grosvenor estate history

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grosvenor estate: past & present

Grosvenor Estate

Past & Present

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grosvenor estate: past & present chestertonhumberts.com

Foreword from Grosvenor’s Estate SurveyorWe are delighted to see this comprehensive

history of the estate and our thanks go to

Chesterton Humberts for their diligence

and efforts in putting it together. It is a

welcome addition to the records of

London’s development.

Grosvenor’s purpose in Britain & Ireland

is to create great places where people want

to live, work and relax. To do this we try to

achieve a balance of homes, offices and shops

which serve both the local community and

the many visitors to the areas in which we are

active.The experience gained over 300 years

in London has been put to use in other cities,

including Edinburgh, Cambridge and Liverpool,

as well as elsewhere in the world, but it is the

London estate, in Mayfair and Belgravia, that

remains at the heart of our business.

Our heritage is immensely important to us. It

provides a sense of continuity in the community

informed by our long-term approach, which

is something that we believe is important

in a fast-moving world. We are guided by

our history, but not constrained by it, and

are constantly looking for ways to improve

the quality of life on the estate; whether it

is by finding new ways to work with local

government to improve the public realm,

introducing innovative environmental

measures, or welcoming new businesses

to our retail and office portfolio.

It is, however, the people who live and work

here, who define the distinctive character of the

community and its place in London’s history,

as this remarkable roll-call of illustrious names

demonstrates. We see our role as being stewards

of this wonderful area of London. Our task at

Grosvenor is to ensure that the estate remains

an environment in which individuals, and the

communities that they live in, can continue

to make their mark on London’s history.

Nigel Hughes

the estate surveyorGrosvenor

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An introduction from Robert BartlettThe look, the feel and the essential character of

large parts of central London have been created

and shaped by a small number of estates, one of

the most prominent of which is the Grosvenor

Estate.

Stretching from Eaton Square to Grosvenor

Square and incorporating addresses which are

famous the world over, the Grosvenor Estate

has its roots in the 17th century, but its continual

contributions to areas such as Mayfair and

Belgravia have never stopped and are as clearly

visible today as I’m sure they will be in the years

ahead.

Chesterton Humberts has had the honour and

distinction of working closely with Grosvenor

over a number of years and, during this time,

has formed a relationship of which we are

very proud. I am therefore delighted to

introduce this history of the estate, which

gives a fascinating insight into how some of

London’s most prestigious addresses came into

being and a look at a few of the historical figures

and personalities that have called this part of

London home.

Robert Bartlett

chief executive officerChesterton Humberts

chestertonhumberts.com

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IntroductionGrosvenor Estate

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The Grosvenor Estate in London covers some of the most prestigious streets and properties in the capital. Covering a large portion of Mayfair, along with Belgravia and formerly Pimlico, it has a history dating back to the 17th century and has seen the transformation of the early fields and gardens into some of the most valuable real estate in the world. Its architectural and social

history also places it firmly at the heart of the history of London over the last three centuries. The following pages give an overview of some of the highlights of the history of this extraordinary estate in London.


Early history of the London Grosvenor EstateFor a time, during the reign of Edward the

Confessor, the manor of Eia or Eye was held

in the name of Harold, son of Ralph, Earl

of Hereford and nephew of the King. By the

time of the Norman Conquest in 1066, the

manor was held by William the Chamberlain,

at which time it was confiscated. William the

Conqueror then granted Eia to his close friend,

Geoffrey de Mandeville. At this time it covered

1,090 acres, from today’s Oxford Street and

Bayswater Road down to the Thames, and from

the River Westbourne (near today’s Lancaster

Gate) across to the River Tyburn (now flowing

underground). In the late 11th century, de

Mandeville granted the manor to the Abbey

of Westminster.

The manor of Eia continued with the Abbey

of Westminster until the Dissolution of the

Monasteries by Henry VIII in 1540. It was

at this time that Henry enclosed Hyde Park

to create a deer park. During the reign of

Elizabeth I, in 1585, Sir Thomas Knyvett, a

Groom of the Privy Chamber, obtained a lease

for the Manor of Ebury (a large section of the

manor of Eia) for 60 years. By 1623, James I

had sold the freehold to John Traylman and

Thomas Pearson for over £1000, who then

passed it to Sir Lionel Cranfield, Earl of

Middlesex. Cranfield was a London mercer

(a silk and fabric merchant) who became

Surveyor General of Customs in 1613 and

Lord Treasurer in 1621. However, but in 1624

he was charged with corruption and fined

£50,000, and spent two weeks in the Tower

of London. He sold the lands to Hugh Audley

in 1626 for £9,400.

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Hugh Audley &Alexander DaviesHugh Audley was the son of a prosperous

mercer. He became Clerk in the Court of Wards

and Liveries in 1619 and rose to become Keeper

of the Records of the Court in 1644. He was

also a clever businessman and money lender,

which greatly contributed to his wealth and

allowed him to buy up land across the country.

Audley changed his will many times and by the

time of his death in 1662, the final version left

most of his London estate to his great nephews,

two brothers, Thomas and Alexander Davies.

Thomas was a successful bookseller, who was

later knighted and became Lord Mayor of

London.

Alexander aimed to improve the estate with

building development. He purchased additional

land in Millbank from his brother and also built

himself a house, later named Peterborough

House, as well as planning a riverside terrace

of small houses, now known as Grosvenor Road.

However, he over-stretched himself and was

forced to borrow money in order to make the

scheme work. But in 1665,at the age of just 30,

Alexander suddenly died of the plague, leaving a

21 year-old wife and an 18 month-old baby girl,

Mary. Alexander died intestate, so his fortune

was divided, with his wife inheriting one third

for her lifetime and his daughter inheriting the

remaining two thirds.

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hugh lupus3rd Marquess of Westminstercreated Duke of Westminster

1825 - 1899

lady constance3rd Marquess of Westminstercreated Duke of Westminster

hugh richard arthur (bendor)2nd Duke of Westminster

Succeeded 18991879 - 1953

hon katherine cavendish

1857 - 1941

victor alexanderEarl of Grosvenor

1853 - 1884

lady sibell lumley1855 - 1929

constancecornwallis-west

1855 - 1929

edward george hugh

Earl Grosvenor1904 - 1909

william3rd Duke of Westminster

Succeeded 19531894 - 1963

robert george5th Duke of Westminster

1910 - 1979

gerald cavendish6th Duke of Westminster

hugh richard louis

Earl Grosvenor1991 -

gerald hugh4th Duke of Westminster

Succeeded 19631907 - 1967

lord henry1861 - 1929

doraerskine-wemyss

d.1894

lord hugh william1884 - 1914

lady mabel crichton

1882 - 1944

+

+

sally perry1910 - 1990 + hon viola

lyttelton1912 - 1987

+

natalia phillips1959 -

lady tamara1979 -

lady edwina1981 -

lady viola1992 -

+

+

+ +

+

The Dukes of WestminsterHugh Lupus Grosvenor was made the first

Duke of Westminster in 1874. This was the

only Dukedom bestowed by Queen Victoria

to a non family member during her reign.

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Mary Davies & Sir Thomas GrosvenorAfter her father’s death, Mary became a highly

sought-after bride with many a suitor after the

wealth that she would bring to a marriage. The

12 year old Mary eventually married 21 year

-old Sir Thomas Grosvenor, Baronet of Eaton

(1655 – 1700), in Chester in 1677, at which

time the London estate covered around 100

acres in Mayfair and around 400 acres in what

is now Belgravia and Pimlico. Mary continued

to live in London with her mother until she

was 15 years old, at which time she joined her

husband at Eaton Hall in Chester. By this time,

her mother had remarried Mr Tregonwell and

continued to live in Millbank.

After the death of her husband in 1700, Mary

Davies, Lady Grosvenor, became the subject

of unscrupulous gold-diggers. In 1701, she was

married off to her chaplain’s brother, Edward

Fenwick, who would have obtained her fortune,

had, the marriage not been proven bogus after

four years of legal disputes. The marriage was

eventually annulled in 1705, but not before the

mental state of Lady Mary had declined. She

was later declared insane and was cared for by

trustees until her death in 1730. Her eldest son,

Sir Richard, died in 1732 and was succeeded by

his brother, Sir Thomas, who died the following

year. The family estate then passed to the

youngest son of Sir Thomas and Lady Mary, Sir

Robert. It was these three brothers who were

responsible for the development of Mayfair, in

particular, Sir Richard who became known as the

‘great builder’.

This is the start of the Grosvenor Estate as we

know it today.

9Map of the Grosvenor Estate as in 1723 (Drawn by estate surveyor Thomas Cundy 1822) – Courtesy of The Grosvenor Estate

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Mayfair


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Early building in Mayfair

Grosvenor Square elevation – Colen Campbell 1725 – Courtesy of The Grosvenor Estate

At the turn of the 18th century, the Mayfair

section of the Grosvenor family’s London estate

was known as ‘The Hundred Acres’. In the east

it stretched from the River Tyburn along South

Molton Lane and Avery Row, west along the top

of Berkeley Square to Park Lane, up to Oxford

Street and then east to the top of today’s Davies

Street. Prior to the start of development in

Mayfair, Sir Thomas Grosvenor was succeeded

by his eldest son, Richard, 4th Baronet, in 1700,

who, became Mayor of Chester and MP for

Chester in 1715.

Development across Mayfair was slow, primarily

due to the restrictions around the inheritance

of the estate from Hugh Audley. It was only

in 1711 that a private Act of Parliament

allowed for the granting of building leases.

By 1720, Sir Richard was putting in place the

grand plan for the Hundred Acres with the

centrepiece planned as the grandest square in

London, Grosvenor Square. He brought in

Colen Campbell, described as architect to the

Prince of Wales, to advise on the layout of the

square. In August 1720, Sir Richard appointed

Thomas Barlow as Estate Surveyor, recorded as

both a carpenter and master builder. Previously,

in 1715, Barlow had been agent for Lord

Scarborough and is believed to have laid out

Hanover Square and the surrounding area. He

is also known to have been responsible for some

of the buildings in New Bond Street and for

shaping the street map of Mayfair as we know

it. Along with the Grosvenors’ estate manager,

Richard Andrew, Barlow laid out the grid

pattern of streets.

Along with the wide avenues and the grand

Grosvenor Square, Sir Richard also made

allowances for services for his new wealthy

tenants, with smaller surrounding streets for

shops, taverns, coffee houses, and tradesmen’s

and servants’ houses. By 1747, most of the streets

had been laid out, except for the north- west

corner near the Tyburn gallows (near today’s

Marble Arch) which remained empty. Although

the streets were completed, many houses were

still to be built and building was ongoing from

the 1720s through the 1780s.

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Grosvenor Square


Grosvenor Square lies at the heart of the

Grosvenor Estate in Mayfair and was pivotal

to the grand plans of Sir Richard Grosvenor.

Covering six acres, it is the second largest

London square (after Lincoln’s Inn Fields)

and ever since its completion, it has been one

of the most sought-after addresses in London.

The development was managed by Robert

Andrews, son of the previous estate manager

Richard Andrews. The aim was to create one of

the finest unified Palladian facades, in particular

the eastern side of the square, designed by

Colen Campbell, to appear as one grand palace

front. However, the man responsible for the

construction, John Simmons, did not fulfil these

original plans. The completed terrace was built

as one complete side, but not to the designs

of Campbell. On the northern side, builder

-developer, Edward Shepherd also attempted

a unified facade in 1728, but this too was

never quite fulfilled due to some houses being

constructed in a different design by Thomas

Barlow.

The structure of the lease agreements meant

that many houses were constructed according

to individual taste and many were only

completed when finance and tenants allowed.

