Emergency plumber in Kensington
Kensington Square, begun in 1692, is the oldest square in Kensington, and its houses are listed. Edwardes Square followed between 1811 and 1820 around a three-acre garden. Between 1855 and 1870, Joseph Gordon Davis built 214 houses on the 21-acre Phillimore estate, a mix of villas, pairs and terraces on streets such as Essex Villas and Argyll Road. Today many of Kensington’s terraces of four to six floors are divided into flats. Each age of building brings its own plumbing problems.
Tall terraces, many households
A Georgian or Victorian house divided into four or five flats has one set of supply pipes and drains serving everyone. When a pipe fails near the top, water runs down through floors and ceilings that belong to other people. We stop the water, protect your home and trace the source, then give you a clear account of whose pipe it was.
When the mains burst
On 21 January 2026, a large water main burst near Holland Park roundabout, just north of W8. Flooding up to a metre deep spread across nearby streets, more than 50 homes were affected and residents were evacuated by boat. Thousands more across west London, including parts of W8, lost water or pressure. Exactly five years earlier, on 21 January 2021, another main burst under Notting Hill Gate and flooded basements nearby.
Worth knowing: If water pours in from the street, your first calls are 999 if anyone is at risk, and Thames Water. Once it is safe, a plumber can protect what is inside, restore your own supply and check your pipes for damage.
Basements and storms
In July 2007, Kensington High Street was among the areas where basements flooded as the sewers backed up. Kensington and Chelsea’s sewers carry rainwater and waste together, and lower ground floors are the first to take water when they overflow. Knowing exactly how your basement drains connect, and whether you have a pumped device, matters here.
Estates and conservation
Most of W8 is in conservation areas, including Kensington, Kensington Square and Edwardes Square. Some estates, the Phillimore estate among them, have used estate management schemes that can still require consent for changes to the outside of a house. Emergency repairs are not affected, but a new flue or external pipe may be. We tell you before anything changes outside.
From Kensington Square to Campden Hill Square, call 07862 142953 or send us a photo on WhatsApp. If a pipe has split, read about burst pipe repair.
Kensington at a glance
- Postcodes we cover
- W8
- Streets we often visit
- Kensington Square
- Edwardes Square
- Pembroke Square
- Campden Hill Square
- Phillimore Gardens
- Phillimore Place
- Argyll Road
- Essex Villas
- Stafford Terrace
- Hornton Street
- Holland Street
- Kensington Church Street
- Local landmarks
- Kensington Palace and Gardens
- High Street Kensington station
- St Mary Abbots
- Kensington Town Hall
- Holland Park
- Campden Hill
- Common problems here
- Leaks between flats in Georgian and Victorian terraces of four to six floors
- Burst mains under the busy roads around Kensington High Street
- Basement flats and lightwells taking water when sewers back up
- Old lead supply pipes in houses built between the 1690s and the 1870s
- Exterior alterations on enfranchised estate houses
Questions people ask
The water has gone off across the street. Is it a burst main?
Possibly. If neighbours have lost water or pressure too, it is likely to be the water company's network, as happened when a large main burst near Holland Park roundabout in January 2026. Check Thames Water's service updates. If only your home is affected, the fault is probably on your side and we can help.
My house was bought from an estate years ago. Do I still need its consent for changes?
Some Kensington estates, including the Phillimore estate, use estate management schemes that can still control the outside of houses after the freehold was bought. An emergency repair is not affected. If a lasting fix would change anything outside, check your title and the scheme first.
Do you cover the streets around Kensington High Street and Campden Hill?
Yes. We cover all of Kensington W8, from Kensington Square and Edwardes Square to Campden Hill and Phillimore Gardens.
How quickly can you reach W8?
We aim to be with you within 60 minutes, at any hour.
Sources
- Kensington, Wikipedia
- Kensington conservation area appraisal, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
- Kensington Square, Wikipedia
- Edwardes Square, Wikipedia
- Flooding at Holland Park roundabout (January 2026), Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
- Section 19 flood investigation, 12 July 2021, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea