83-530: Belgrave Road is a street in the Pimlico area of London . It is situated in the city of Westminster and runs between Eccleston Bridge to the northwest and Lupus Street to the southeast. The street and the adjacent area were developed by Thomas Cubitt in the 1840s, who considered it as dwellings for the middle class, as opposed to those he had developed in Belgravia for the more affluent. The widths of
166-745: A Conservative . Of the six local councillors, three are Labour and three are Conservative. Pimlico is part of the West Central constituency on the London Assembly , which is represented by James Small-Edwards AM. Mayfair Mayfair is an area of London , England, in the City of Westminster . It is in Central London and part of the West End . It is between Oxford Street , Regent Street , Piccadilly and Park Lane and one of
249-570: A fountain in its centre. In 1963, following the widening of Park Lane, it was rebuilt as the Joy of Life Fountain. Grosvenor Square was planned as the centrepiece of the Mayfair estate. It was laid out from 1725–31 with 51 individual plots for development. It is the second-largest square in London (after Lincoln's Inn Fields ) and housed numerous members of the aristocracy until the mid-20th century. By
332-408: A grid of handsome white stucco terraces. The largest and most opulent houses were built along St George's Drive and Belgrave Road , the two principal streets, and Eccleston, Warwick and St George's Squares . Lupus Street contained similarly grand houses, as well as shops and, until the early twentieth century, a hospital for women and children. Smaller-scale properties, typically of three storeys, line
415-508: A pedestrian bridge stretching across the river from St George's Square ; in 2015, Wandsworth council awarded Bystrup and partners the design for the £40m bridge, with spiral ramps preserving parks at both ends. The area is represented on Westminster City Council by the wards of Pimlico North and Pimlico South. These all form part of the Cities of London and Westminster parliamentary constituency, currently represented by MP Nickie Aiken ,
498-502: A reputation retained to the present day. Gunter's Tea Shop was established in 1757 at Nos. 7–8 Berkeley Square by the Italian Domenico Negri. Robert Gunter took co-ownership of the shop in 1777, and full ownership in 1799. During the 19th century it became a fashionable place to buy cakes and ice cream, and was well-known for its range of multi-tiered wedding cakes . The shop moved to Curzon Street in 1936 when
581-565: A result of an increase in demand for property in the previously unfashionable West End of London following the Great Plague of London and the Great Fire of London , Pimlico had become ripe for development. In 1825, Thomas Cubitt was contracted by Lord Grosvenor to develop Pimlico. The land up to this time had been marshy but was reclaimed using soil excavated during the construction of St Katharine Docks . Cubitt developed Pimlico as
664-860: A shop in Conduit Street that was bombed during the Blitz. Grosvenor Chapel on South Audley Street was built by Benjamin Timbrell in 1730 for the Grosvenor Estate. It was used by American armed forces during the Second World War . The parents of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington , are buried in the churchyard. The Mayfair Chapel on Curzon Street was a popular place for illegal marriages, including over 700 in 1742. James Hamilton, 6th Duke of Hamilton , married Elizabeth Gunning here in 1752. The Marriage Act 1753 stopped
747-487: A southern extension to neighbouring Belgravia . It is known for its garden squares and distinctive Regency architecture . Pimlico is demarcated to the north by Victoria Station , by the River Thames to the south, Vauxhall Bridge Road to the east and the former Grosvenor Canal to the west. At its heart is a grid of residential streets laid down by the planner Thomas Cubitt , beginning in 1825 and now protected as
830-704: A transcendental tie and without any earthly reason" it "in a year or two might be fairer than Florence." Barbara Pym used St Gabriel's Church as her inspiration for St Mary's in Excellent Women . The area is the home of Francis Urquhart in Michael Dobbs 's 1989 novel, House of Cards . While still only partially built, the area is the abode of a criminal gang in Charles Palliser 's 1989 novel, The Quincunx . They live in 'carcasses', part-built houses on which work has ceased owing to
913-471: A visit to Brown's. Theodore Roosevelt enjoyed staying at the hotel and married his fiancée Edith Roosevelt with a reception there in 1886. Now part of Rocco Forte Hotels , the Hotel maintains its popular tea room and has expanded to occupy 11 townhouses. Claridge's was founded in 1812 as Mivart's Hotel on Brook Street . It was acquired by William Claridge in 1855, who gave it its current name. The hotel
