Quick Fact
You won’t find it on any modern maps—just a quiet corner of Ladbroke Grove’s housing estate, about 3.5 miles west of central London. By 2026, the address lives on only in history books and true crime forums. (The demolition happened under police watch, and honestly? That tracks given the street’s dark legacy.) No trace remains of the infamous terrace—just a blank slate where the past used to be.
The street’s notoriety comes from John Christie’s crimes, but its roots run deeper in Notting Hill’s working-class story. Picture 1940s and 50s Notting Hill: a patchwork of post-war austerity, immigrant communities (including a growing Caribbean population that would later birth the famous Notting Hill Carnival), and the kind of tight-knit neighborhoods that made gossip spread faster than bad news. Britannica describes an area already complicated before Christie’s crimes added another layer of infamy.
Geographic Context
Rillington Place was a small cul-de-sac in Notting Hill, London, now swallowed by a modern housing estate near St. Mark’s Road and Bartle Road
Back then, it was just another ordinary residential street. But its reputation? Entirely tied to John Christie’s crimes. The neighborhood’s changed completely since—post-war housing gave way to sleek contemporary estates as part of Ladbroke Grove’s urban renewal. Sure, the physical traces are gone, but the street’s memory lingers in criminology lectures and legal ethics courses. These days, the Trellick Tower (a 1972 brutalist landmark) and the Notting Hill Carnival site define the area’s vibe.
Fun fact: the Trellick Tower sits just a 10-minute walk from where Rillington Place once stood. It’s become an icon of the neighborhood’s post-war makeover. Meanwhile, the Notting Hill Carnival—born in the 1960s as a small Caribbean celebration—now pulls over a million visitors every year. The contrast between that grim past and today’s vibrant scene? Stark. The National Archives has a great rundown of how Notting Hill evolved socially and physically during this wild transformation.
Key Details
Rillington Place got its new name—Ruston Close—in May 1954, then vanished in 1970, the same year Christie was executed (1953).
| Event | Date | What Happened |
|---|
| Street Renaming | May 1954 | Officials rebranded it Ruston Close to distance the area from Christie’s horrors. |
| Demolition | 1970 | The entire terrace—including No. 10—was bulldozed right after filming wrapped for 10 Rillington Place. |
| Christie’s Execution | July 15, 1953 | Hanged at Pentonville Prison for murdering at least eight women. |
| Evans’ Wrongful Execution | October 1950 | Timothy Evans was hanged for crimes Christie actually committed, sparking major debates about capital punishment. |
| Film Shoot | 1970 | 10 Rillington Place was filmed on location mere weeks before the houses were torn down. |
Want the timeline in plain English? Here’s how it all went down:
- 1940s: John Christie starts killing women in his own neighborhood, including at No. 10 Rillington Place.
- 1950: Timothy Evans gets convicted and executed for murders Christie actually committed. The case becomes a rallying cry for anti-death penalty activists.
- 1953: Christie’s finally caught, tried, and executed—but by then, Rillington Place’s reputation was ruined for good.
- 1954: The street gets a fresh name (Ruston Close) in a failed attempt to clean up its image.
- 1970: Bulldozers move in, and a new housing estate rises in its place.
The demolition wasn’t just about erasing a dark chapter—it was part of Ladbroke Grove’s mid-century makeover. According to Greater London Authority, 1960s and 70s urban renewal projects aimed to swap out crumbling housing for modern estates. (Though community cohesion? Not always the top priority.)
Interesting Background
The street’s infamous for John Christie’s murders and the wrongful execution of Timothy Evans, a case that helped end the UK’s death penalty.
John Christie, who lived at No. 10, killed at least eight women between 1943 and 1953. He’d often use gas to knock out his victims. Meanwhile, his neighbor Timothy Evans got the blame for killing his wife and baby—crimes Christie actually committed. That legal disaster became one of Britain’s most infamous miscarriages of justice. The case energized abolitionists, and the UK scrapped capital punishment in 1965. As for Ruston Close’s name? It reportedly came from Christie’s sister-in-law’s married name, Lily Bartle. The 1970 film footage—shot just before demolition—captures the street in its final days. Chilling stuff.
Christie’s crimes weren’t just a personal killing spree—they exposed gaping holes in policing and the justice system. Take his first victim, his own wife Ethel, whom he murdered in 1943 but reported as missing. Police barely batted an eye, a mistake that let him keep killing undetected for years. The Guardian digs into how Christie’s crimes mirrored broader issues in post-war Britain, from overstretched social services to sloppy law enforcement.
The case also flipped public opinion on the death penalty. Timothy Evans’ wrongful execution became a symbol of systemic failure, fueling activists like Sydney Silverman to push for abolition. When the UK ended capital punishment in 1965, it was partly thanks to cases like this. Today, law schools still teach it as a warning about eyewitness testimony, police procedure, and the irreversible cost of the death penalty.
Practical Information
As of 2026, the site sits within the Bartle Road housing estate in Ladbroke Grove, a 5-minute walk from Ladbroke Grove Tube station
There’s nothing left of the original street, but its story isn’t forgotten. Local archives, films like 10 Rillington Place (sometimes streaming on Netflix), and even true crime tours keep the memory alive. Meanwhile, Notting Hill’s transformed from post-war hardship to a cultural hotspot, thanks to Portobello Road Market and the Carnival. True crime buffs can visit Kensal Green Cemetery (where some victims are buried) or dig into the Museum of London’s archives. For the full story, Ludovic Kennedy’s book 10 Rillington Place remains the gold standard.
Planning a visit? Here’s how to explore the area’s history:
- Getting There: Hop on the Circle or Hammersmith & City line to Ladbroke Grove station. From the platform, it’s a quick 5-minute walk to the Bartle Road estate.
- What to See:
- Bartle Road Housing Estate: The modern buildings sit where Rillington Place once stood. The layout’s intentionally low-key—almost like the area’s trying to forget its past.
- Kensal Green Cemetery: About 15 minutes by bus, this is where Christie buried some victims. It’s also the final resting place of engineering legend Isambard Kingdom Brunel and novelist Anthony Trollope.
- Portobello Road Market: A short stroll from the estate, this market pulses with Notting Hill’s cultural energy. Grab lunch, hunt for vintage records, or just soak in the atmosphere.
- Museum of London: Their archives hold documents and artifacts tied to Christie’s crimes and the Evans case. Check their site for visiting hours and special exhibits.
- Books and Media:
- 10 Rillington Place by Ludovic Kennedy (1961) – The definitive account of the case.
- Christie’s Women by Julie Bindel (2018) – Examines the gender dynamics behind Christie’s crimes.
- 10 Rillington Place (1971 film) – Richard Attenborough stars as John Christie. Filmed mere weeks before demolition.
- The Rillington Place Murders (BBC documentary, 2016) – A deep dive with expert analysis.
- Local Tours: Some true crime walking tours in London include stops near the former Rillington Place. Look for ones that cover Notting Hill’s full history for the best context.
For a deeper dive into the area’s social history, The British Library has digitized archives of post-war London, including oral histories from Notting Hill residents who lived through the era. It’s a fascinating way to see how the neighborhood went from struggle to celebration.