Thirty different builders were involved and,

although the Grosvenor Estate monitored

construction, there was no imposed architectural

design. The completed houses were four-storeys,

constructed with red brick and stone details,

pedimented doorways and patterned fanlights,

and were described as having ‘overall similarity

in design which made for a pleasing harmony’.

The houses were also larger than any of those

constructed in other London squares and soon

became the centre of London society and

fashion.

By the early 1730s, all of the houses were

completed and Grosvenor Square was commonly

referred to as the grandest square in London.

From the very beginning, it was seen as one

of the best addresses and became home to

some of the wealthiest and most high-profile

names of the 18th century. In July 1725, The

Daily Journal said “Grosvenor Square, which

for its largeness and beauty will far exceed

any yet made in and about London” and in

London in Miniature (1755) it was called “the

most magnificent square in the whole Town”.

Records show that of the first 51 ratepayers, 16

were peers, 35 were titled and 19 were MPs, and

it was even rumoured that George II thought

of buying a house in the square for the Prince

of Wales.

Grosvenor Square west side (from North Audley Street) c.1931 – Courtesy of The Grosvenor Estate

A View of Grosvenor Square, London 1741 – Courtesy of The Grosvenor Estatepage 22-2314


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In Londonium Redivivum (1802) by J.P.

Malcolm Grosvenor Square was described

as “the very focus of feudal grandeur, fashion,

taste and hospitality”. Over the 300 years of

the history of Grosvenor Square it has been

home to an inordinate number of well-known

residents - too many to mention here - but

below is an overview of some of the notable

early residents.

In 1740, No.1 was the home of Charles

Colyear, 2nd Earl of Portmore, son of the

former mistress of James II, but by 1743 it

was occupied by the 2nd Duke of Buccleugh,

who later shocked society by marrying a

washerwoman. During the late 1790s and

early 1800s No.2 was occupied by William

Beckford, author of Vathek (1786) at which

time his guests included Sir William and Lady

Emma Hamilton, along with Admiral Lord

Nelson. No.4 Grosvenor Square was formerly

the largest of the original houses, complete by

1729, but ten years later the builder chose the

unusual method of raffling the house. For 200

years it was home to just two families, including

the former Prime Minister Charles Watson-

Wentworth, the 2nd Marquess of Rockingham.

In 1931 it became the Italian Embassy.

No.7 was formerly the home of Viscount

Weymouth and in 1827 it became the home

of Thomas Grosvenor, 2nd Earl of Wilton, the

second son of the 1st Marquess of Westminster.

In 1926 it became the home of Lady Cunard,

who, during World War II, gave up her house

and went to live in the Dorchester Hotel, which,

at that time was home to many of London’s

elite who would take shelter in the ladies

Turkish baths during bombing raids.

No.9 Grosvenor Square is the only Georgian

house remaining in the square today. In 1785,

after the American War of Independence, it

became the home of the First Minister to the

British Court, John Adams, making it the first

American Embassy in London. Adams returned

to America in 1788 and in 1797 he became

the second President of the United States.

Between 1729 and 1742, No.12 was the home

of John Aislabie, former Chancellor of the

Exchequer and the man many people blame

for the burst of the South Sea Bubble. In 1868

it became the home of politician and writer,

Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton, and

then later to bankers John Pierpont Morgan

( J.P. Morgan) senior and junior. These houses,

Nos.10-12, are now the site of the Marriott

Hotel on the corner of Duke Street. No.13 was

the home of Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess

of Westminster, followed by his brother, Thomas

Grosvenor, 2nd Earl of Wilton. The 1st

Marquess of Westminster also lived at Nos.15

and 16, originally built as one double-sized

house. It was later divided into two houses and

No.15 was the home of Captain Thistlethwaite

and his wife, who later, with the help of Prime

Minister William Gladstone, opened a mission

for fallen girls at her home until the 1880s.

The last resident of No.16 was the Dowager

Duchess of Westminster, widow of the 1st Duke,

who lived in the house until 1940 when it was

destroyed by bombing.

No.19 was the home of the Earls of Thanet

and it is believed that Mozart and his sister

performed here, and that part of the interior

was designed by Robert Adam. In 1926, it

became the home of conductor, Sir Thomas

and Lady Beecham. No.26 is notable because it

was remodelled by celebrated architect, Robert

Adam and was described as one of four of his

greatest London houses. In 1851, the house

passed to the 14th Earl of Derby, three times

Prime Minister, before being demolished in 1861.

Eighteenth century ‘feudal grandeur, fashion, taste and hospitality’

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No.35 was the home of radical politician John

Wilkes, who was held in the Tower of London

for his principles, expelled from parliament and

spent close to two years in prison. He later rose

to become Lord Mayor of London and today is

attributed as being the main proponent of the

freedom of the press. In 1781, No.37 became

the home of Mr and Mrs Thrale, good friends

of Samuel Johnson, who visited the Thrales

during this time. No.40 Grosvenor Square was

the home of former Prime Minister Charles

Grey, 2nd Earl Grey.

Two of the earliest residents of Grosvenor

Square were two notorious characters

of the early 18th century - George I’s

mistresses, created the Duchess of Kendal and

Countess of Darlington. They acquired rather

uncomplimentary nicknames: The Duchess,

who was rather skinny, was nicknamed ‘The

Maypole,’ and the Countess, who was rather fat,

was nicknamed ‘The Elephant and Castle’. The

Duchess of Kendal was one of the first residents,

moving to No.43 on the south side in 1728.

Other residents include: former prime ministers,

Lord North, 1st Earl of Guilford and Augustus

Henry Fitzroy, 3rd Duke of Grafton; the

Dowager Duchess of Marlborough and her son

Lord Randolph Churchill, Chancellor of the

Exchequer and father of Winston Churchill; Sir

George Beaumont, 7th Baronet, amateur artist

and friend of Turner, who was instrumental in

the establishment of the National Gallery.

A number of ambassadors have also lived in

the square, including the 4th Earl of Rochford,

Ambassador to Spain, Sardinia and Paris and the

Secretary of State; Francis Seymour Conway,

1st Marquess of Hertford, who had been

the Ambassador in Paris and rose to become

Lord Chamberlain in 1766; and the 3rd Duke

of Dorset, Ambassador in Paris before the

Revolution between 1783 and 1789.

Derby House was Robert Adam’s great

masterpiece on Grosvenor Square. Built in

1728, it was later inherited by 19 year-old

Lord Stanley who engaged Adams to renovate

the building. Adams introduced a thoroughly

modern layout, including a central staircase,

circular and oval apartments and a sequence

of straightforward, symmetrical rooms.

By the 1770s, British architects were being

influenced by French design and Adams

designed the apartments to feel like a French

hotel. A contemporary noted his designs were

‘an attempt to arrange the apartments in the

French style, which is best calculated for the

convenience and elegance of life.” The house

was demolished by Sir Charles J Freake in

1861 and was completely rebuilt.

History of Derby House

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chestertonhumberts.comgrosvenor estate: past & present

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No.44 Grosvenor Square has a rather special

history in the life of the square. The house

was first occupied by Oliver St George in

1728, but by 1804 it had become the home

of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs

and President of the Council, Dudley Ryder,

1st Earl of Harrowby. At that time it was

customary for members of the Cabinet to meet

together in members’ houses, and on the 21st

June 1815, the Cabinet, including the Prime

Minister Lord Liverpool, was having dinner

at No.44 and the Duke of Wellington’s aide-

de-camp, Major Henry Percy came running

into the dining room to announce the victory

at the Battle of Waterloo. From that time on

the house was commonly known as Waterloo

House.

Five years later, it was almost the site of another

dramatic episode. The plan, now known as The

Cato Street Conspiracy, was to overthrow the

government by killing the Prime Minister and

all of the members of the Cabinet gathered

for dinner at Lord Harrowby’s house on 28th

February 1820. The plot was led by Arthur

Thistlewood with a group of around 24 other

conspirators, and they met to plan their attack

in Cato Street, near Edgware Road. However,

the plan was foiled and the Bow Street Runners,

the early unofficial police force, were waiting for

the gang outside the house in Cato Street.

No.44 continued as the home of the Harrowby

family long after these two historic events, with

the last Dowager Countess of Harrowby the last

to leave in 1908. By the 1960s, when panelling

was being removed, a large early 18th century

mural was discovered, similar to one by William

Kent in Kensington Palace. However, despite

these historic connections and architectural

features, the house was demolished in 1968

and it became the site of the Britannia Hotel,

today’s Millennium Hotel.

Waterloo House – No.44 Grosvenor Square

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No.44 Grosvenor Square section and plan – Survey of London: Volume 40

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Architectural & social change

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Throughout the 19th century, Grosvenor Square

continued to be one of the most sought after

addresses in London. The houses continued

to be solely residential with records showing

that between 1855 and early 1880s, the average

household consisted of 13 or 14, of whom 10

or 11 were servants. However, one significant

change was the shift of residents to include

successful ‘tradesmen’ or businessmen rather

than solely aristocratic families. Some early

‘trade’ residents included the brewer Sir Henry

Meux; engineer Sir Charles Palmer; and ship

owner and inventor of the marine turbine,

Charles Wilson, later Lord Nunburnholme.

Other prominent residents coming from a

business background included South African

mining magnates, Jack Barnato Joel and Sir

Lionel Phillips.

The popularity of Grosvenor Square also led

many of its wealthy owners to transform their

houses with the changing tastes of the time,

making sure they were at the height of fashion.

This began during the 19th century, but it was

in the 1920s that the Duke of Westminster

decided on a grand redevelopment of Grosvenor

Square and started the rebuilding with a block

of flats in the south east corner, which was

completed in 1927. By the 1930s, a complete

transformation of the square was underway

and the large Georgian terraced houses were

demolished and replaced with neo-Georgian

flats. However, the rebuilding was designed

by the French architect Fernand Billerey to

architechtually unite all of the buildings on

the square.

Prior to the outbreak of war in 1939, Grosvenor

Square was still the home of many titled

residents, including Katherine, Duchess of

Westminster; Lord Illingworth, the Marquess

of Bath; Lord Charles Montagu and Viscountess

Tredegar. It was in Grosvenor Square during

the early 1930s that it is believed the Prince of

Wales, later Edward VIII, went to a party held

by Lady Furness and was introduced to Mrs

Wallis Simpson.

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The northern, western and southern sides of

the square were only partly rebuilt when war

was declared in 1939. The American Embassy

was already located at No.1, but when they

entered the war they moved to new buildings in

the square. General Eisenhower’s headquarters

were on the north side at 19-20, along with the

naval mission and many other military offices.

The heavy American occupation of Grosvenor

Square gained it the nickname of ‘Eisenhower

Platz’. Grosvenor Square was heavily bombed in

1941 when a number of houses were struck and

many burnt out. It became the worst affected

area across Mayfair. After the war, many of

the houses had fallen into disrepair or received

bomb damage. It was along the west side of the

square that the greatest redevelopment took

place: the Georgian houses were demolished in

1957 and the new American Embassy, designed

by the Finnish architect, Eero Saarinen, was

constructed in its place. The former American

Embassy, at Nos.1-3, became the Canadian

High Commission in 1960.

World War II & the American influence

The central gardens have been transformed

a few times since the construction of the

square. The earliest layout was planned as

a formal garden by John Alston and it was

originally enclosed by a low brick wall. The

most prominent early feature was a statue of

King George I, gilded and dressed as a Roman

Emperor on horseback, but this was removed

in the early 19th century. The central gardens

changed dramatically in the 20th century, with

a complete redesign. After World War II, they

were chosen as the site for a memorial to

former American president, Franklin D.