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#1732798805611996-532: Is a block of private apartments built between 1935 and 1937. At the time of their construction the development was billed as the largest self-contained block of flats in Europe. It is home to many Members of Parliament (MPs). Churchill Gardens is a large housing estate covering the south-west corner of Pimlico. It was developed between 1946 and 1962 to a design by the architects Powell and Moya, replacing docks, industrial works, and several Cubitt terraces damaged in
1079-496: Is a major shopping street in Mayfair running from north to south from Grosvenor Square to Curzon Street. Originally a residential street, it was redeveloped between 1875 and 1900. Retailers include china and silverware specialists Thomas Goode and gunsmiths James Purdey & Sons . Numerous galleries have given Mayfair a reputation as an international art hub. The Royal Academy of Arts , based in Burlington House,
1162-416: Is at No. 4 Grosvenor Square. The district has become increasingly commercial, with many offices in converted houses and new buildings, though the trend has been reversed in places. The United States embassy announced in 2008 it would move from its long-established location at Grosvenor Square to Nine Elms , Wandsworth , owing to security concerns, despite constructing an £8m security upgrading after
1245-494: Is just north of the River Thames. The PDHU first became operational in 1950 and continues to expand to this day. The PDHU once relied on waste heat from the now-disused Battersea Power Station on the south side of the River Thames. It is still in operation, the water now being heated locally by a new energy centre which incorporates 3.1 MWe /4.0 MWTh of gas-fired CHP engines and 3 × 8 MW gas-fired boilers. In 1953,
1328-450: Is named after Joseph Damer, 1st Earl of Dorchester . The first building here was erected by Joseph Damer in 1751, and renamed Dorchester House following the Earl's succession in 1792. The property was purchased by Sir Robert McAlpine and Sons and Gordon Hotels Ltd in 1928 to be converted into a hotel, which opened on 18 April 1931. It was General Dwight Eisenhower 's London headquarters in
1411-439: Is now Mount Street was known as Oliver's Mount by the 18th century. The May Fair was held every year at Great Brookfield (which is now part of Curzon Street and Shepherd Market) from 1 to 14 May. It was established during the reign of Edward I in open fields beyond St. James. The fair was recorded as "Saint James's fayer by Westminster" in 1560. It was postponed in 1603 because of plague , but otherwise continued throughout
1494-638: Is now the Indonesian Embassy . Berkeley House on Piccadilly was named after John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton , who had purchased its land, and that surrounding it, shortly after the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660. In 1696, the Berkeley family sold the house and grounds to William Cavendish , 1st Duke of Devonshire (who renamed it Devonshire House ), on condition that
1577-409: Is one of the most prestigious and best-known hotels in the world. Mayfair has had a range of exclusive shops, hotels, restaurants and clubs since the 19th century. The district—especially the vicinity of Bond Street—is also the home of numerous commercial art galleries and international auction houses such as Bonhams , Christie's and Sotheby's . From the early 19th century, tailors, attracted by
1660-413: Is only a small convenience store and a public house , the "Marquis of Westminster". Its proximity to Victoria Station has made it a popular street for tourists. 51°29′34″N 0°08′35″W / 51.49266°N 0.14292°W / 51.49266; -0.14292 Pimlico Pimlico ( / ˈ p ɪ m l ɪ k oʊ / ) is an area of Central London in the City of Westminster , built as
1743-412: Is sometimes spoken of as a person, and may not improbably have been the master of a house once famous for ale of a particular description'." Supporting this etymology, E. Cobham Brewer describes the area as "a district of public gardens much frequented on holidays. According to tradition, it received its name from Ben Pimlico, famous for his nut-brown ale. His tea-gardens, however, were near Hoxton , and
