Skip to main content

Home > Historic Images > Historic Images 1920s to 1940s

Holland House library after an air raid BB83_04456

Holland House library after an air raid BB83_04456



We accept all major credit cards

Wall Art and Photo Gifts from Historic England

Holland House library after an air raid BB83_04456

HOLLAND HOUSE, Kensington, London. An interior view of the bombed library at Holland House with readers apparently choosing books regardless of the damage. Photographed in 1940. The House was heavily bombed during World War II and remained derelict until 1952 when parts of the remains were preserved.
Holland House, originally known as Cope Castle, was a great house in Kensington in London, situated in what is now Holland Park. Created in 1605 in the Elizabethan or Jacobean style for the diplomat Sir Walter Cope, the building later passed to the powerful Rich family, then the Fox family, under whose ownership it became a noted gathering-place for Whigs in the 19th century. The house was largely destroyed by German firebombing during the Blitz in 1940; today only the east wing and some ruins of the ground floor still remain.
In 1940, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth attended the last great ball held at the house. A few weeks later, on 7 September, the German bombing raids on London that would come to be known as the Blitz began. During the night of 27 September, Holland House was hit by twenty-two incendiary bombs during a ten-hour raid. The house was largely destroyed, with only the east wing, and, miraculously, almost all of the library remaining undamaged. Surviving volumes included the sixteenth-century Boxer Codex.
Holland House was granted Grade I listed building status in 1949, under the auspices of the Town and Country Planning Act 1947; the Act sought to identify and preserve buildings of special historic importance, prompted by the damage caused by wartime bombing. The building remained a burned-out ruin until 1952, when its owner, Giles Fox-Strangways, 6th Earl of Ilchester, sold it to the London County Council (LCC). The remains of the building passed from the LCC to its successor, the Greater London Council (GLC) in 1965, and upon the dissolution of the GLC in 1986 to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
Today, the remains of Holland House form a backdrop for the open air Holland Park Theatre, home of Opera Holland Park. The YHA (England and Wales) " London Holland Park" youth hostel is now located in the house. The Orangery is now an exhibition and function space, with the adjoining former Summer Ballroom now a restaurant, The Belvedere. The former ice house is now a gallery space

Media ID 1326365

© Historic England Archive

1940s Blitz Destruction Historic People War Time Ww 2


FEATURES IN THESE COLLECTIONS

> England at War > England at War 1939-45 > The Blitz

> More features > Romantic Ruins

> Historic Images > Historic Images 1920s to 1940s

> Historic Images > More Lost London

> The way we were > Leisure > Libraries


MADE IN THE USA
Safe Shipping with 30 Day Money Back Guarantee

FREE PERSONALISATION*
We are proud to offer a range of customisation features including Personalised Captions, Color Filters and Picture Zoom Tools

FREE COLORIZATION SERVICE
You can choose advanced AI Colorization for this picture at no extra charge!

SECURE PAYMENTS
We happily accept a wide range of payment options so you can pay for the things you need in the way that is most convenient for you

* Options may vary by product and licensing agreement. Zoomed Pictures can be adjusted in the Cart.




Related Images


Battle of Waterloo map J020089
Battle of Waterloo map J020089
Sea of Steps, Wells Cathedral a66_00136
Sea of Steps, Wells Cathedral a66_00136
Tees Transporter Bridge, Middlesbrough N100022
Tees Transporter Bridge, Middlesbrough N100022
Fairfield Church, Romney Marsh N060981
Fairfield Church, Romney Marsh N060981
Engraving glass JLP01_08_061032a
Engraving glass JLP01_08_061032a
Lawrence - Duke of Wellington J040044
Lawrence - Duke of Wellington J040044
Upton Park, West Ham 26448_011
Upton Park, West Ham 26448_011
Chinoiserie wallpaper J050121
Chinoiserie wallpaper J050121
Butlers Wharf c. 1910 BB87_09668
Butlers Wharf c. 1910 BB87_09668
Lords Cricket Ground 24418_024
Lords Cricket Ground 24418_024
Crystal Palace CC97_01549
Crystal Palace CC97_01549
London Docks 1958 EAW071687
London Docks 1958 EAW071687

+

Shipping

+

Choices

+

Guaranteed




Related Collections


Historic Images 1920s to 1940s
Historic Images 1920s to 1940s
Browse 758 Prints
More Lost London
More Lost London
Browse 152 Prints
Romantic Ruins
Romantic Ruins
Browse 569 Prints
The Blitz
The Blitz
Browse 44 Prints
Libraries
Libraries
Browse 39 Prints