Roosevelt, which was unveiled by his wife

Eleanor Roosevelt in 1948, with management

passing from Grosvenor to what is now the

Department of Culture Media and Sport. At

this time the gardens were re-laid in a formal

pattern with pathways. During the late 20th

century the centre of Grosvenor Square

became the location for a number of memorials

connected to the United States, including the

Diplomatic Gates erected, in 1984 to celebrate

the 1783 Treaty of Paris; The Eagle Squadron

memorial, unveiled in 1986 to commemorate

the pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain; a

statue of General Eisenhower, unveiled in 1989;

a statue of former president Ronald Regan,

unveiled in 2011; and, in September 2003, a

memorial garden for those who lost their lives

in the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001.

By 1960, there were only a few original houses

remaining in the square, including Waterloo

House, although this was sadly demolished

in 1967. Today, Grosvenor Square continues

to be one of the most prestigious addresses

in London and although there are fewer

residential homes and more commercial

and diplomatic offices, the square maintains

the spirit of grand architectural and social

occupation that Sir Richard planned almost

300 years before.

The central gardens

Grosvenor Square today

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Grosvenor Street Grosvenor Street was laid out for building

between 1720 and 1725, at the same time as

Grosvenor Square. However, Sir Richard was

disappointed in his original scheme, where he

hoped Grosvenor Street, the broadest street

on his estate, would lead along a long vista

from Park Lane and Upper Grosvenor Street

to St George’s Hanover Square. Sadly, this

vista crossed over to the neighbouring Conduit

Mead Estate, with the Grosvenor estate ending

at the River Tyburn (just west of New Bond

Street). The building of St George’s Hanover

Square began in 1721 and was consecrated in

1725. However, Sir Richard had no control over

the layout and building on the Conduit Mead

Estate and Maddox Street at the far end of

Grosvenor Street. This was originally also part

of Maddox Street and was built narrower and

with a kink, blocking the view of the church

from the Grosvenor Estate.

In 1735, Grosvenor Street was described as

a ‘spacious well-built street, inhabited chiefly

by People of Distinction’. By 1736, 22 of the

74 houses were occupied by members of the

aristocracy. Along with most of Mayfair, many

houses along Grosvenor Street have been rebuilt

or re-fronted, but for almost 300 years, this

street has been a popular address and home

to a long list of notable characters from the

nobility, as well as high-ranking military,

churchmen and foreign ambassadors. Early

18th century residents included the Countess

of Hertford in 1740; Lord North in 1740;

Marquess Cornwallis in 1793 and Miss Vane,

the mistress of Frederick, Prince of Wales.

No.6 Grosvenor Street, close to Avery Row

on the eastern end, is believed to have once

been the site of a hospital for victims of the

plague. The first occupant of No.16 Grosvenor

Street, from 1725 to 1738, was the son of the

first Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole, the

2nd Earl of Orford. From 1837 to 1859 No.16

was the headquarters of the Royal Institution

of British Architects and then, between 1912

and 1924, it was the home of Lieutenant-

Colonel George Keppel, whose wife Alice is

most remembered as the former mistress of

Edward VII. It was during this time that the

house became a temporary escape for the Prime

Minister, Herbert Asquith, and his wife Margot

after his resignation in 1916.

In 1909, Sir Edgar Speyer brought together

Nos.44 and 46 and hired the Grosvenor Estate’s

architect Detmar Blow along with Fernand

Billerey to merge the two houses beneath a

new Portland stone frontage. The Duke of

Westminster specified that the two houses

should be separable in the future, which meant

that the house was given two staircases, one in

a carved Gothic style and the other an oak copy

of the Scala dei Giganti in the Doge’s Palace

in Venice. During the early 20th century, the

house was the location for music recitals by

Strauss and Debussy at Lady Speyer’s famous

musical soirees. The house later became the

American Women’s Club and then the Japanese

Embassy until 2000.

No.50 was the home of generations of the

Earls of Radnor and the last private resident

was Lord Peel in 1928. No.58 was the home of

the Marquess of Aberdeen, Governor-General

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of Canada, who made extensive alterations

between 1900 and 1908 before selling it to the

Chairman of University College Hospital, Sir

Herbert Samuelson. No.59 was the home of

Admiral Earl St. Vincent, who fought in the

Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. It was

also the home of the Speaker of the House

of Commons, Lord Ullswater, and between

1909 and 1914 was the home of a banker,

Ralph Lambton, who built a racquet, court

in the mews behind.

In 1730, No.60 was the home of the actress,

Mrs Nance (Anne) Oldfield. Charles Churchill

is believed to have been her illegitimate son by

General Charles Churchill and Charles junior

later inherited the house and died there in 1812.

No.70 was the home of Prime Minister, the 3rd

Earl of Bute, in 1748-1752, and since 2000 has

been the home of Grosvenor’s office. No.75

Grosvenor Street was originally the home of

Sir Henry Hozier, whose daughter Clementine,

later to become the wife of Prime Minister

Winston Churchill, was born here in April

1875. The house was rebuilt in 1914. Robert

and James Adam, the famous architect brothers,

lived at No.76 Grosvenor Street between

1758 and 1772 and in 1825, the same house

was occupied by the founder of Singapore, Sir

Stamford Raffles.

A large amount of alterations were undertaken

in Grosvenor Street during the Victorian

period, but it was primarily at the turn of the

20th century that extensive rebuilding and

conversions took place. Many houses were

converted into office spaces or completely

rebuilt for commercial purposes. Having said

this, Grosvenor Street still retains a number

of Georgian buildings, including thirteen

Grade II and two Grade II* listed buildings.

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Upper Grosvenor Street - Courtesy of City of Westminster Archives Centre


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Upper Grosvenor Street was also laid out for

building at the time of Grosvenor Square, with

building leases granted to a total of 21 different

tradesmen between 1727 and 1735. One of the

early residents was the former Governor of New

York, William Tryon, who lived at No.8 from

1759 to 1764. Between 1903 and 1910, No.15

was the home of Admiral of the Fleet, David

Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty, who commanded the

Navy during the latter years of World War I

and between 1919 and 1927 served as First Sea

Lord. No.20 was the home of the son of Queen

Victoria, Prince Arthur of Connaught. After

World War II, the Duchess of Argyll moved

to No.48 and during the 1950s and 60s, she

continued to entertain lavishly and was one of

the last Mayfair socialites to maintain a private

house in Mayfair, departing in 1978.

Like other streets in Mayfair, Upper Grosvenor

Street began to be rebuilt and altered during

the 19th century and again in the 20th century,

especially with the development of the

Grosvenor House Hotel on the corner of Park

Lane. Today, Upper Grosvenor Street has 15

Grade II listed properties.

Upper Grosvenor Street

Upper Grosvenor Street - Courtesy of City of Westminster Archives Centre

Prince Arthur: first Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (1850–1942)

Named after his godfather, the Duke of

Wellington, Connaught was Queen Victoria’s

favourite son. In 1868 he was commissioned

into the Royal Engineers where he excelled

and was the last British prince to command

a significant formation in battle. In 1911

Connaught was made governor-general of

Canada, where he played an important role

in the recruiting of soldiers for the First World

War. Drawing on his own military experience,

he conflicted with the Canadian government

when he drew public attention to the fact that

the Canadian-made Ross rifle was prone to

jamming in battle conditions. Connaught spent

his retirement in Bagshot Park, Surrey and his

villa in France.

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Brook Street was laid out with Grosvenor

Square between 1720 and 1725 and refers

to the ‘brook’ of the River Tyburn. In 1735,

Robert Seymour, in Survey of the Cities

of London and Westminster, said Brook

Street was “for the most part nobly built and

inhabited by People of Quality”, and in 1807

it was said that it was a “calm retreat of nobility

and persons of great landed property”.

No.23 Brook Street is famously remembered

as the home of musician Jimi Hendrix in

1968/9. One of the earliest inhabitants of

Brook Street, at No.25, was George Frederick

Handel in 1723. Handel remained in the

house for 36 years and it was here that he

composed Messiah in 1741.

No.66 Brook Street, which was originally

built as one with No.53 Davies Street, was

built by Edward Shepherd for Sir Nathanial

Curzon who lived in the house from 1729

through to his death in 1758. The houses then

were once again reunited over 100 years later

by Detmar Blow and until 2000 formed part

of Grosvenor’s office. Today they are Grade I

listed.

No.68 was the home to another Prime

Minister, William Pitt the Elder, 1st Earl of

Chatham, in 1757. Today, No.69 is The Savile

Club, and when it was purchased in 1927, it was

still described as ‘one of the principal mansions

in Mayfair’.

Prominent Mayfair architect, Edward

Shepherd, whom ‘Shepherd Market’ is named

after, lived at No.72 from 1726 until 1729. Sir

Winton Churchill’s mother, Lady Randolph

Churchill, lived at No.72 from 1915 to 1917.

Large sections of Brook Street have been

converted into offices since the turn of the

20th century, but it still retains a number

of interesting architectural features.

Brook StreetJames Marshall ( Jimi) Hendrix (1942–1970)

Born in Seattle, Washington, Hendrix is

regarded by many as the greatest ever electric

guitar players. He was given his first guitar by

his father and being left-handed he would play

it upside down. After touring The States with

artists including Little Richard, he formed his

own band, Jimmy James and the Blue Flames.

In the mid 1960s he choose to come to London

where he reformed as The Jimi Hendrix

Experience.

On his return to the USA in 1969 he played at

the historic Woodstock, famously ending his set

with a version of the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’.

Hendrix died of a drugs overdose in London on

the 18th September 1960 and was buried in his

home town of Seattle.

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Claridge’s

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For a number of years the lower section of

Brook Street towards Bond Street was

populated with hotels. Today however, the

most significant survivor is the world-famous

Claridge’s on the corner of Davies Street.

Claridge’s was first opened as a hotel in 1815

by French chef Jacques Mivart and was known

as ‘Mivart’s’. From the very beginning, the aim

was to offer high-quality accommodation

for the Mayfair clientele, including foreign

royalty, and even the Prince Regent had a suite

of rooms reserved for him. Mivart continued

successfully for 40 years until he sold the hotel

to William Claridge.

The high quality of service and accommodation

at the hotel continued under the new

management, when it became known as

Claridge’s. It was sold in 1881 and again in

1895 to the Savoy Company, who set about

transforming and modernising the now classic

hotel. The old houses were pulled down and

the new red-brick Queen Anne style building

was built to the designs of C.W. Stephens, who

was also responsible for the Harrods building

in Knightsbridge. The interiors were also by

Stephens, along with Ernest George and Yates.

The new Claridge’s reopened in 1898 with a

staff organised by Cesar Ritz.

During the 1920s, the hotel was redecorated in

a distinct Art Deco style, with designs by Basil

Ionides, as well as a new entrance and extension

to the east, completed in the 1930s by Oswald

Milne. The hotel was updated once again in the

1990s.

World War II Claridge’sDuring World War II, Claridge’s became a

refuge for many exiled royal families, including

the Queen of the Netherlands and the Kings

of Greece, Norway and Yugoslavia. In 1941

Crown Prince Alexander was born in room

212 of Claridge’s, after Churchill ceded it to

Yugoslavia for the day. Legend has is that a

spadeful of Yugoslavian earth was placed under

the bed so that the heir to the throne could

literally be born on home soil. The hotel has

also been visited by many members of the British

Royal Family, including Queen Victoria and

Prince Albert, as well as Queen Elizabeth II.

Claridge’s was popular with celebrity guests,

including Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant and Bing

Crosby, and remains so today.

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Upper Brook Street was laid out between

1721 and 1725, although not all houses were

completed until 1759. Upper Brook Street has

maintained a high level of exclusivity and in

1760 there were 14 titled residents. Some of the

early residents included Lord George Gordon,

who is most famous for being the instigator

of the Gordon Riots in 1780, and George

Grenville, Prime Minister from 1763-1765.

