▁such ▁as ▁B len heim ▁C res cent , ▁El gin ▁C res cent , ▁Stanley ▁C res cent , ▁Corn wall ▁C res cent ▁and ▁Land sd ow ne ▁C res cent , ▁were ▁built ▁over ▁the ▁circular ▁race course ▁tracks . ▁At ▁the ▁sum mit ▁of ▁hill ▁stands ▁the ▁elegant ▁St ▁John ' s ▁church , ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 5 ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁English ▁style , ▁and ▁which ▁formed ▁the ▁cent rep ie ce ▁of ▁the ▁Lad bro ke ▁Est ate ▁development . ▁ ▁The ▁Not ting ▁Hill ▁houses ▁were ▁large , ▁but ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁immediately ▁succeed ▁in ▁ent icing ▁the ▁very ▁rich est ▁London ers , ▁who ▁t ended ▁to ▁live ▁closer ▁to ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁London ▁in ▁May f air ▁or ▁Bel gra via . ▁The ▁houses ▁appe aled ▁to ▁the ▁upper ▁middle ▁class , ▁who ▁could ▁live ▁there ▁in ▁Bel gra via ▁style ▁at ▁lower ▁prices . ▁In ▁the ▁opening ▁chapter ▁of ▁John ▁G als worth y ' s ▁F ors y te ▁S aga ▁nov els , ▁he ▁hous ed ▁the ▁Nicholas ▁F ors y tes ▁" in ▁Lad bro ke ▁Gro ve , ▁a ▁sp a cious ▁ab ode ▁and ▁a ▁great ▁b arg ain ". ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 2 ▁Thomas ▁Hard y ▁left ▁Dor chester ▁for ▁London ▁to ▁work ▁with ▁architect ▁Arthur ▁Bl om field ; ▁during ▁this ▁period ▁he ▁lived ▁in ▁West bourne ▁Park ▁Vill as . ▁He ▁imm ers ed ▁himself ▁in ▁the ▁city ' s ▁literary