History of Wiltshire Close

Lady Mathews House 1664

The first recorded building on the land of Wiltshire Close was a farm house in 1664 known as Lady Mathews House. It was surrounded by green pastures and arable land worked by a Jeremiah Wiltshire, whom it assumed named after.

Georgian Terrace Housing 1865

Marlborough Tavern 1700

By the end of the 1700's Lady Mathews house had been replaced by The Marlborough Tavern and Cricket grounds, providing an extensive pleasure garden for patrons.  Road named Blacklands Lane.

Cadogan Avenue 1914

The land owned by what had now become the Cadogan Estate, scheduled for redevelopment either side of a newly formed Cadogan Avenue. However under the Housing Act 1936, the then Borough of Chelsea Council identified the plot as underutilised and obtained a compulsory purchase order to acquire it for the provision of housing for working people.  Marlborough Road name was changed to Draycott Avenue

Ownership of the land came into the possession of the Cadogan family in 1821, with the then Earl of Cadogan embarking on wholesale development of the area adding more residential housing and commercial. Blacklands Lane was than renamed Marlborough Road.

Wiltshire Close 1949

In 1937 plans were prepared for an apartment block scheme that would become Wiltshire Close, construction was delayed some  10 years by the outbreak of the second world war.  The construction than commenced in 1946 and completed in 1949.  The Wiltshire Close Estate has 214 apartments of varying size from studios to 4 bedroom family flats.  Well maintained, it is home to a diverse group of people; young families, students, working people and retirees.