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#17327988056111826-578: The 24 , 360 and the C10 . Many more buses run along Vauxhall Bridge Road (Pimlico's eastern boundary). Riverboat services to Waterloo and Southwark run from Millbank Millennium Pier . The area has a dozen docking stations for the Santander Cycles scheme. Pimlico would be connected at Victoria to the proposed Chelsea-Hackney line (Crossrail 2). Plans under consideration for the redevelopment of Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station include
1909-490: The British aristocracy in the early 20th century led to the area becoming more commercial, with many houses converted into offices for corporate headquarters and various embassies . Mayfair retains a substantial quantity of high-end residential property, upmarket shops and restaurants, and luxury hotels along Piccadilly and Park Lane . Its prestigious status has been commemorated by being the most expensive property square on
1992-606: The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales are located in Eccleston Square . Tate Britain is located within the ward of Millbank , but is a short walk from Pimlico Underground station and is regarded as a Pimlico landmark. The district's association with fine art has been reinforced by the Chelsea College of Art and Design 's recent move to the former Royal Army Medical College next to
2075-548: The City of London was destroyed during the Blitz, and many corporate headquarters were established in the area. Several historically important houses were demolished, including Aldford House , Londonderry House and Chesterfield House . In 1961, the old US embassy at No. 1 Grosvenor Square became the Canadian High Commission , and the building was named Macdonald House , after the first Canadian Prime Minister John A. Macdonald . The Italian Embassy
2158-695: The Houses of Parliament made Pimlico a centre of political activity. Prior to 1928, the Labour Party and Trades Union Congress shared offices on Eccleston Square , and it was here in 1926 that the general strike was organised. In the mid-1930s Pimlico saw a second wave of development with the construction of Dolphin Square , a self-contained "city" of 1,250 up-market flats built on the site formerly occupied by Cubitt's building works. Completed in 1937, it quickly became popular with MPs and public servants. It
2241-640: The Maybourne Hotel Group . St George's, Hanover Square , constructed between 1721 and 1724 by John James , was one of 50 churches built following the Commission for Building Fifty New Churches Act in 1711. Emma, Lady Hamilton , in 1791, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1814, and Prime Ministers Benjamin Disraeli and H. H. Asquith in 1839 and 1894 respectively were all married in the church. The porch houses two cast-iron dogs rescued from
2324-753: The Second Duke of Westminster sold the part of the Grosvenor estate on which Pimlico is built. In 1970, whilst Roger Byron-Collins was a partner in Mullett Booker Estate Agents in Albion Street on the Hyde Park Estate, he sold the entire 27 acre freehold Pimlico Estate for £4.4 million to Jack Dellal of Dalton Barton Bank in a JV with Peter Crane of City and Municipal Properties, being a consortium controlled by
2407-528: The September 11 attacks including 6 ft (1.8 m) high blast walls. Since the 1990s residential properties have become available again, though the rents are among the highest in London. Mayfair remains one of the most expensive places to live in London and the world, and it possesses some exclusive shopping, London's largest concentration of luxury hotels and many restaurants, particularly around Park Lane and Grosvenor Square. The Al-Thani family,
2490-507: The Victoria line . Following the designation of a conservation area in 1968 (extended in 1973 and again in 1990), the area has seen extensive regeneration. Successive waves of development have given Pimlico an interesting social mix, combining exclusive restaurants and residences with Westminster City Council -run facilities. For a history of street name etymologies in the area see: Street names of Pimlico and Victoria Dolphin Square
2573-472: The "village centre" of Mayfair. The current buildings date from around 1860, and house food and antique shops, pubs and restaurants. The market had a reputation for high-class prostitution. In the 1980s, Jeffrey Archer was alleged to frequent the area and was accused of visiting Monica Coghlan , a call girl in Shepherd Market, which eventually led to a libel trial and his imprisonment for perverting
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2656-507: The 17th century. In 1686, the fair moved to what is now Mayfair. By the 18th century, it had attracted showmen, jugglers and fencers and numerous fairground attractions. Popular attractions included bare-knuckle fighting, semolina -eating contests and women's foot racing . By the reign of George I , the May Fair had fallen into disrepute and was regarded as a public scandal. The 6th Earl of Coventry , who lived on Piccadilly, considered
