For many centuries, Chelsea was a sleepy fishing village along the Thames, only of interest to wealthier city-dwellers when the Tudors made it a somewhat fashionable country retreat.

Although only ‘absorbed’ into London in the 18th Century, Chelsea quickly established itself as the bohemian borough; from the 19th Century onwards it was the hotspot for artists, thinkers and trouble-makers. A focal point for the Pre-Raphaelites, Chelsea drew radicals and creatives alike; ranging from Oscar Wilde and JMW Turner, through to Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Alfred Hitchcock.

Though the radicals and revolutionaries have mostly moved on, Chelsea still retains some of its joie de vivre, with its independent boutiques, fine antique shops, and it even has London’s oldest Botanic Gardens, hidden away.