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45-745: The word mews comes from the Royal Mews in London, England, a set of royal stables built 500 years ago on a former royal hawk mews . The term is now commonly used in English-speaking countries for city housing of a similar design. After the Second World War , mews were replaced by alleys and the carriage houses by garages for automobiles. Mews derives from the French muer , 'to moult ', reflecting its original function to confine

90-713: A BMW i3 and a BMW 7 Series hybrid to a Nissan van and a Renault Twizy . The following chart shows the staff structure of the Royal Mews Department at the end of the twentieth century (when around fifty people lived and worked at the Mews). The position of Superintendent, which included oversight of the staff of the Mews, was abolished in 2000. The Royal Mews, Hampton Court Palace overlooks Hampton Court Green. It continues to provide accommodation for royal staff, and horses are stabled there from time to time. It

135-441: A Mews – a lane, alley, court, narrow passage, cul de sac or back street originally built behind houses in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries to provide access for stables or coach house accommodation (often with associated living accommodation) – that is now most likely to be a modernised residential dwelling, possibly with commercial premises. An Authentic Mews property will still retain the approximate appearance, form and footprint of

180-549: A hawk to a mews while it moulted. William Shakespeare deploys to mew up to mean confine, coop up, or shut up in The Taming of the Shrew : "What, will you mew her up, Signor Baptista?" and also Richard III : "This day should Clarence closely be mewed up". The term mews is still used today in falconry circles in English-speaking countries to refer to the housing of the birds of prey used in falconry. From 1377 onwards,

225-483: A mix of independent, boutique and chain retailers and restaurants. Bayswater is also one of London's most cosmopolitan areas: a diverse local population is augmented by a high concentration of hotels. In addition to the English, there are many other nationalities. Notable ethnic groups include Greeks , French , Americans , Brazilians , Italians , Irish , Arabs , Malaysians , and Albanians . The name Bayswater

270-578: A small settlement, although the gradual expansion of London westward into Mayfair and Paddington brought it closer to the outskirts of the city. During the Regency era new suburbs were rapidly constructed to cope with the growing population of the city. An important early developer in Bayswater was Edward Orme who constructed Moscow Road and St. Petersburgh Place , which he named in honour of Alexander I of Russia . Both Bayswater and Tyburnia to

315-412: A veterinary surgeon. When Victoria came to the throne in 1837, Buckingham Palace became the monarch's principal residence. Prince Albert used the back mews for stabling his own horses (for riding and driving). By the 1850s there were just under two hundred people employed at the mews, most of whom lived on site with their families. Standing either side of the entrance were official residences (one for

360-441: Is Queen Victoria 's state sledge, one of a number of royal sleighs in the Mews. Also on display are some of the historic and immaculately kept liveries and harnesses (which likewise see regular use), ranging from the plainer items used for exercising and working horses, to the ornamented state liveries and harnesses designed for use with the similarly appointed state coaches. The maintenance and provision of modern motor vehicles

405-474: Is a mews , or collection of equestrian stables, of the British royal family . In London these stables and stable-hands' quarters have occupied two main sites in turn, being located at first on the north side of Charing Cross , and then (since the 1820s) within the grounds of Buckingham Palace . The Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace, includes an extensive display of royal carriages and other associated items, and

450-491: Is as much a part of the work of the Royal Mews as that of carriages and horses. Edward VII first established a garage in the Mews in the early years of the twentieth century. The principal official cars are all painted in black over claret (known as Royal Claret). They are driven, cared for and maintained by a number of chauffeurs, who are based in the Mews and work under the head chauffeur (who, along with his deputy,

495-623: Is derived from the 1380 placename "Bayards Watering Place", which in Middle English meant either a watering place for horses, or the watering place that belonged to the Bayard family. Historically, Bayswater was located to the west of London on the road from Tyburn towards Uxbridge . It was a hamlet in the seventeenth century close to the Kensington Gravel Pits . By the end of the eighteenth century Bayswater remained