2739-482: The 1890s. When Rev Gerald Olivier moved to the neighbourhood in 1912 with his family, including the young Laurence Olivier , to minister to the parishioners of St Saviour , it was part of a venture to west London "slums" that had previously taken the family to the depths of Notting Hill . Through the late nineteenth century, Pimlico saw the construction of several Peabody Estates , charitable housing projects designed to provide affordable, quality homes. Proximity to
2822-536: The 18th century. Part of its success was its proximity to the Court of St James and the parks, and the well-designed layout. This led to it sustaining its popularity into the 21st century. The requirements of the aristocracy led to stables, coach houses and servants' accommodation being established along the mews running parallel to the streets. Some of the stables have since been converted into garages and offices. The Rothschild family owned several Mayfair properties in
2905-493: The 19th century. Alfred de Rothschild lived at No. 1 Seamore Place and held numerous "adoration dinners" where the only guest was a female companion. The marriage of his brother Leopold to Marie Perugia took place here in 1881. The house was demolished after the First World War when Curzon Street was extended through the site to meet Park Lane. The future Prime Minister Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery ,
2988-476: The American Embassy. The Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane is on the former site of Grosvenor House , the home of Robert Grosvenor, 2nd Earl Grosvenor (who later became the 1st Marquess of Westminster). It was built by Arthur Octavius Edwards in the 1920s and has over 450 bedrooms, with 150 luxury flats in the south wing. It was the first London hotel to have a swimming pool. The Dorchester
3071-522: The Blitz. On Buckingham Palace Road is the former "Empire Terminal" of Imperial Airways , a striking Art Moderne building designed in 1938 by architect Albert Lakeman. Mail, freight and passengers were transported from the terminal to Southampton via rail before transferring to flying boats. The building now serves as the headquarters of the National Audit Office . The area contains a number of Anglican churches, most constructed at
3154-489: The Grosvenor. Of the original properties constructed in Mayfair, only the Grosvenor estate survives intact and owned by the same family, who became the Dukes of Westminster in 1874. Chesterfield Street is one of the few streets that has 18th-century properties on both sides, with a single exception, and is probably the least altered road in the area. Hanover Square was the first of three great squares to be constructed. It
3237-734: The Hanson Trust. He was introduced to the owners of the Estate by the Hon Brian Alexander, son of Field Marshal Earl Alexander of Tunis, who at that time represented Previews International, a part of Coldwell Banker. Brian Alexander's friend, Colin Tennant, Lord Glenconner, owner of Mustique island in the Caribbean was friends with Henry Cubitt, Baron Ashcombe the chairman of the builders, Holland, Hannen and Cubbits who developed
3320-531: The London Monopoly board. Mayfair is in the City of Westminster , and mainly consists of the historical Grosvenor estate and the Albemarle , Berkeley , Burlington , and Curzon estates. It is bordered on the west by Park Lane , north by Oxford Street , east by Regent Street , and the south by Piccadilly . Beyond the bounding roads, to the north is Marylebone , to the east Soho , and to
3403-681: The Pimlico Conservation Area . The most prestigious are those on garden squares, with buildings decreasing in grandeur away from St George's Square , Warwick Square , Eccleston Square and the main thoroughfares of Belgrave Road and St. George's Drive. Additions have included the pre– World War II Dolphin Square and the Churchill Gardens and Lillington and Longmoore Gardens estates, now conservation areas in their own right. The area has over 350 Grade II listed buildings and several Grade II* listed churches. At
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3486-613: The Queen, as well as supplying several high-profile restaurants. After accruing spiralling debts, it was sold to Rare Butchers of Distinction in 2006. The Mayfair premises closed in 2015, but the company retains an online presence. Scott's restaurant moved from Coventry Street to Nos. 20–22 Mount Street in 1967. In 1975, the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) bombed the restaurant twice, killing one and injuring 15 people. South Audley Street
