of a house standing here already. Bowack says: "Two
houses, called Holland and Campden Houses, were built ... by Mr. Cope
... erected before the death of Queen Elizabeth." And, again (quoting
from the Rev. C. Seward), "The second seat called Campden House was
purchased or won at some sort of game of Sir Walter Cope by Sir Baptist
Hicks." He adds that it was a "very noble Pile and finished with all the
art the Architects of that time were capable of." The mere fact of such
a prize being won at a game of chance was likely enough in the days when
gaming ran high. Lysons, on the other hand, distinctly says that the
house "was built about 1612 by Sir Baptist Hicks, whose arms with that
date and those of his sons-in-law, Edward, Lord Noel, and Sir Charles
Morrison, are in a large bay-window in the front." It is most probable
that Sir Baptist, on taking over the estate and the house then existing,
so restored it as to amount to an almost complete rebuilding. He was
created Viscount Campden in 1628, with remainder to Lord Noel, who
succeeded him. Lord Noel's son, Baptist, the third Viscount, had
Royalist tendencies, for which he was mulcted in the sum of L9,000
during the Rebellion. He married