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540-537: Is located between Kensington Gardens to the south, Paddington to the north-east, and Notting Hill to the west. Much of Bayswater was built in the 1800s, and consists of streets and garden squares lined with Victorian stucco terraces ; some of which have been subdivided into flats. Other key developments include the Grade II listed 650-flat Hallfield Estate , designed by Sir Denys Lasdun , and Queensway and Westbourne Grove , its busiest high streets, with

585-734: Is not open to the public. There is a working Royal Mews at Windsor Castle where the Ascot carriages are normally kept, together with vehicles used in Windsor Great Park . Some horses for riding (rather than driving) are also stabled here. At Holyrood , the Royal Mews (situated in Abbey Strand) is one of the oldest parts of the Palace, and is still pressed into service whenever royal carriages are used in Edinburgh. Historically,

630-424: Is not used for large individual non-royal British stable blocks, a feature of country houses . For example, the grand stable block at Chatsworth House is referred to as "the stables," not "the mews." Mews lost their equestrian function in the early 20th century when motor cars were introduced. At the same time, after World War I and especially after World War II , the number of people who could afford to live in

675-654: Is open to the public for much of the year. It is also a working part of the palace, where horses and people live and work, and where carriages and cars are in daily use supporting the work of the monarch as head of state . The titular head of the Royal Mews is the Master of the Horse (one of the three great officers of the Royal Household ). The executive head is the Crown Equerry , who lives on site and oversees

720-454: Is primarily responsible for driving the monarch). The five principal state cars are without number plates . They comprise: The following vehicles, used for less-formal occasions and as support vehicles, are similarly painted in the royal claret and black livery: Land Rovers , luggage brakes and people carriers are also kept at the Royal Mews. A number of electric vehicles have been acquired since 2012, for various purposes, ranging from

765-493: The Australian Bicentenary celebrations; it was the first new royal state coach to be built since the 1902 State Landau . At that time, despite the earlier disposals, the Royal Mews still had custody of over a hundred vehicles, with all but a dozen being in working order; the majority were in London or Windsor, with others spread around the other royal residences. As well as being a full-time working facility,

810-656: The Labour Party , and one to the Conservative Party , with Bayswater being fully represented by Labour, and Lancaster Gate being split between the two parties. Lancaster Gate can be considered as a marginal ward . The stations within the district are Bayswater and Queensway . Other nearby stations include Paddington ( Bakerloo, Circle and District lines and Circle and Hammersmith & City lines ), Royal Oak (in Westbourne) and Lancaster Gate (to

855-608: The Royal Mews Department (which is a department of the Royal Household). The first set of stables to be referred to as a mews was at Charing Cross at the western end of The Strand . The royal hawks were kept at this site from 1377 and the name originates from the fact that they were confined there at moulting time ("mew" being derived from the French verb "muer", to moult). In the Tudor Period,

900-528: The Smart Growth , Traditional Neighborhood Development and New Urbanism movements, the term is used frequently, but definitions of the term are rare. The East Village Redevelopment Plan for Calgary, Alberta, Canada, explains that "Mews are narrow, intimate streets that balance the access and service functions of a lane with active building frontages, accessory uses, and a street space shared by cars and pedestrians." Royal Mews The Royal Mews

945-527: The 17th century. The 18th-century Washington Mews in Greenwich Village , New York City matches the London buildings in period, purpose and name. "Mews" has since been applied to any stable buildings in any space, lane, alley or back street onto which these buildings open, and to any new residential buildings of similar character throughout the English-speaking world that have motor vehicles taking

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990-639: The Crown Equerry, the other for the Clerk of the Stables); other staff were accommodated in rooms above the stables and carriage houses. In 1855 Queen Victoria established a Buckingham Palace Royal Mews School, for the education of the workers' children. Under Victoria's successor, King Edward VII , motor vehicles were introduced into the mews. In 1904 the Crown Equerry wrote to the Office of Works to request

1035-512: The French occupation of Hanover). The mews was rebuilt again in 1732 to the designs of William Kent , and in the early 19th century it was open to the public. This building was usually known as the King's Mews (or Queen's Mews when there was a woman on the throne), but was also sometimes referred to as the Royal Mews or the Royal Stables. Kent's redesign was a classical building occupying