3569-613: The Second World War. The Duke of Edinburgh held his stag night at the hotel prior to his marriage to Princess Elizabeth . The May Fair Hotel opened in 1927 on the site of Devonshire House in Stratton Street . It also accommodates the May Fair Theatre, which opened in 1963. The Ritz opened on Piccadilly on 24 May 1906. It was the first steel-framed building to be constructed in London, and it
3652-725: The Tate. Pimlico School , a comprehensive built between 1967 and 1970, was a notable example of Brutalist architecture . It was demolished in 2010. Pimlico is the setting of the 1940 version of Gaslight . Post World War II , Pimlico was the setting of the 1949 Ealing comedy Passport To Pimlico . In G. K. Chesterton 's Orthodoxy , Pimlico is used as an example of "a desperate thing." Arguing that things are not loved because they are great but become great because they are loved, he asserts that if merely approved of, Pimlico "will remain Pimlico, which would be awful," but if "loved with
3735-460: The Younger is sited at the southern end of the square. In 1725, Mayfair became part of the new parish of St George Hanover Square , which stretched as far east as Bond Street and to Regent Street north of Conduit Street . It ran as far north as Oxford Street and south near to Piccadilly. The parish continued into Hyde Park to the west and extended southwest to St George's Hospital . Most of
3818-400: The affluent and influential residents, began to take up premises on Savile Row in south-eastern Mayfair, beginning in 1803. The earliest extant tailor to move to Savile Row was Henry Poole & Co in 1846. The street's reputation steadily grew throughout the late 19th and early-20th centuries, under the patronage of monarchs, moguls and movie stars, into the global home of men's tailoring ;
3901-530: The area before establishing Londinium . Whitaker's Almanack suggested that Aulus Plautius built a fort here during the Roman conquest of Britain in AD 43 while waiting for Claudius . The theory was developed in 1993, with a proposal that a town grew outside the fort but was later abandoned as it was too far from the River Thames. The proposal has been disputed because of lack of archaeological evidence. If there
3984-586: The area belonged to (and continues to be owned by) the Grosvenor family, though the freehold of some parts belongs to the Crown Estate . A water supply to the area was built by the Chelsea Water Works , and a royal warrant was issued in 1725 for a reservoir in Hyde Park that could supply water at what is now Grosvenor Gate. In 1835, the reservoir was decorated with an ornamental basin and
4067-536: The course of justice . Alongside Burlington House is one of London's most luxurious shopping areas, the Burlington Arcade . It was designed by Samuel Ware for George Cavendish, 1st Earl of Burlington , in 1819. The arcade was designed with tall walls on either side to prevent passers-by throwing litter into the Earl's garden. Ownership of the arcade passed to the Chesham family . In 1911, another storey
4150-480: The development and good management of this land the Grosvenors acquired enormous wealth. At some point in the late seventeenth or early eighteenth century, the area ceased to be known as Ebury or "The Five Fields" and gained the name by which it is now known. While its origins are disputed, it is "clearly of foreign derivation.... [William] Gifford , in a note in his edition of Ben Jonson , tells us that 'Pimlico
4233-527: The drying-up of funds, due in turn to an involved conspiracy central to the book's convoluted plot. Alexander McCall Smith 's on-line Daily Telegraph serial novel Corduroy Mansions is set in Pimlico. Pimlico is served by Pimlico station on the Victoria line and Victoria station on the Victoria, District and Circle lines. It is also served by National Rail services to London Victoria Station . Bus routes that run centrally through Pimlico are
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#17327988056114316-473: The eastern side of Berkeley Square was demolished, until closing in 1956. The business as a whole survived until the late 1970s. Mount Street has been a popular shopping street since Mayfair was developed in the 18th century. It was largely rebuilt between 1880 and 1900 under the direction of the 1st Duke of Westminster, when the nearby workhouse was relocated to Pimlico. It now houses a number of shops dealing with luxury trades. Shepherd Market has been called
