History of The Roof Gardens

In 1862, Charles Derry opened up a shop in Wrights Lane and was joined by his brother-in-law, Charles Toms, a few years later. The business they developed was eventually bought in 1921 by Barkers and they moved the premises to 99-121 Kensington High Street and constructed the existing building in 1932.

This building is still known affectionately as "Derry and Toms" although in the seventies it was taken over by Biba's and more recently by leading high street retailers.

The Roof Gardens were the dream child of Trevor Bowen, the then Vice-President of Barkers, and Ralph Hancock, a landscape architect, laid out the gardens during 1936-8.

The gardens cover some one and a half acres and are situated 100ft above street level. The average depth of the soil is 18-inch drainage made of bricks and clinker over a waterproof membrane. Ralph Hancock brought in some 500 species of plants and shrubs and even imported rock from Pennsylvania for his alpine planting on the assumption that it would withstand London's polluted atmosphere.

Each year 15,000 bulbs were purchased and 38,000 bedding plants were laid out, having been produced in the nursery on the roof. The gardens were constructed around three themes - the Spanish Garden with its Court of Fountains and formal design; the Tudor Garden and Walkway constructed in traditional stone and the English Woodland Garden complete with stream and ducks. Other exotic birds such as flamingos and pintail ducks are also to be found in the garden.

In recent years the ownership and responsibility for the gardens has changed several times and in 1976 the Council placed a Tree Preservation Order on the trees growing in the gardens to ensure that unnecessary removal or harmful pruning works were not carried out. With change of ownership of the building it has been run as an independent restaurant and nightclub, firstly as Regine's and since 1981, The Roof Gardens has been the glamorous playground owned by Sir Richard Branson.

The Roof Gardens is part of a collection of exclusive properties known as Limited Edition by Virgin. These gardens are well worth a visit and on a fine day, one is additionally rewarded with a panoramic view of West London.