1080-623: The Mews are pictured here in action; several more are illustrated on their own pages (see listing below). Vehicles in the care of the Royal Mews are listed below. A good number are on public display, though not all are kept in London. Most are in regular use, and some (for example, the broughams) are driven on a daily basis. Others (above all the Gold Coach) are only used on great and rare state occasions. The list includes vehicles for personal, recreational and sporting use, as well as those designed and kept for state occasions: In less regular use

1125-483: The Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace, is regularly open to the public. The state coaches and other carriages are kept there, along with about 30 horses, together with their modern counterparts: the state motor cars . Coachmen, grooms, chauffeurs and other staff are accommodated in flats above the carriage houses and stables. The complement of horses in the Royal Mews today includes around a dozen Windsor Greys and eighteen Cleveland Bays . The horses are regularly exercised in

1170-601: The Royal Stables were located in Lomesbury (present-day Bloomsbury ). In 1534 they were destroyed by fire, whereupon the King, Henry VIII , decided to rebuild the Charing Cross mews as a stables (the hawks having been given alternative accommodation). It kept its former name when it acquired this new function. On old maps, such as the "Woodcut" map of London of the early 1560s, the Mews can be seen extending back towards

1215-410: The art of pulling carriages (which is one of the reasons for the continuing use of horse-drawn transport for the daily messenger rounds between Buckingham Palace and St James's Palace ); they are used for competitive and recreational driving as well as for ceremonial duties. The manure that is produced by the horses is used by the adjacent Buckingham Palace Garden . A few of the carriages stored at

1260-570: The ascendency, and following his accession to the throne Edward VIII disposed of several of the more 'day to day' carriages. George VI made more disposals after the Second World War: for example, sixteen plain Edwardian town coaches were sold off at this time (just one remained , stored away at Windsor; it was later rediscovered, glazed and restored to royal use). A total of nineteen carriages were purchased by Sir Alexander Korda after

1305-527: The conversion of 'two small coach-houses in the Back Mews' into 'a suitable Motor House [...] with a Lantern roof, hot water heating apparatus and electric lighting'. The conversion duly took place, and accommodation was provided nearby for the chauffeurs. In the early 20th century problems had arisen due to inbreeding of the Hanoverian creams. In 1920 they were withdrawn from use and in their place, for

1350-454: The east developed independently of each other. Gradually over the following decades the remaining open spaces were built on and it became an urban area of affluent residential streets and garden squares . The Bayswater area elects a total of six councillors to Westminster City Council : three from the eponymous Bayswater ward, and three from Lancaster Gate ward. Following the 2022 Westminster City Council elections , five members belong to

1395-458: The grounds of Buckingham House , which he had acquired in 1762 for his wife's use. The Riding School , thought to be by William Chambers , dates from this period (it was completed in 1764; the pediment , with sculptural motifs by William Theed , was added in 1859). The main royal stables housing the ceremonial coaches and their horses remained at the King's Mews, Charing Cross; however, when his son George IV had Buckingham Palace converted into

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1440-408: The king's falconry birds were kept in the King's Mews at Charing Cross . The first recorded use meaning stables is dated 1548, after the royal stables were built at Charing Cross , on the site of the royal hawk mews. Those royal stables moved to Buckingham Palace Road in 1820. There were also royal mews at St James's Palace . The name mews was taken up for domestic stables in the city during

1485-438: The main royal residence in the 1820s the whole stables establishment was moved there. The current Royal Mews was built to designs by John Nash and was completed in 1825 (though the mews buildings have been modified extensively since). The main quadrangle was laid out with coach houses on the east side, and stable blocks (alternating with harness and forage rooms) on the west. Beyond it, the 'back mews' included accommodation for

1530-520: The northern half of the site, with an open space in front of it that ranked among the few large ones in central London at a time when the Royal Parks were on the fringes of the city and most squares in London were garden squares open only to the residents of their surrounding houses. On 15 June 1820, the Guards in the Royal Mews mutinied in support of Caroline of Brunswick , whom King George IV

