In 1845 a Mr. J. Connop, described as ‘the lessee of the Hippodrome,’ made his appearance in the Insolvent Debtors’ Court. He owed a trifle of £67,000, though, of course, there were the usual assets of £10,000, if only the property ‘be properly worked.’ The potent name of Ladbroke appears in these proceedings as the ground-landlord.
A good idea of the course can be gained from the accompanying plan, published in 1841. It will be found that Ladbroke Terrace and Norland Square roughly define its lower limits. Ladbroke Grove, Lansdown Road, and Clarendon Road now cut through it northwards. The ‘hill for pedestrians’ is crowned by St. John’s Church (built 1845) in Lansdown Crescent and Ladbroke Grove.
Part of the course was preserved as late as 1852 with some rough turf and a few hedges, at which adventurous lady-riders practised their horses.
[Newspaper notices; Bell’s Life, John Bull, etc.; plan and view of the Hippodrome (W.); Walford, Old and New London, v., p. 182; Loftie’s Kensington, p. 267 f.]
THE ROYAL OAK, BAYSWATER
In the twenties this was still a rural inn, with sloping, red-tiled roof and dormer windows, standing quite alone. [37a] A visitor coming from Paddington Green passed to it by a quiet field-path—the Bishop’s Walk, now Bishop’s Road—through a region of pleasant pastures and hedgerow elms. A weeping ash and the sign of the Boscobel Oak stood on a green in front of the house, and there were benches for the wayfarer and a tea-garden.
In 1837, with the advent of the Great Western Railway, all these country surroundings began to disappear, and the fields were soon cut up for roads. The house was now brought forward so as to stand nearer the road, and the tea-gardens were sold for building. [37b] The present Royal Oak public-house, standing more forward than its predecessor, is 89, Bishop’s Road and No. 1, Porchester Road.
A Welsh landlord (apparently in the early twenties) named Davies paid a £50 rent, which he could not get back by catering for his few local customers, chiefly nurserymen. At the present day the property is said to have changed hands for £24,000.