At the counter-cultural forefront of London fashion during the technicolor '60s and anarchic '70s (Ian Fleming's fictional spy James Bond had a flat in a square off the road), the King’s Rd today is more a stamping ground for the leisured shopping set. The last punks – once tourist sights in themselves – have long since departed. Today it's all snappily dressed locals perusing designer stores and the sprinkling of specialist shops. Nearby Pavilion Rd is an excellent detour for foodies.
In the 17th century, Charles II fashioned a love nest here for himself and his mistress Nell Gwyn, an orange-seller turned actress at the Drury Lane Theatre. Heading back to Hampton Court Palace at eventide, Charles would employ a farmer’s track that inevitably came to be known as the King’s Rd.