Between 1930 and 1932, No.9a was the home

of three times Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin,

but in 1937, it was replaced with a new

building. No.18 was the home of the sculptress,

Anne Seymour Damer, between 1799 and

1828, who later inherited Strawberry Hill

from Horace Walpole.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many of

the homes were re-fronted or rebuilt and, like

other streets in Mayfair, were converted to

offices, several of which are Grade II listed.

Upper Brook Street

Park Lane was not always the prestigious

address that we know it to be today. Originally

called ‘Tyburn Lane’, prior to the removal of

the Tyburn Gallows in 1783, it was infamous

for the rabble that headed to the executions.

This meant that people did not want their

houses associated with the unruly crowd and

early houses turned their back on Park Lane

and faced Park Street or Dunraven (formerly

Norfolk) Street. There was also not much of a

view towards Hyde Park as it was surrounded

by a high brick wall. The removal of the

gallows made way for new development in

the north west corner of the estate, as well as

for a transformation of the houses along Park

Lane which were redesigned with the popular

Regency balconies and bay windows, making

the most of the view of Hyde Park.

Park Lane

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Park Lane - Palatial homesAlong with the transformation of individual

houses, Park Lane became established as a

prime location for aristocratic mansions, firmly

establishing its reputation as a desirable address.

One of the first houses, built in 1769 while

the gallows still sat close by, was Somerset

House. The house was constructed for Viscount

Bateman by John Philips. From 1789 to 1797,

it was the home of Warren Hastings, former

Governor-General of India, and then up until

1808, was the home of Lord Rosebury. At this

time, it was sold to the 11th Duke of Somerset,

who renamed it ‘Somerset House’, and it stayed

in the Somerset family until 1890 when it was

sold to publisher, George Murray Smith. The

house was demolished in 1915 and today is

the site of the London Marriott Hotel on the

corner of Oxford Street.

In 1773, Camelford House was built next to

Somerset House, near today’s North Row, for

Thomas Pitt, 1st Baron Camelford, MP and

elder brother of William Pitt the Elder. For

a time the house was occupied by the Prince

Regent’s daughter, Princess Charlotte, and

her husband Prince Leopold, later King of the

Belgians. It later passed to Lord Grenville and

then to Sir Charles Mills. It continued in the

Mills family until the early 20th century before

being demolished in 1913 and is now also part

of the site of the London Marriott Hotel.

Between North Row and Green Street is a

row of six surviving early houses, much altered

since they were built. No.138, to the north, was

originally two smaller houses and was rebuilt

as one house in 1831. The neighbouring houses,

now recorded as Nos.20-23 Dunraven Street,

have also been altered. No.22 (also No.131

Park Lane) was first built in 1758 and later

remodelled by Sir John Soane in 1801. On

the southern corner of Green Street, No.128

Park Lane is another survivor, overshadowed

by the neighbouring Avenfield House, built in

1960. On the other side of Avenfield House is

No.117, believed to have been rebuilt in around

1822 and again, after war damage, in 1949.

On the corner of Upper Brook Street and

Park Lane, Brook House was constructed

relatively late in 1867. It was constructed for

Lord Tweedmouth, banker and MP, by Thomas

Henry Wyatt. In the early 20th century it

became the home of Sir Ernest Cassel, who

redecorated the house to create a grand staircase

in Italian marble and a dining room to seat 100

guests. It passed to Sir Ernest’s granddaughter,

Lady Mountbatten, in 1925 but was demolished

in 1931 to make way for a block of flats where

Lord and Lady Mountbatten had a penthouse

flat. This 1930s building was replaced with a

new Brook House in 1993-8.

Dudley House, No.100 Park Lane, is the only

surviving aristocratic house remaining along the

northern stretch of Park Lane. It was completed

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in 1829 for Viscount Dudley and Ward, later

first Earl of Dudley, to the designs of William

Atkinson. It was later enlarged and altered by

Sir Charles Barry and continued in the Ward

family for close to 200 years. It was severely

bomb damaged during World War II but it

managed to survive. In the late 1960s, Sir Basil

Spence converted the house, along with the

mews behind, linking it to the main building

by a cast iron bridge. From 1970 it was used as

offices, but in the early years of the 21st century

it returned to residential use.

Nos.93-99, in-between Upper Brook Street

and Upper Grosvenor Street is a rare pre-20th

century section of Park Lane. First constructed

in 1727-1733, the houses were first known as

‘King’s Row’ and later ‘Grosvenor Gate’, and

originally had a pub at either end. In the 19th

century, the houses were rebuilt creating the

unique bow shaped frontages looking towards

Hyde Park. Of particular note is No.93, rebuilt

with No.94 in 1823-5 by builder Samuel

Baxter and the home of Prime Minister

Benjamin Disraeli. In 1827, the house was

the home of MP Wyndham Lewis and his

wife Mary Anne. Lewis died suddenly in 1838,

leaving the house to his wife, who, the following

year, married Benjamin Disraeli. It was here

that Disraeli wrote a number of his books and

the couple lived happily. Disraeli became Prime

Minister in 1868 and moved to Downing Street,

but they retained their house on Park Lane

until Mary died in 1872.

Breadalbane House was built in 1766 for

Robert Petre, 9th Baron Petre, by James Paine

and survived until 1877. It was famous for its

medieval-style ‘baronial hall’, complete with

gilded hammerbeam roof, believed to have

been built to entertain Queen Victoria and the

King of Portugal. The house later became the

home of successive Marquesses of Breadalbane,

and acquired the name Breadalbane House.

The baronial hall was demolished in 1863 and

the remainder of the house became the home

of author and politician, Sir Edward Bulwer-

Lytton, and shortly before its demolition it

was the home of Lady Palmerston.

The last 19th century house on the Grosvenor

Estate along Park Lane, Aldford House, was

built in 1894 for Alfred Beit, a South African

gold magnate. The house was designed by

Eustace Balfour and Thackeray Turner, but

the house lasted less than 40 years as it was

demolished in 1929 to make way for a block

of flats, also named Aldford House.

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Grosvenor HouseThe most prominent house on the Grosvenor

Estate part of Park Lane was Grosvenor House.

However, it was not built for the Grosvenor

family, but was originally constructed in 1732

for Walter Chetwynd, Viscount Chetwynd. The

house was situated away from Park Lane with

the entrance facing towards Upper Grosvenor

Street, gardens down towards Mount Street

and stables along Park Lane. In 1763, the house

became the home of the Duke of Cumberland,

younger son of George II, who is most

remembered for his involvement in the Battle

of Culloden where he gained the name ‘Butcher

of Culloden’. After Cumberland died in 1765,

the house became the home of the Prince

William, Duke of Gloucester and brother of

George III, and became known as Gloucester

House. The Duke continued to live in the

house until his death in 1805.

After the death of the Duke of Gloucester,

Lord Grosvenor bought Gloucester House in

1806 for £20,000 and, after alterations were

made, the Grosvenor family moved to the new

‘Grosvenor House’ in April 1808. The house

was altered and redecorated a number of times

during the 19th century, most particularly by

Thomas Cundy and his son in the 1820s and

1840s, including the grand entrance with a

stone screen of eight columns, lamp posts and

metal gates topped with pediments bearing the

family crest. New galleries were added to house

the renowned Grosvenor art collection, which

included paintings by Rembrandt and Rubens,

as well as works by Reynolds, Velazquez and

Gainsborough. During the late 19th century,

the house was the location for many garden

parties, balls and dinners.

The house continued in the Grosvenor family

until the early years of World War I, when

the 2nd Duke of Westminster offered the

house to the government for war time use

as a hospital for officers, while he moved to

Bourdon House in Davies Street. After the

war the Duke continued at Bourdon House

where he remained until he died in 1953.

Grosvenor House was becoming too large

and expensive to maintain and by 1925 it was

decided to redevelop the site as a hotel with

former Grosvenor Estate surveyor, Edward

Wimperis, along with renowned architect, Sir

Edwin Lutyens.

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Grosvenor House Hotel

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In 1926, the grand Grosvenor House was pulled

down and the Grosvenor House Hotel and flats

appeared in its place. In the basement of the

hotel was the unique novelty attraction of a

large ice-rink, which soon became one of the

most popular attractions for young socialites

and was where Queen Elizabeth II had skating

lessons. However, by the late 1930s it was

dismantled and became ‘The Great Room’

(although the pipes for the ice rink are still

underneath the floor).

During World War II, The Grosvenor House

Hotel played a key role as a home for exiled

leaders of occupied Europe. The Dutch Cabinet

made the hotel its wartime headquarters and on

Bastille Day in 1941, General de Gaulle gave

a speech from the hotel. The Great Room was

transformed into a large dormitory for Air Raid

Precaution (ARP) wardens. In the summer

of 1940 it became a special annexe to the US

immigration department and in 1943 became

the main mess for American officers in London.

A Home Guard platoon was formed by 38 of

the hotel’s reduced staff, which often had drills

on the roof, where a miniature rifle range had

been installed for firing practice.

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64 Park Street – The White Bear 1890s – Courtesy of The Grosvenor Estate


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Park StreetPark Street is the longest street on the

Grosvenor Estate and, for a short time, was

known as Hyde Park Street. It was built over

a period of almost 50 years, from the 1720s

through to the 1770s, but was largely rebuilt

between 1890 and 1930. Large sections of the

western side of Park Street were demolished

with the redevelopment of Park Lane and

replaced with large apartment blocks. Much

of the eastern side was rebuilt in the late 19th

and early 20th centuries. Many of these houses

were built in Queen Anne Style, along with

influences from the Arts and Craft movement.

These are typified by the use of red brick,

terracotta, stone detailing and steep roofs.

Some early house examples survive on the

eastern side, most notably Nos.66-78, between

Upper Grosvenor Street and Upper Brook

Street, constructed in 1729. Some early 19th

century houses also survive at Nos.84-90

and Nos.58-62. The result of this mixture of

rebuilding is a great variety of architectural styles

stretching from the 1720s through to the 1930s.

Park Street has been the home of a many

well-known residents. In fact, every house was

at one time or another occupied by a notable

member of government, the military, the arts

or nobility. Statesman and historian, George

Otto Trevelyan lived at No.31 between 1870 and

1872; Thomas Hughes, MP and author of Tom

Brown’s School Days, lived at No.33 (where

the Grosvenor House Hotel is now situated)

between 1861 and 1870 and then at No.80 from

1871 to 1885. In 1785, No.62 was the home of

the catholic widow, Mrs Fitzherbert, and was

where she secretly married the Prince of Wales

(later George IV).

64 Park Street – The White Bear 1890s – Courtesy of The Grosvenor Estate

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South StreetSouth Street was first laid out for building

between 1730 and 1739, although most of

these early houses have now disappeared and

been redeveloped. Since it was constructed,

South Street has been the home of many

famous names, including the Duke of Orleans

at No.2 from 1788 to 1793. He voted in favour

of the execution of his cousin, Louis XVI but

was himself guillotined in November 1793.

Much later, from 1902 to 1927, the same house

was the home of the widow of the 1st Duke of

Westminster, Katherine. No.8 was the home of

the 1st Marquess Cornwalllis, who was forced

to surrender to George Washington after the

Battle of Yorktown in 1781.

No.10 South Street was the home of the

celebrated Florence Nightingale for 45 years,

from 1865 until 1910. She had also rented at

No.8 for a year previously, and spent time in

houses in Chesterfield Street and Park Street.

In 1860 on doctors’ orders she took to her bed

and was to spend the next 20 years as an invalid.

This did not prevent her continuing her mission

and she worked relentlessly until her death.

No.10 was demolished in 1929, but a plaque is

placed on the building that replaced her house.