1575-548: The old stables of St James's Palace , which stood where Lancaster House is now, were also sometime referred to as the Royal Mews. 51°29′55″N 0°08′37″W  /  51.49873170°N 0.14362900°W  / 51.49873170; -0.14362900 Bayswater Bayswater is an area in the City of Westminster in West London . It is a built-up district with a population density of 17,500 per square kilometre, and

1620-667: The original Mews but it may have been re-developed to a degree and no longer retains all original Mews features." The use of mews in new urban development is advocated by Leon Krier , who is himself a strong influence on the New Urbanism movement in the United States. (For his foundational contributions to the movement, Krier received the first Athena Medal awarded by the Congress for the New Urbanism in 2006.) In

1665-449: The place of horses and carriages. Mews was applied to service streets and the stables in them in cities, primarily London. In the 18th and 19th centuries, London housing for wealthy people generally consisted of streets of large terraced houses with stables at the back, which opened onto a small service street. The mews had horse stalls and a carriage house on the ground floor, and stable servants' living accommodation above. Generally this

1710-508: The rest of the decade, bay horses took pride of place in the Mews. In the early 1930s, however, King George V began using grey horses for the lead carriages in state and ceremonial processions; his son and heir Edward VIII moved the grey horses from Windsor (where they had been used for many years by the Royal Family for their private carriages) to London, where they were nicknamed the ' Windsor Greys '. By 1936 motor vehicles were in

1755-585: The site of today's Leicester Square . When George I came to the throne in 1714 he brought with him to London the famous cream stallions which he was wont to use as Elector of Hanover . Bred at the Royal Stud at Hampton Court, these horses pulled state carriages in England for the next two hundred years (except for a hiatus during the Napoleonic wars when George III used black stallions in protest at

1800-666: The some 500 former horse stables in the city of London appears in the book The Mews of London: A Guide to the Hidden Byways of London's Past (1982), including individual chapters providing history and walking maps for mews in six districts surrounding (and adjacent to) Hyde Park: Bayswater , Notting Hill , Kensington , Belgravia , Mayfair , and Marylebone . In 2015 a survey of the mews in London estimated that there were 391 original and surviving mews properties still in existence, and 239 which had been redeveloped. The survey classified an "Authentic Mews" property as "A property in

1845-625: The type of houses which had a mews attached fell sharply. One place where a mews may still be in equestrian use is Bathurst Mews in Westminster, near Hyde Park, London , where several private horses are kept. Nearby, the mews' stables have been put to commercial use. Some mews were demolished or put to commercial use, but the majority were converted into homes. Contemporary movements to revitalise and creatively re-use historical and traditional features of urban environments have also cast some appreciative light on mews. A contemporary presentation of

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1890-514: The war, for use as film props; of these, five Clarences were borrowed back in 1953 for the coronation (to supplement five identical carriages which had been retained by the Mews). The coronation that year involved thirty-four coaches and carriages with seventy-eight horses in harness. In 1988 a new state coach was presented to the Mews, the Australian State Coach , built by former Mews employee W. J. Frecklington as part of

1935-736: Was different from most of Continental Europe , where the stables in wealthy urban residences were usually off a front or central courtyard. The advantage of the British system was that it hid the sounds and smells of the stables away from the family when they were not using the horses. Nevertheless 45 of the buildings in Kerkstraat  [ nl ] in Amsterdam were originally the stables and coach houses of houses in Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht, between which it runs. The word mews

1980-498: Was mirrored by another row of stables on the opposite side of the service street, backing onto another row of terraced houses facing outward into the next street. Sometimes there were variations such as small courtyards. Most mews are named after one of the principal streets which they back onto. Most but not all have the word "mews" in their name. Mews are often found in the boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster (particularly Mayfair and Marylebone ). This arrangement

2025-466: Was seeking to divorce. The whole site was cleared in the late 1820s to create Trafalgar Square , laid out in 1837–1844 after delays, and the National Gallery which opened in 1838. The present Royal Mews is in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, to the south of Buckingham Palace Gardens , near Grosvenor Place. In the 1760s George III moved some of his day-to-day horses and carriages to

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