Peabody Avenue

The site of Peabdoy Avenue remained rural well into the18th century and was adjacent to a natural inlet on the River Thames, which was used by Chelsea Waterworks to create the Grosvenor Canal. Following the infilling of the canal to create the railway in 1860, the London, Dover and Continental Railway sold the land to the Peabody Trust in 1874 and H A Darbishire, the Trust's architect from 1862-1885, adapted his standard formula tenement block design to this narrow, restrictive site.

The avenue was originally 280 metres long; the western range adjacent to the railway is five storeys high, the eastern block is four storeys. The buildings are yellow stock brick with string courses in a lighter brick but little other decoration. The three villa tenements of Peabody Close, between the Peabody Avenue and Grosvenor Road, were added as a separate phase of development in the 1880s and show how much social housing had evolved within a mere twenty years. These buildings are also more decorative because of their prominent location close to the river. The London Plane trees down the centre of the Avenue contribute significantly to the character of the area and the character is strongly influenced by the long narrow site.

The conservation area was designated in 2000. A conservation area audit for the estate was adopted in 2009.