In 1880, next door at No.12 was Earl Lucan

– the commander of the disastrous Charge of

the Light Brigade at Balaclava, the survivors of

which were attended by Florence Nightingale.

Across the road at No.15 lived Catherine

Walters, ‘the last great Victorian courtesan’.

She moved to South Street in 1872 (although

one source states 1883) where Gladstone and

Bertie, the Prince of Wales, were still regular

visitors. She remained in the house until she

passed away in 1920.

From 1830 to 1848, No.18 South Street was

the home of William Lamb, 2nd Viscount

Melbourne, Prime Minister in 1834 and again

from 1835 to 1841; Beau Brummell lived at

No.22; in 1903, Sir Alex Douglas-Home, who

became Prime Minister in 1963, was born at

No.28; and No.30 was the home of Joan Collins

during her first marriage to Ron Kass.

South Street c.1890 – Courtesy of The Grosvenor Estate

page 44-45 South Audley Street – Courtesy of the City of Westminster Archives Centre


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North Audley Street

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North Audley Street was laid out between

1724 and 1725 and named after Mary Davies’

ancestor, Hugh Audley, who originally owned

the manor of Eia in the 17th century. Unlike

the other streets surrounding Grosvenor Square,

most of the early houses were occupied by

tradesmen. The close proximity to Oxford

Street meant that in the 19th and 20th centuries,

most of these early houses were swept away and

replaced with blocks of flats, as well as offices,

with shops below.

The former No.1 North Audley Street, on the

corner of Grosvenor Square, was the home of

Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, in 1807.

One of the first residents of No.12 was Field

Marshal and MP Jean Louis Ligonier, who

lived in the house from 1730 until his death

in 1770. He joined Nos.11 and 12 together

in 1744. The renowned art collector and

industrialist, Samuel Courtauld, lived at

Nos.11-12 between 1932 and 1947.

On the eastern side is St Mark’s Church,

constructed in 1825 as a Chapel of Ease to St

George’s, Hanover Square. Designed in classical

style by Sir John Deering, it was later internally

redesigned by Sir Arthur Blomfield, while

retaining the exterior with the large stone Ionic

pillars. It ceased to be a parish church in 1974

and today is an events centre, ‘One Mayfair’.


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South Audley StreetSouth Audley Street is one of the prime

shopping streets on the Grosvenor Estate in

Mayfair. It was laid out for building between

1725 and 1736 but, along with Mount Street,

was largely rebuilt during the late 19th and

early 20th centuries. However, some early

Georgian houses do survive on the southern

stretch between South Street and Hill Street.

Nos.71-75, along the west side, were designed

by Edward Shepherd. No.71, on the corner of

South Street, features a grand Georgian exterior

that has changed very little since it was first

built in 1736, and neighbouring No.72 was the

home of the Comte d’Artois, later King Charles

X of France, from 1805 until 1814.

No.75, on the corner of Deanery Street, marks

the southernmost point of the Grosvenor estate.

In 1754 it became the home of John Stuart,

3rd Earl of Bute, who extended the house to

the north. At this time the house also became

known as ‘Bute House’. Bute rose to become

tutor to George III and was appointed Prime

Minister in 1762, but stayed in the role for less

than a year. In 1768, rioters in support of John

Wilkes attacked Bute’s home, breaking the

windows of Lady Bute’s room where she was

sleeping. Lord Bute continued to live in the

house until he passed away in 1792.

The lower eastern side of South Audley Street

also features surviving 18th century houses,

Nos.9-16; most notably No.9, on the corner of

Hill Street, built in 1736. In 1931, the Duke of

Westminster arranged for this house to be the

home of the world-famous French designer,

Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel.

Today, South Audley Street is dominated by

the red brick rebuilding of the late 19th century

and is synonymous with a number of prestigious

retailers. On the western side is James Purdey

& Sons, founded in 1814 and renowned as the

gunmakers to kings and the aristocracy for

generations. They moved to the newly built

No.57-60 South Audley Street in 1881. On

the other side of the street, at No.19, are china

and glass merchants, Thomas Goode & Co.

Founded in 1827 they moved to South Audley

Street in 1844. The shop was rebuilt across

the site of Nos.17-21 in 1875 and has been

described as probably the best commercial

example of the Queen Anne revival on the

Grosvenor Estate.

The other prominent building along South

Audley Street is the Grosvenor Chapel facing

Aldford Street. Built in 1730 it was originally

known as Audley Chapel. A number of famous

people were buried in the chapel vaults and the

burial grounds behind (now the Mount Street

Gardens), including MP John Wilkes; the 4th

Earl of Chesterfield; poets, Ambrose Phillips,

David Mallet and William Whitehead; Lady

Mary Wortley Montague; and Greek scholar

and poet, Elizabeth Carter. The cemetery was

closed in 1854 and transformed into a public

garden in 1889. During World War II, the

Grosvenor Chapel was a popular refuge for

American servicemen based nearby.

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Mount StreetThe name Mount Street originates from the

name of ‘Mount Field’ where the Civil War

earthwork known as ‘Oliver’s Mount’ was

constructed. The street was laid out for building

during the 1720s but, unlike the prestigious

street we see today, it was originally dominated

by small, narrow houses populated primarily

by tradesmen, as well as taverns and coffee

houses. The parish workhouse was situated

where No.103 is today, meaning that, combined

with the location of St George’s burial ground,

Mount Street had rather more humble origins.

The parish workhouse was built in 1725 for 200

people, but was enlarged twice and housed 600

‘paupers’ by the 1880s. It was demolished in

1886 to make way for new development.

In 1811, the poet Shelley eloped with the 16

year old Harriet Westbrook from one of the

Mount Street coffee houses. However, five years

later Harriet, now married to Shelley, drowned

herself in the Serpentine in Hyde Park after he

left her for Mary Wollstonecraft.

Towards the end of the 19th century, Mount

Street was completely transformed. The 1st

Duke of Westminster instigated a large

rebuilding programme and the coffee houses,

taverns and tradesmen were replaced with

antique dealers and high quality retailers and,

to the west of South Audley Street, only private

houses were built. It was not only the alteration

in the residents, but the transformation of

the architectural appearance from the simple

Georgian brick houses to the bold red brick

and terracotta Queen Anne and Neo-French

Renaissance styles favoured by the Duke. In

2011, Grosvenor re-created the public realm

in Mount Street centred on the water feature,

‘Silence’, by the Japanese architect philosopher

Tadao Ando.

Carlos PlaceCarlos Place was originally named Charles

Street and ran directly south from Grosvenor

Square through to Mount Street. It was first

laid out in 1727 but was later rebuilt in 1892

curving between Grosvenor Square and

Berkeley Square, when it was renamed Carlos

Place. Carlos Place has been the home of a

number of famous residents, including Josiah

Wedgwood, the founder of the world-famous

Wedgwood porcelain firm; art critic and author,

John Ruskin; and in 1884, No.9 was the home

of Oscar Wilde before he moved to Chelsea

with his wife.

Carlos Place is most noted as the location of

the Connaught Hotel on the corner of Mount

Street. It was first built as the Coburg Hotel

in 1815 by Francis Grillon and the name

originates from the family of Queen Victoria’s

consort, Prince Albert. The hotel was rebuilt

between 1894-6 and during World War I was

renamed The Connaught after Queen Victoria’s

son, the Duke of Connaught, in response to the

prejudice against Germanic names.

Carlos Street before redevelopment 1910 – Courtesy of The Grosvenor Estate

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Bourdon HouseMuch rebuilding has taken place along Davies

Street, both in the 19th and 20th centuries, but

it still retains one the finest Georgian buildings,

and one of the first built on the Grosvenor estate

in Mayfair. Situated on the corner of Bourdon

Street to the north of Berkeley Square, Bourdon

House was built in around 1723 for Justice

of the Peace for Middlesex and vestryman,

William Bourdon. It is also unique as being

built as a detached house rather than a terraced

row, and when it was being constructed it would

have been surrounded by fields and market

gardens, giving it the impression of a country

house. However, when completed it was smaller

than we see today, having been extended during

the 1900s. Much of the facade facing Davies

Street is the original building.

At the turn of the 20th century the house was

occupied by the Earl and Countess of Essex,

but during World War I, when the 2nd Duke

of Westminster had loaned Grosvenor House

to the government for the war effort, it became

the home of the Duke. After the war, the Duke

chose to remain at Bourdon House, and after

the demolition of Grosvenor House it became

his permanent home. The Duke remained in

the house until he passed away in 1953 and the

Duchess continued on until 1957. It was, for a

while, the London home of the current Duke,

before becoming the home of Mallett’s antique

dealers. The house was built in the Palladian

style and features a carved stone pediment,

sash windows and a prominent brick wall

surrounding a paved court yard, with a wrought

iron gateway. The interior retains original 18th

century features, including wood panelling and

the staircase. Today, it is the location of Alfred

Dunhill and is Grade II* listed.

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Bourdon House elevation – Survey of London: Volume 40


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Duke StreetDuke Street was laid out during 1724 but, along

with other parts of the estate, was largely rebuilt

during the late 19th century. On the corner of

Weighhouse Street is the King’s Weighhouse

Church, designed by Alfred Waterhouse in

1888. Constructed in red brick with terracotta

dressings, along with a tripartite entrance, the

church was completed in 1891. In 1965 it

became the Cathedral of the Ukranian Catholic

Church.

Between Duke Street and Balderton Street

is the Duke Street Electricity Substation,

featuring the imposing Baroque style pavilions

in Portland stone at either end. Built on the site

of the Duke Street Gardens, the substation was

designed by C. Stanley Peach and opened in

1905. To compensate for the loss of the gardens,

the paved area on top was laid out as an Italian

garden and opened in 1906. After closing to

the public in the early 1980’s, the area was re-

opened by Grosvenor in 2007 and is now the

subject of a major public realm improvement

scheme.

Davies StreetDavies Street was named after Mary Davies,

heiress to the manor who married Sir Thomas

Grosvenor. When first laid out, the northern

stretch of Davies Street was originally narrower

and bent to be parallel to South Molton Row,

following an old pathway known as Shug Lane.

The first lease was granted in July 1721 to

Thomas Barlow. Much of the area was a mixture

of small houses and trade, including food shops

and pubs.

At the top of Davies Street, where today’s

Gray’s Antique Market is situated, was

Grosvenor Market, built in 1785. However,

it was competing with the already established

St George’s Market (on the corner of Gilbert

and Davies Street) and never really succeeded,

and was demolished in 1860. Davies Street was

extended straight through to Oxford Street and

the site of the old market was replaced in 1889

by John Bolding & Sons, sanitary engineers and

manufacturers. The new red brick and terracotta

building, in a Renaissance style, was designed by

Wimperis & Arber.

No.53, joined with No.66 Brook Street, was

the Grosvenor Estate Office, until 2000. Three

Kings Yard, between Grosvenor and Brook

Streets on the west side of Davies Street, is

named after the former Three Kings Tavern,

which formerly sat at the entrance to the

yard from the 1720s until it was demolished

in 1818. It is noted for its archway with a low

pyramidal roof and ornate cupola with a clock.

It is understood that the estate surveyor only

allowed the clock on the condition that it did

not strike. Nos.24-25 Davies Street, between

Mount Street and Mount Row, was the former

location for the gunsmith, Joseph Manton,

who ran a shooting gallery regularly attended

by exclusive gentlemen clients, including the

poet Byron.

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Aldford, Dunraven & Green StreetsAldford Street was laid out for building between

1730 and 1739. It was originally named Chapel

Street but renamed in 1886 after the village of

Aldford on the Grosvenors’ estate in Cheshire.