4399-434: The end of the 19th century, the Grosvenor family were described as "the wealthiest family in Europe" and annual rents for their Mayfair properties reached around £135,000 (equivalent to £18,558,000 in 2023). The square has never declined in popularity and continues to be a prestigious London address into the 21st century. Only two original houses have survived; No. 9, once the home of John Adams , and No. 38 which
4482-536: The estate comprising 480 homes in the 19th Century and were major shareholders in partnership with Harry Reynolds of Reynolds Engineering of then owners CR Developments. Brian Alexander after leaving Previews International, eventually became MD of the Mustique Company for many decades.. https://www.twsg.co.uk > Pimlico was connected to the London Underground in 1972 as a late addition to
4565-544: The fair to be a nuisance and, with local residents, led a public campaign against it. It was abolished in 1764. One reason for Mayfair's subsequent boom in property development was that it was able to keep out lower-class activities. Building on Mayfair began in the 1660s on the corner of Piccadilly, and progressed along the north side of that street. Burlington House was started between 1664 and 1665 by John Denham and sold two years later to Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Burlington , who asked Hugh May to complete it. The house
4648-454: The land through marriage and began to develop it under the direction of Thomas Barlow. The work included Hanover Square , Berkeley Square and Grosvenor Square , which were surrounded by high-quality houses, and St George's Hanover Square Church . By the end of the 18th century, most of Mayfair had been rebuilt with high-value housing for the upper class; unlike some nearby areas of London, it has never lost its affluent status. The decline of
4731-493: The larger Victorian houses were converted to hotels and other uses. To provide affordable and efficient heating to the residents of the new post-war developments, Pimlico became one of the few places in the UK to have a district heating system installed. District heating became popular after World War II to heat the large residential estates that replaced areas devastated by the Blitz. The Pimlico District Heating Undertaking (PDHU)
4814-435: The most expensive districts in the world. The area was originally part of the manor of Eia and remained largely rural until the early 18th century. It became well-known for the annual May Fair that took place from 1686 to 1764 in what is now Shepherd Market . Over the years, the fair grew increasingly downmarket and unpleasant, and it became a public nuisance. The Grosvenor family (who became Dukes of Westminster ) acquired
4897-410: The names of former American residents in and visitors to Mayfair. The death of Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster in 1899 was a pivotal point in the development of Mayfair, following which all redevelopment schemes not already in operation were cancelled. In the following years, Government budget proposals such as David Lloyd George 's establishment of the welfare state in 1909 greatly reduced
4980-650: The power of the Lords. Land value fell around Mayfair, and some leases were not renewed. Following World War I , the British upper class was in decline, for the reduced workforce meant servants were less readily available and demanded higher salaries. The grandest houses in Mayfair became more expensive to service; consequently, many were converted into foreign embassies. The 2nd Duke of Westminster decided to demolish Grosvenor House and move his residence to Bourdon House . Mayfair attracted commercial development after much of
5063-621: The practice of unlicensed marriages. The chapel was demolished in 1899. Having opened in 1837, Brown's Hotel is considered one of London's oldest hotels. Straddling Albemarle and Dover streets, it is thought to have been a popular tea location for Queen Victoria , and it was from the hotel that in 1876 Alexander Graham Bell made the first successful telephone call in Britain. Certain writers were known to stay there frequently; Rudyard Kipling 's The Jungle Book and Agatha Christie 's At Bertram's Hotel were each partly written during
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#17327988056115146-456: The properties being rebuilt. Barlow proposed a grid of wide, straight streets, with a large park (now Grosvenor Square) as a centrepiece. Buildings were constructed in quick succession, and by the mid-18th century the area was covered in houses. Much of the land was owned by seven estates: Burlington , Millfield, Conduit Mead , Albemarle Ground, the Berkeley, the Curzon and, most importantly,
