Shelter Alcove (Opposite the North End of the Serpentine) is a Grade II* listed building in the Westminster local planning authority area, England. First listed on 14 January 1970. A Early Modern Shelter alcove. 1 related planning application.

Shelter Alcove (Opposite the North End of the Serpentine)

WRENN ID
nether-cobble-gilt
Grade
II*
Local Planning Authority
Westminster
Constituency
Kensington and Bayswater MP: Joe Powell (Lab)
Country
England
Date first listed
14 January 1970
Type
Shelter alcove
Period
Early Modern
Address
Shelter Alcove (Opposite the North End of the Serpentine), Kensington Gardens W2, City of Westminster, W2 2UH
OS grid reference
TQ 267 807
Coordinates
51.51135, -0.17524
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: related consents · flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The Shelter Alcove, located opposite the north end of the Serpentine in Kensington Gardens, is an early 18th-century structure attributed to Sir Christopher Wren. It is built from Portland stone with brick on the flanks and features a lead roof. This tall, free-standing alcove is open to the south and has a giant semi-domed niche at its center, which is panelled internally. The alcove is flanked by paired fluted Corinthian pilasters, with shell niches between them and carved swags above. A cartouche with a monogram is positioned on the central keystone. The structure was formerly part of the gardens of Kensington Palace.

Local climate

Shelter Alcove (Opposite the North End of the Serpentine) sits in one of the driest parts of the UK, with an average of 700 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 93% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 94% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 34 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 51% of listed buildings. Of these, 15 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

More on this building

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  • No EPC on record for this property
  • No sale records on file
  • Related listed building consents — 1 application
  • Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
  • Flood risk assessment
  • Radon risk assessment
  • Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
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