It is most renowned as being the former home

of celebrated wit, man of fashion and friend of

the Prince Regent, Beau Brummel. He lived at

No.13 in 1816, but in 1818 was forced to flee

to France because of unpaid debts. It is believed

the poet Shelley also lived at No.23 in 1813.

Dunraven Street was formerly known as

Norfolk Street, but was renamed in 1939 after

a former resident, the 4th Earl of Dunraven

and Mount-Earl. It was first developed during

the 1750s, but was rebuilt during the 1870s and

1880s. It has been home to a number of famous

names, including the actress Lillie Langtry,

who lived at No.19, and was where the artist

James McNeill Whistler decorated part of the

house. No.17 Dunraven Street was the home

of celebrated author P.G. Wodehouse between

1924 and 1934.

Green Street was built between 1725 and

1757 and named after the builder, John Green,

who in 1737 died by falling down a well in

Upper Grosvenor Street. The early houses

were predominately home to tradespeople but

during the 1820s, large parts were redeveloped

with new, larger houses to attract new tenants.

Since that time, there has been a number of

prominent residents, including the Canon of St

Paul’s Cathedral and founder of the Edinburgh

Review, the Reverend Sydney Smith at No.59;

and from 1931 until the late 1940s, the

Princess Royal and her husband, the 6th Earl

of Harewood, at No.32.

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George Bryan (Beau) Brummell 1778 – 1840

Brummell, a friend of George IV, was the most

famous of the Dandies and rumours about his

flamboyant lifestyle were rife. It was claimed

that he took five hours to get dressed and that

his boots were cleaned with Champagne. His

extravagant lifestyle would eventually catch up

with him and he was forced to flee to France to

escape his massive gambling debts. He continued

to live the highlife and was nicknamed the “King

of Calais”, but eventually found himself living on

handouts in Caen, where he died in March 1840

aged 62.

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Nineteenth century redevelopmentDuring the late 19th and early 20th centuries,

many houses on the Grosvenor Estate in Mayfair

were rebuilt or re-fronted to bring them up

-to-date with the latest architectural styles.

This period also brought in new owners and

occupants who were keen to demonstrate their

success, as well as impress their neighbours with

new balconies, balustrades, external decorations

and porticos.

During the late 19th century, the 1st Duke

of Westminster began a large rebuilding

programme across the estate. Over a period

of 30 years from 1869, Mount Street, Duke

Street, Aldford Street, large sections of South

and North Audley Streets, as well as Park

Street, Carlos Place and most of South Street

and Green Street, were all rebuilt. The Duke

favoured the bold red brick Queen Anne Style

which dominates these streets today. He also

worked extensively on philanthropic efforts,

including animal welfare and temperance

– between 1869 and 1891 he reduced the

number of pubs in Mayfair from 47 to eight

(only five remain today) and specified that

they be built to look like private residences. He

also promoted better housing for the poor and

built a number of flats for artisans in Mayfair,

in particular to the north near Oxford Street.

Artisans development

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52


Belgravia

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Early Belgravia: Five FieldsToday, Belgravia is known for its exclusivity,

fashionable shopping and luxurious houses, but

the early history of the area couldn’t have been

more different. In the 16th century, Belgravia

was simply known as Ebury Farm and covered

430 acres of meadows and pastureland and

was primarily marshy ground unsuitable for

building.

The area formed part of Mary Davies’

substantial inheritance from her father,

Alexander Davies, and became part of the

Grosvenor Estate upon her marriage to Sir

Thomas Grosvenor in 1677. Although some

buildings began to appear on the outskirts of

the area in the 18th century, with the oldest

houses in Ebury Street constructed in 1720, it

remained undeveloped until 1825, when more

houses were built along Knightsbridge to the

north and Grosvenor Place to the east.

Up until the early 19th century, the land behind

Knightsbridge, Sloane Street and Grosvenor

Place was still open fields and marsh land

known as ‘Five Fields’. The name originated

from the way tracks and paths divided the

area into separate sections. During the day,

the fields were used for market gardening,

apparently well-known for asparagus, as well

as watercress from the banks of Westbourne

River, and grazing animals and hanging out

washing. However, at night, Five Fields became

a notoriously dangerous area, frequented by

thieves and criminals. The lack of lighting and

buildings meant it was a popular haunt for

highwaymen and footpads (thieves on foot),

with many stories recorded about robberies and

murders. The open fields were also a popular

destination for duels. The only road to cross the

area was the King’s private road and where the

road crossed the river was a bridge known as

‘Bloody Bridge’ due to the number of attacks and

murders that took place there. The infamous

fields were also used for cock-fighting, as well

as bull and bear-baiting.

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CubbitopolisThe name Belgrave originates from Belgrave

in Cheshire, the family seat of the Grosvenor

family. However, the name ‘Belgravia’ was

invented from the fact that Belgrave Square

sat within the heart of the new grand building

scheme by Cubitt. The area has also been called

‘Cubittopolis’ and to this day, it is seen as one

of Thomas Cubitt’s greatest achievements.

However, this does distract from the fact

that many other architects and builders were

involved in the development of Belgravia.

Of course, Thomas Cubitt held a lot of

responsibility for the building of Belgravia,

but estate surveyors from the Cundy family

were also heavily involved, as were architects,

Seth Smith and George Basevi. In fact, the first

plans for building on the Grosvenor Estate in

Five Fields date from around 1812 when the

estate surveyor, James Wyatt, drew up plans for

the area, but the first building agreements were

only made in 1821, which was well-timed with

the recently renovated Buckingham House for

George IV by John Nash.

On 18th March 1825, an agreement was made

between Lord Grosvenor and Thomas Cubitt

for the development of most of the estate, apart

from a few specific areas which were given to

Seth Smith, Joseph Cundy and a few other

smaller builders. In 1826 it was Cubitt, with the

approval of the Grosvenor Estate, who obtained

the Grosvenor Place and District Improvement

Act, with 36 Trustees responsible for paving,

lighting, policing, drainage etc.

55


Thomas Cubitt - Master Builder Thomas Cubitt was born in 1788 in Buxton,

near Norwich, to William, a carpenter, and

Agnes Scarlett. Cubitt followed in his father’s

footsteps and trained as a carpenter, after which

he undertook a year long voyage to India as

a ship’s carpenter. Upon his return, at the age

of 21, he made his way to London in order

to seek his fortune and, with his brother, set

up a building business on Grey’s Inn Road

that was able to supply all of the building

trades, as well as the architectural designs for

a house. Along with his brothers, William and

Lewis, the Cubitts took care of land drainage,

sewerage, roads, lighting and gardens, as well

as the construction of the houses and mews.

The Cubitts employed their own tradesmen –

bricklayers, masons, carpenters, plumbers and

painters and decorators – and became well

known for good workmanship and efficiency,

further establishing them as the high quality

builders of the age.

Cubitt’s first big venture was the development

of Bloomsbury for the Duke of Bedford but it

is the work resulting from the 1825 agreement

made with Lord Grosvenor for which he is best

remembered.

One other key feature of Cubitt’s legacy in

Belgravia was his ingenious way of overcoming

the problems with the swampy ground. Firstly,

Cubitt dug up the top layer of clay and used it

to make bricks and, secondly, used earth taken

from the recently excavated St Katherine’s

Dock to level the ground and allow for the

foundations of houses to be built on gravel.

In 1819 Cubitt married Mary Anne Warner

with whom he had 12 children. He was often

referred to as an architect, but insisted on

being called a builder. He became known

as ‘the emperor of the building trade’, but

continued living a modest lifestyle, refusing a

title from Queen Victoria. He was well liked and

respected: “Mr Cubitt has done so much for the

improvement of London, he has ever shown so

much solicitude for the large body of operatives

employed by him, and he is so estimable in

every relation of life ..” (The Builder 1851).

Thomas Cubitt died at Denbies House near

Dorking in 1855, leaving an estate worth £1

million in one of the longest wills on record.

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Belgrave SquareBelgrave Square is the centrepiece of Cubitt’s

development and where the name of ‘Belgravia’

originated. Lord Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of

Westminster, commissioned Thomas Cubitt to

oversee the development of his estate, but in

Belgrave Square the development was handled

by the Haldimand Syndicate. George and

William Haldimand, along with Alexander

Louis Prevost took over much of the building

of the terraces of Belgrave Square with architect

George Basevi. Basevi is remembered as being

Sir John Soane’s finest pupil, as well as the

cousin of Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli,

and for his untimely death, falling from

scaffolding at Ely Cathedral in 1845.

The building of the terraces took place from

1825 until 1828, although building in the

square was still ongoing into the 1830s. At

the time of completion, Basevi’s designs were

the largest terraced houses in London: four

storeyed, stuccoed and featuring Corinthian

pillars or pilasters and elaborate stucco

decoration in the course above the attic.

However, while giving the impression of a

grand uniform appearance, the facades are not

identical and there are slight variations in each.

57View of the East Side of Belgrave Square 1827 – Courtesy of City of Westminster Archives Centre

Four CornersThe four corners of Belgrave Square were

uniquely laid out for separate large villas.

Three of the plots were leased to tenants who

employed their own architects, although the

fourth villa, in the north east, was abandoned

with the building of Grosvenor Crescent.

However, No.49, on the angle of Grosvenor

Crescent, slightly compensates for the loss. It

was designed by Cubitt for Sidney Herbert,

1st Baron Herbert of Lea, and completed in

the late 1840s. It later became the home of the

Duke of Richmond, and today is the residence

of the Argentine Ambassador.

In the north western corner, No.12 was leased

to Earl Brownlow, who employed Sir Robert

Smirke to design the house. It later became

the home of the Earl of Ancaster and today

is the home of the Portuguese Ambassador.

No.24, in the south western corner, was leased

to a Brighton developer, Thomas Kemp, who

employed H.E. Kendall to design his house.

The house, later known as Downshire House,

was completed in 1834 but Kemp was forced

to let it rather than live in it himself, and in

1837 it became the home of Viscount Hill,

Commander-in-Chief of the British Army.

It has since been altered a number of times

and is now the home of the Spanish Ambassador.

In the south eastern corner, No.37, known as

Seaford House, was leased to the 3rd Earl of

Sefton, who employed Philip Hardwicke to

design his house. It was constructed by Cubitt

and completed in 1846. It later became the

home of Lord de Walden, who renamed it

Sefton House after an ancestor. Today it is

the Royal College of Defence Studies.

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Distinguished residents of Belgrave Square

Since its completion, Belgrave Square has

been a highly sought-after address in London.

Almost immediately, houses were taken by

high-ranking politicians, military men and

aristocrats. In fact, there were so many notable

residents it is difficult to record them all here,

but below is a selection of illustrious names

who have lived in Belgrave Square.

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Charles Grey Little is known of Charles Grey’s early history.

He attended school in Marylebone and Eton,

before attending Cambridge. Grey went on

to have a distinguished political career and

was a member of the Whig Party. As Prime

Minister he oversaw the reformation of the

British government and was among the primary

architects of the 1832 Reform Act. He is perhaps

now better known for his personal life. In 1794

he married Mary Elizabeth, daughter of the

1st Baron Ponsonby, who bore him 11 children.

Grey had a serious of affairs throughout his

lifetime and most famously with Georgiana,

Duchess of Devonshire, with whom he had an

illegitimate daughter, Eliza Courtney. She was

raised by his parents, as his sister.

Kitty StephensKitty Stephens was one of the most famous and

popular singers of her generation. She was born

at 85 Park Street where her talent was spotted

at an early age. She trained under Gesualdo

Lanza for five years before becoming a pupil

of Thomas Welsh. She started her career on

£12 per week and at her pinnacle commanded

£2500 over the winter season. Kitty had a

number of famous suitors, including Lord

Milton and the Duke of Devonshire. At the age

of 34, in 1838, she married the octogenarian 5th

Earl of Essex. He died in 1839, but the countess

lived for a further 43 years and continued to live

on Belgrave Square until her death in 1882.

Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-SaalfeldDuchess of Kent (1786 – 1861)

Born in Coburg in 1786, she married Edward,

Duke of Kent, the 4th son of George III in

1818. Her daughter (Queen) Victoria was

born in 1819 at Kensington Palace and soon

after, the Duke died of pneumonia, leaving

the Duchess in dire straits and in fear that her

daughter would be kidnapped by her royal

relatives. The mother and daughter had a

strained relationship and Victoria was forced

to sleep in her mother’s chamber until her

ascension to the throne. However, the last twenty

years of her life were spent harmoniously at

court and she is buried in a mausoleum at

Windsor Home Park.

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Eaton Terrace 1928-30 – Courtesy of The Grosvenor Estate

Twenty-first century Belgrave SquareAlong with many large houses and villas in

central London, the effect of two World Wars,

higher taxes and death duties meant that few

could afford to live in these large houses any

longer. In the late 20th century, many of the

houses were converted for institutional and

commercial use; in particular Belgrave Square

is an extremely popular location for embassies.

In fact, there are said to be over 20 embassies

in this area alone. Belgrave Square is also the

home of many Societies and Associations,

including the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

There are still some residential homes, including

three buildings that were divided into flats, and

the number of buildings being converted back

into houses has increased in recent years – there

are now 10 in addition to the ambassadorial

residences.

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Eaton SquareThe name ‘Eaton’ originates from the

Grosvenors’ country seat, Eaton Hall in

Cheshire. Eaton Square has a slightly unusual

layout, being divided by the King’s Road. The

King’s private road, formerly a small footpath,

was created by Charles II for the sole use of

the King and his family travelling to Hampton

Court Palace. Anyone else wishing to use the

road required a token, which was presented to

the toll booth at the junction with Grosvenor

Place. The entire stretch of the King’s Road,

from Grosvenor Place to Fulham, was opened

to the public in 1830.

Building in Eaton Square began in 1826 but

was not completed until the 1850s. The variation

in architectural detail on some of the homes is

due to the length of time in construction and

the changing tastes in architecture from the

1820s to the 1850s.The three northern terraces

are by Thomas Cubitt and his brother Lewis,

with the earlier sections constructed closest to

St Peter’s Church between 1826 and 1830 in a

simplified late Georgian style, with the exterior

in stock brick and stucco only on the ground

and basement levels. The central terrace is in the

more familiar stucco with a continuous line of

porches with fluted Doric columns. The terrace

took a little longer to complete, with building

starting in 1830 and not finishing until 1847.

The third terrace, also by Cubitt, was different

again and constructed in an Italianate style.

The southern terraces were built by Seth Smith

and George Sutton. Seth started work in 1825,

but in 1840 he passed the development to

Charles James Freake, who is remembered

for his building in South Kensington. He

completed the western section, as well as

several sites in the central block.

St Peter’s Church

On the eastern edge of Eaton Square is

St Peter’s Church, the location for many

fashionable Belgravia weddings. It was

designed by Henry Hakewill and part of the

early development, with Lord Grosvenor laying

the foundation stone in 1824. It was completed

three years later and consecrated by the Bishop

of London in June 1827. However, within a

few years it was devastated by fire and was

completely rebuilt in 1837. It was later enlarged

and remodelled by Sir Arthur Blomfield during

the 1870s. Misfortune struck again in 1988

when St Peter’s was once again almost entirely

destroyed by fire. It was restored by architects

John and Nicki Braithwaite in 1991 with the

original facade retained.

Eaton Terrace 1928-30 – Courtesy of The Grosvenor Estate

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Distinguished residents of Eaton Square

Like Belgrave Square, Eaton Square has been

the home of many distinguished residents. The

first tenant to move in was William Whitbread

of the brewing family, who was followed by

others such as Lord Truro, who was Lord

Chancellor, and Sir George Gray, a devoted

servant and friend of Queen Victoria.

Former British Prime Minister, Neville

Chamberlain, lived at No.37 Eaton Square

from 1923 until 1935; while No.44 was home

to Austrian statesman, Prince Klemens

Metternich, Prince of Metternich-Winneburg-

Beilstein. When Foreign Minister, he was one

of the principal organisers of the Congress of

Vienna at the end of the Napoleonic Wars.

He was forced to resign from the Austrian

government during the revolutions of 1848

and took temporary refuge in London.

Other notable residents have included the

official residence of the Speaker of the House

of Commons during the rebuilding of the

Houses of Parliament; and No.93 was the

home of Stanley Baldwin, later Earl Baldwin

of Bewdley, between 1920-3. Baldwin was three

times Prime Minister and also the cousin of

Rudyard Kipling; No.114 was the home of

Lady Baden-Powell. Eaton Square was also

the home of renowned American philanthropist,

George Peabody, who is remembered for his

social housing across London.

The 20th century brought great change to Eaton

Square, particularly after the two World Wars.

Under the 1939 Defence Regulations, many

houses in Eaton Square were requisitioned by

the government during the war and for some

time afterward. After the end of World War II,

in 1946 and 1947, plans were then put in place

to redevelop the square by converting most of

the houses into flats and maisonettes.

Eaton Square – Courtesy of City of Westminster Archives Centre

Vivien Leigh (1913-1967) Leigh was born in Darjeeling and moved to

England in 1920 where she attended school

in Roehampton with fellow actress Maureen

O’Sullivan. In 1932 she married barrister,

Herbert Leigh Holman, with whom she had

a daughter. She was cast in Fire over England

in 1937, where she met and fell in love with

the actor Laurence Olivier and in 1939 she was

cast in her most famous role, Scarlett O’Hara,

for which she won an Oscar, and became an

international star. Leigh and Olivier were

married in 1940, however, by the mid 1950s

Leigh began to suffer the manic episodes which

lead to the breakup of her second marriage.

Although she continued to perform, she was

plagued by ill health and died from tuberculosis

in her flat in 54 Eaton Square in July 1967. That

night the exterior lights of London’s West End

theatres were darkened for an hour.

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Upper Belgrave Street & Belgrave PlaceThe streets off Belgrave Square have been

highly sought-after and were a vital part of

Cubitt’s design for the Grosvenor Estate. Upper

Belgrave Street, first known simply as Belgrave

Street, was laid out by Thomas Cubitt in 1826,

with No.1 Belgrave Street said to have been

the first completed house in Belgravia. People

began to move in during the late 1820s, but

it wasn’t until 1835 that the entire street was

occupied. In 1827, Thomas Cubitt himself

lived at No.12 Belgrave Street and the poet

Alfred Lord Tennyson, lived at No.9 in 1880.

No.13 was the home of George Fitzclarence,

eldest son of the ten children presented to King

William IV by his mistress, the actress, Mrs

Jordan. Fitzclarence became a Lieutenant of

the Tower of London and later became Earl of

Munster in 1831, before committing suicide

in 1842. No.13 later became the home of Lord

Harewood. Belgrave Place was originally known

as Upper Eccleston Street, but was renamed

in 1870. No.3 was the home of Lord Charles

Wellesley and is also believed to have been the

home of the Duke of Wellington.


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Eaton Place

Ebury Street

Eaton Place was constructed to accompany

nearby Eaton Square and has been

immortalised by the television programme

Upstairs Downstairs, which clearly illustrates

the type of household that would have existed

in Belgravia during the 19th and early 20th

centuries. Building development took place

over a number of years, between 1828 and the

1840s. Thomas Cubitt used a number of the

houses in Eaton Place as his offices throughout

the development of Belgravia. It has also been

the home of scientist, Lord Kelvin, who lived

at No.15. In 1848 the composer Chopin gave

his first musical recital in London at No.99

Eaton Place and in 1922, No.36 was the site

of the assassination of Field-Marshal Sir

Henry Wilson who was shot by two Irishmen

as he was getting out of his car. Eaton Place

continued to be the home of many notable

residents, with many retired military leaders,

aristocracy and politicians.

Ebury Street sits on the southern border of

Belgravia, close to Victoria Station, and was

built across the former Ebury Farm in 1820.

The street has seen many historic characters

walking its pavements, including George III

and his family, who walked along Ebury Street

to the famous Chelsea Bun House. No.180

Ebury Street was the home of Mozart when

he was a child and was where he wrote his first

symphony at the age of eight in 1764. The Irish

writer, George Moore, lived at No.121, where

he wrote Conversations in Ebury Street and

Alfred Lord Tennyson lived at No.42 in 1847.

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Motcomb & Kinnerton StreetsToday, Motcomb Street is a small enclave of

shops in Belgravia. It was originally named

Kinnerton Mews, but the name changed shortly

after completion in 1830. The north side of

Motcomb Street features the stucco front of

the ‘Pantechnicon’, built by Seth Smith to

designs by Joseph Jopling in 1830. It formerly

housed carriage showrooms, shops and extensive

warehousing, with a bazaar in the block opposite.

The supposedly fire-proof warehouse behind

burnt down in 1874 and was replaced by a

shopping arcade and garden.

The Kinnerton Street area was developed from

1824 by Seth Smith and named after a village in

Cheshire on The Grosvenors’ estates. The street

was built as a service road, including coach

houses with accommodation above, artisans’

houses, small businesses and pubs. Today, it

still retains a feeling of a small village. Earl

Mountbatten of Burma, who was assassinated

by the IRA in 1979, maintained a house at No.2

Kinnerton Street from 1968 until his death.

Studio Place, renamed in 1931, was built as

College Place in 1844. It contains Bradbrook

House which, until 1890, was a series of schools

of anatomy. It was then converted into artists’

studios, renamed Kinnerton Studios in 1893

and then Bradbrook House in 1948. During

World War I it was used as a hospital.


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Living in BelgraviaIn the design for Belgravia, landowners did

not want shops to be seen, but rather, along

with pubs, they were banished to the mews and

smaller streets on the outskirts. Cubitt planned

for the area to be exclusively private houses but,

unusually, Seth Smith deliberately created the

Pantechnicon in Motcomb Street, as well as

Halkin Arcade, which is now Waitrose. Still

today, the majority of the pubs in Belgravia are

tucked away in the mews. Through traffic was

also banned from the estate, which was enforced

by bars across Pont Street and the King’s Road,

attended by barkeepers in top-hats, who were

given strict instructions to turn back commercial

vehicles and unauthorised private carriages.

The WiltonsWilton Crescent and Wilton Place were

both built by Seth Smith between 1824 and

1828. The name Wilton originated from Lady

Eleanor Egerton, daughter of the 1st Earl of

Wilton, who married Robert Grosvenor.

Wilton Place was built on the site of an old

cow yard from 1827. St Paul’s Church in

Wilton Place was built in 1840-43 by

Thomas Cundy, junior.

Today, Wilton Row is renowned for the

Grenadier pub, believed to be one of the most

haunted pubs in London and named for its

close association with the former Foot-Guards

Barracks. Wilton Row, built by Thomas Cubitt,

was first known as Wilton Crescent Mews and

completed in the early 1830s.

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Kinnerton Street – Courtesy of The Grosvenor Estate

Chester SquareChester Square is one of the key squares of

Belgravia. It was originally laid out as streets but

in 1828, Joseph Cundy, Seth Smith and another

developer, Watkins, proposed a new layout as

an oblong square. The name ‘Chester’ originates

from the city of Chester, where the Grosvenors’

country seat, Eaton Hall, is located. Building

began in around 1832, but was not completed

until the 1840s. The south east and north east

terraces were built by Thomas Cundy, probably

to the designs of his brother Thomas Cundy II.