5229-405: The properties were comparatively narrow. As a result, the area went into decline but has more recently improved in both appearance and use. There are three green spaces along its length, which is only 750 metres long. These are Eccleston Square , Warwick Square , and St George's Square . Belgrave Road is the home of HM Passport Office and two private schools. For the most part, both sides of
5312-447: The road are terraced stucco-fronted houses, giving the street an appearance of elegance from a previous age. Many of these houses have been converted into hotels, some of which have combined three adjacent houses. There are over twenty hotels in a street where the house numbers do not exceed 140. This gives rise to a very mobile population. Except where Warwick Way crosses Belgrave Road, there are no shops, and even at this crossing there
5395-524: The road to them was termed Pimlico Path, so that what is now called Pimlico was so named from the popularity of the Hoxton resort". H. G. Wells , in his novel The Dream , says that there was a wharf at Pimlico where ships from America docked and that the word Pimlico came with the trade and was the last word left alive of the Algonquin Indian language ( Pamlico ). By the 19th century, and as
5478-482: The ruling family of Qatar , and their relatives and associates owned a quarter of the 279 acres of Mayfair by 2006. The north-western part of Mayfair has subsequently been nicknamed " Little Doha ". The area has also been called a "Qatari quarter" and 'Qataropolis'. Prominent properties owned in Mayfair by Qataris include Dudley House on Park Lane and Lombard House on Curzon Street. Family members also own The Connaught and Claridge's hotels in Mayfair through
5561-620: The side streets. An 1877 newspaper article described Pimlico as "genteel, sacred to professional men… not rich enough to luxuriate in Belgravia proper, but rich enough to live in private houses." Its inhabitants were "more lively than in Kensington… and yet a cut above Chelsea, which is only commercial." Although the area was dominated by the well-to-do middle and upper-middle classes as late as Booth's 1889 Map of London Poverty, parts of Pimlico are said to have declined significantly by
5644-455: The southwest Knightsbridge and Belgravia . Mayfair is surrounded by parkland; Hyde Park and Green Park run along its boundary. The 8-acre (3.2 ha) Grosvenor Square is roughly in the centre of Mayfair, and its centrepiece, containing numerous expensive and desirable properties. Following analysis of the alignment of Roman roads, it has been speculated that the Romans settled in
5727-459: The time the neighbourhood was laid out. Among them are St Gabriel's (of which a former Vicar is now Archdeacon of Chichester ), St Saviour and St James the Less . From its founding St Peter's, Eaton Square, Belgravia was usually recorded as St Peter's, Pimlico (at least prior to 1878). The area's Catholic church, Holy Apostles, was destroyed in the Blitz and rebuilt in 1957. The headquarters of
5810-485: The view from the rear of the house should not be spoiled. Berkeley Square was laid out to the rear of the house in the 1730s; because of the conditions of sale, houses were only built on the east and west sides. The west side still has various mid-18th-century buildings, and the east side now contains offices including Berkeley Square House. The expansion of Mayfair moved upper-class Londoners away from areas such as Covent Garden and Soho, which were already in decline by
5893-504: The western edge of Pimlico, on the borders of Chelsea, Pimlico Road has been ruined in recent years by a proliferation of interiors and design stores, driving all other business away. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the Manor of Ebury was divided up and leased by the Crown to servants or favourites. In 1623, James I sold the freehold of Ebury for £1,151 and 15 shillings. The land
5976-619: Was a fort, it is believed the perimeter would have been where the modern Green Street , North Audley Street, Upper Grosvenor Street and Park Lane now are, and that Park Street would have been the main road through the centre. This area was the manor of Eia in the Domesday Book , and owned by Geoffrey de Mandeville after the Norman Conquest . It was subsequently given to the Abbey of Westminster, who owned it until 1536 when it
6059-546: Was added by Beresford Pite , who also added the Chesham arms. The family sold the arcade to the Prudential Assurance Company for £333,000 (now £24,413,000) in 1926. It was bombed during the Second World War and subsequently restored. Allens of Mayfair , one of the best-known butchers in London, was founded in a shop on Mount Street in 1830. It held a Royal warrant of appointment to supply meat to
6142-833: Was born in Charles Street in 1847, and grew up in the area. Mayfair has had a long association with the United States. Pocahontas is believed to have visited in the early 17th century. In 1786, John Adams established the US Embassy on Grosvenor Square. Theodore Roosevelt was married in Hanover Square, and Franklin D. Roosevelt honeymooned in Berkeley Square. A small memorial park in Mount Street Gardens has benches engraved with
6225-568: Was bought by the Savoy Company in 1895 and rebuilt in red brick. It was extended again in 1931. Several European royal families in exile stayed at the hotel during the Second World War. Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia , was born there on 17 July 1945; the Prime Minister Winston Churchill is said to have declared the suite he was born in to be Yugoslav territory. Flemings Mayfair on Half Moon Street
6308-432: Was extensively modified through the 18th century, and is the only one of this era to survive into the 21st century. The origins of major development began when Sir Thomas Grosvenor, 3rd Baronet , married Mary Davies, heiress to part of the Manor of Ebury , in 1677. The Grosvenor family gained 500 acres (200 ha) of land, of which around 100 acres (40 ha) lay south of Oxford Street and east of Park Lane. The land
6391-614: Was founded in 1768 by George III and is the oldest fine arts society in the world. Its founding president was Sir Joshua Reynolds . The academy holds classes and exhibitions, and students have included John Constable and J. M. W. Turner . It moved from Somerset House to Trafalgar Square in 1837, sharing with the National Gallery , before moving to Burlington House in 1868. The academy hosts an annual Summer Exhibition , showing over 1,000 contemporary works of art that can be submitted by anyone. The Fine Art Society gallery
6474-472: Was home to fascist Oswald Mosley until his arrest in 1940, and the headquarters of the Free French for much of the Second World War. Pimlico survived the war with its essential character intact, although parts sustained significant bomb damage. Through the 1950s these areas were the focus of large-scale redevelopment as the Churchill Gardens and Lillington and Longmoore Gardens estates, and many of
6557-534: Was named after King George I, the Elector of Hanover, soon after his ascension to the throne in 1714. The original houses were inhabited by "persons of distinction" such as retired generals. Although most have been demolished, a small number have survived to the present day. The Hanover Square Rooms became a popular place for classical music concerts, including Johann Christian Bach , Joseph Haydn , Niccolò Paganini and Franz Liszt . A large statue of William Pitt
6640-461: Was opened in 1851 by Robert Fleming, who worked for Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey . It is the second-oldest independent hotel in London. The London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square on the corner of Grosvenor Square and Duke Street was the first Marriott Hotel in Britain. It opened as the Europa Hotel in 1961 and was bought by Marriott in 1985. It was a popular place for visitors to
6723-479: Was referred to as "The Hundred Acres" in early deeds. In 1721, the London Journal reported "the ground upon which the May Fair formerly was held is marked out for a large square, and several fine streets and houses are to be built upon it". Sir Richard Grosvenor, 4th Baronet , asked the surveyor Thomas Barlow to design the street layout, which has survived mostly intact to the present day despite most of
6806-615: Was sold on several more times, until it came into the hands of heiress Mary Davies in 1666. Mary's dowry not only included "The Five Fields" of modern-day Pimlico and Belgravia , but also most of what is now Mayfair and Knightsbridge . Understandably, she was much pursued but in 1677, at the age of twelve, married Sir Thomas Grosvenor, 3rd Baronet . The Grosvenors were a family of Norman descent long seated at Eaton Hall in Cheshire who, until this auspicious marriage, were of but local consequence in their native county of Cheshire . Through
6889-673: Was taken over by King Henry VIII during the dissolution of the monasteries . Mayfair consisted mainly of open fields until development began in the Shepherd Market area around 1686–88 to accommodate the May Fair, which had moved from Haymarket in St James's because of overcrowding. There were some buildings before 1686. A cottage in Stanhope Row, dating from 1618, was destroyed in the Blitz in late 1940. A 17th-century English Civil War fortification established in what
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