The north west side was built by Seth Smith,

with a mixture of plain stucco and more ornate

Italianate designs. The square is dominated by

St Michael’s Church, built by Thomas Cundy

in a decorative gothic style. It was completed in

1846, but altered again in 1874.

Chester Square has also been home to

many illustrious residents including Mary

Wollstonecraft, author of Frankenstein and

wife of poet, Shelley, in No.24. No.26 was the

home of John St Loe Strachey, son of Sir John

Strachey who rose to become a successful

journalist and editor of The Spectator from

1898 to 1925. During World War II, No.77

was the location for the Secretariat of Queen

Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, and it is also

believed that the spy, Guy Burgess, lived in

the square, staying with a friend.

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St George’s Hospital – Lanesborough HotelOn the corner of Knightsbridge and Hyde

Park Corner is the grand Lanesborough Hotel,

formerly St George’s Hospital, which is on the

site of the former ‘country house’ of James Lane,

Viscount Lanesborough. The original house was

built on the outskirts of London in 1719 when

this area was still countryside. Lanesborough

was most notably responsible for the gilding

of the upper gallery around the dome of St

Paul’s Cathedral, at his own expense. He passed

away in 1724 and by 1733 the house had been

acquired by the governors of the Westminster

Infirmary to convert into a hospital. Over time,

the old house was converted and extended, but

by the 1880s it was clear that a new building

was required.

It was designed by William Wilkins, who was

also responsible for the designs of the National

Gallery in Trafalgar Square. The new hospital,

built in a neo-Greek style with projecting wings

and a large portico of four pillars facing Green

Park, was built in 1827-29. The new building

not only included hospital wards, but also a

chapel, a museum, lecture room and private

apartments. The museum held curiosities such

as a half-sovereign taken from Mr. Brunel’s

windpipe and money and knives taken from

patients’ stomachs.

St George’s Hospital continued at Hyde Park

Corner until 1980, when it relocated to Tooting.

The Grosvenor Estate then bought back the site

and in 1988 it was agreed the hospital would

be converted into a new high class hotel, now

known as the Lanesborough Hotel.

TattersallsBehind St George’s Hospital, today’s

Lanesborough Hotel, was the famous Tattersall’s

horse market, “so renowned through all the

breadth and length of horse-loving, horse-

breeding, horse-racing Europe”. Tattersalls was

the destination point for buying and selling

horses across the country, as well as those for

Europe seeking out the best breeds for the

nobility and gentry and was popularly known

as ‘the corner’. It was founded in 1773 by

Richard Tattersall, former training groom to

the Duke of Kingston. By 1864, Tattersalls had

become completely surrounded by buildings

and streets and it was decided to relocate it

further west to Knightsbridge Green, where the

Tattersall Tavern is the only real reminder of

the former horse auctioneers in Knightsbridge.

Ordnance Survey map showing Belgrave Square and surrounding areas 1869

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Grosvenor Crescent & Grosvenor PlaceGrosvenor Crescent was laid out from 1837

over the corner of Belgrave Square through the

grounds of the old Tattersalls horse auction mart

but was not completed until 1860. The houses

in the northern terrace were completed by Seth

Smith and those on the south were by Cubitt.

Grosvenor Place was one of the earliest parts of

Belgravia to be built on, with the first building

to the south, the Lock Hospital, built in 1746

when much of the surrounding area was covered

in fields. It was originally built as an isolation

hospital, in particular to cure females “suffering

from diseases contracted by a vicious way of life”.

Grosvenor Place was laid out with houses

from 1767, shortly after George III made

Buckingham House a royal residence. The

original 18th century houses were large detached

villas, with a number of notable residents.

However, by the 1860s and after Belgravia had

become the centre of fashionable London, it

was decided to redevelop Grosvenor Place.

Thomas Cundy the younger was responsible for

much of the building between 1865 and 1871

in a 17th century French Renaissance style.

The new houses along Grosvenor Place were

soon taken up by wealthy residents, including

Baron Sir Anthony de Rothschild of the

banking family. No.17, built in 1875 by R.J.

Waller became the Irish Embassy.

Since the turn of the 20th century, many of

the houses along Grosvenor Place have been

converted for commercial or institutional use,

with large sections entirely rebuilt.

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Halkin, Chapel & Wilton StreetsHalkin Street is dominated by Forbes House,

formerly known as Mortimer House, a nine

bay house built with yellow brick and hidden

behind a walled forecourt with trees. The

original part of the house was built in around

1810 by Sir Robert Smirke for the 5th Earl of

Oxford, but it was later extended in 1824 for

the future 3rd Earl Fitzwilliam and again in

around 1912 for the 8th Earl of Granard, who

was responsible for the name of ‘Forbes’. The

Caledonian Club was built in 1913 on the site

of the Belgrave Chapel, which had been built

by Sir Robert Smirke in 1811.

Chapel Street was named after the former

chapel attached to the Lock Hospital, which

was located here. It was first built up in the late

18th century, but only partly completed at the

turn of the 19th century. Most notably, it has

been the former home of Richard Jones, teacher

of elocution, who became known as ‘Gentleman

Jones’. He was a highly sought after teacher for

politicians, preachers and lawyers who needed

assistance with their speech.

Wilton Street was built between 1819 and

1825. No.8 was the home of Henry Gray, who

worked at St George’s Hospital and wrote the

anatomy textbook, Gray’s Anatomy that is

still used by medical students today. The house

was also home to actress and stage performer

Miss Ruth Draper during 1936. Wilton Street

was also the home of former Prime Minister

Edward Heath who moved to No.17 after

losing the 1974 election.

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PimlicoSouth Belgravia

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Pimlico – Millbank

Grosvenor House

Grosvenor House, also known as Peterborough

House, formerly sat to the south of today’s

Horseferry Road, very close to MI5

headquarters, Thames House. The house was

first constructed by Alexander Davies after he

inherited the Manor of Ebury and it was leased

to the Earls of Peterborough by Sir Robert

Grosvenor in the 1730s. In 1735 the 3rd Earl

of Peterborough married his second wife, the

celebrated singer Mrs Anastasia Robinson, in

the house. A short time later, the Grosvenor

family set about rebuilding the house, and it

remained on the bank of the Thames until the

early 19th century when it was demolished to

make way for new streets and houses.

During the 13th century, the southern area of

Pimlico, part of the manor of Eia, was the site

of a moated manor house known as ‘La Neyte’,

home of the Abbot Berking, which formerly

stood near today’s Warwick Place. To the north

was the home of the bailiff, Ebury Farm, near

today’s Chester Square and Ebury Square. After

a severe storm in 1362, La Neyte was rebuilt

by the ‘building Abbot’, Nicholas Littlington.

It was also during this period that the convent

attached to the Abbey of Westminster increased

its income by building additional houses to

create a small community of farmers and

gardeners. Much of the area became market

gardens, providing fruit and vegetables for the

London markets.

The manor house was still recorded in 1614

but by the 1630s, the whole area had begun to

change, with further houses constructed and the

name of the area changing to ‘the Neathouses’.

It became a popular area of entertainment, with

gardens and food and drink and Samuel Pepys

was a regular visitor. However, by the end of the

18th century, the area had become disreputable

and with the increasing urban development and

the building of Victoria Station in the 19th

century, the gardens and entertainments were

swept away.

It was not until the 1840s that the full scale

development of “Mr Cubitt’s District” began.

Cubitt referred to the area as “South Belgravia”,

but it would later be called Pimlico.

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Pimlico Wharf & the Grosvenor CanalIn the 18th century, a large part of the southern

section of the estate was taken up by Pimlico

Wharf, created in 1725 to provide access

from the Thames to the Chelsea Waterworks

Company, which formerly supplied water to

much of London. It was transformed into the

Grosvenor Canal by Thomas Cubitt in 1823.

However, only a few years later in 1852, the

Chelsea Waterworks Company relocated to

Surbiton and Pimlico Wharf was used as the

site for Victoria Railway Station. Today, the

remnants of the canal have been included as

part of a new housing development, Grosvenor

Waterside, and only the old lock gates remain

along the embankment. The old waterworks

pumping station can still be seen along

Grosvenor Road.

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Thomas Cubitt in Pimlico

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Map of the Grosvenor Estate as in 1723 (Drawn by estate surveyor Thomas Cundy 1822) – Courtesy of The Grosvenor Estate

During the early 19th century, Pimlico was

largely industrial. To the east was the Hunter

and Bramah steelworks, near today’s Denbigh

Street, and to the west was Smith’s distillery.

The original road to the distillery was known

as Baker’s Lane, but was later renamed

Distillery Lane, with the northern stretch

becoming Sutherland Street.

By the 1820s things were about to drastically

change in Pimlico. Up until this time, much of

the riverside land was marshy (which was why

it was so good for market gardening), making

it unfit for building. However, its proximity to

Westminster, along with the remodelling of

Buckingham House in 1821 for George IV,

created a new interest in the riverside area.

The development of Belgravia to the north

also changed attitudes to Millbank and Pimlico,

and the renowned builder Thomas Cubitt began

to plant new developments. Cubitt purchased

the remainder of the leases across the stretch

of land south of today’s Lupus Street and also

acquired land on neighbouring estates, enabling

him to plan road layouts that made the most

of the site rather than being limited by estate

boundaries.

Cubitt brought in huge amounts of soil to level

out the ground and balance the wet marshy

soil for building, as he did with neighbouring

Belgravia. Along with building around a quarter

of the houses, Cubitt also monitored the designs

and building of other contractors, including

the 2nd Marquess of Westminster, to create the

uniform appearance that Pimlico is still famous

for today. Cubitt would approve designs, or even

provide them from his own drawing office.

This control over the development also meant

there were often strict covenants on the use of

properties, which still exist.

The immense quantity of new streets and

houses meant that in 1839, Cubitt actually

created a factory and building works on site,

near today’s Dolphin Square. The site had a

joinery and glass works, plaster and steel works,

and facilities for making bricks and cement.

Cubitt also used the latest steam-driven

technology but unfortunately, fire broke out

in 1854 and vast sections of the works were

completely destroyed.

Pimlico is not only famous for the long stucco

terraced houses, but also for the layout of

streets in grids and diagonals, which made the

maximum use of space for building in-between

ancient tracks and rights of way. Cubitt was well

known for his high standards, but he also aimed

to offer the latest in house designs and as early

as the 1820s, even the smaller houses were built

with inside toilets and bathrooms. Building

across Pimlico continued throughout the mid

19th century and by the 1870s, there was very

little open land left. This part of the Grosvenor

Estate, comprising some 66 acres, was sold by

the family in 1952. The funds supported a new

investment in Vancouver, the beginnings of

Grosvenor’s international property business.


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The Grosvenor Estate todayThe extent of the Grosvenor Estate in London

has changed from its original form in the 17th

century, but today it continues to be home to

some of the most sought after addresses in

London. The architectural legacy, along with

the stories of former residents, means that it is

one of the most fascinating parts of London,

and its history is essentially a history of London.

The Grosvenor Estate aims to retain its heritage

while also creating ‘great places to live, work and

visit’. Their recent work on regeneration and

improvements, as well as preservation, means

it is maintaining the quality of the estate as Sir

Richard Grosvenor envisaged 300 years ago.


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Chesterton Humberts: appreciating heritageWith our own history dating back to 1805,

Chesterton Humberts understands the

importance of heritage. We appreciate the extent

to which history can have an effect on an area

and greatly value the history of individual

houses and, as property experts, know that by

understanding the history of a house or area,

we can bring properties to life and better

explain the context that they sit within.

This history of the Grosvenor Estate was researched and compiled by specialist house historian and author of ‘The Secrets Behind Your Front Door’, Melanie Backe-Hansen. Additional support and research was provided by Rebecca Howe of our Westminster & Pimlico branch.

melanie backe-hansen

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