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Belgravia

This article is about theLondonneighbourhood. For the 2019 television series, seeBelgravia (TV series).For other uses, seeBelgravia (disambiguation).

Belgravia(/bɛlˈɡreɪviə/)[1]is adistrictinCentral London,[2]covering parts of the areas of theCity of Westminsterand theRoyal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Belgravia
Chester Square, Belgravia, in March 2009
Belgravia is located in Greater London
Belgravia
Belgravia
Location withinGreater London
OS grid referenceTQ275795
London borough
Ceremonial countyGreater London
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townLONDON
Postcode districtSW1X, SW1W
Dialling code020
PoliceMetropolitan
FireLondon
AmbulanceLondon
UK Parliament
London Assembly
List of places
UK
England
London
51°29′53″N0°09′16″W/ 51.49795°N 0.15453°W/51.49795; -0.15453

Belgravia was known as the 'Five Fields' during theTudor Period,and became a dangerous place due tohighwaymenand robberies. It was developed in the early 19th century byRichard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminsterunder the direction ofThomas Cubitt,focusing on numerous grand terraces centred onBelgrave SquareandEaton Square.Much of Belgravia, known as theGrosvenor Estate,is still owned by a family property company, the Duke of Westminster'sGrosvenor Group,although owing to theLeasehold Reform Act 1967,the estate has been forced to sell manyfreeholdsto its former tenants.

Geography

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A map of the centre of Belgravia. The green square isBelgrave Square.

Belgravia is near the former course of theRiver Westbourne,a tributary of theRiver Thames.[3]The area is mostly in theCity of Westminster,with a small part of the western section in theRoyal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.[4]

The district lies mostly to the south-west ofBuckingham Palace,and is bounded notionally by Knightsbridge (the road) to the north,Grosvenor Placeand Buckingham Palace Road to the east,Pimlico Roadto the south,[5]andSloane Streetto the west. To the north isHyde Park,to the northeast isMayfairandGreen Parkand to the east isWestminster.[6]

The area is mostly residential, the particular exceptions beingBelgrave Squarein the centre,Eaton Squareto the south, andBuckingham Palace Gardensto the east.[7]

The nearestLondon Underground stationsareHyde Park Corner,KnightsbridgeandSloane Square.Victoria station,a majorNational Rail,tube and coach interchange, is to the east of the district. Frequent bus services run to all areas of Central London from Grosvenor Place.[8]TheA4,a major road through West London, and theLondon Inner Ring Roadrun along the boundaries of Belgravia.[6]

History

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Belgrave Squarein the late 1820s, shortly after construction

The area takes its name from the village ofBelgrave, Cheshire,two miles (3 km) from the Grosvenor family's main country seat ofEaton Hall.[3]One of theDuke of Westminster's subsidiary titles is Viscount Belgrave.[9]

During theMiddle Ages,the area was known as the Five Fields and was a series of fields used for grazing, intersected by footpaths.[3]The Westbourne was crossed by Bloody Bridge, probably called so as it was frequented by robbers and highwaymen, and it was unsafe to cross the fields at night. In 1728, a man's body was discovered by the bridge with half his face and five fingers removed. In 1749, amuffin manwas robbed and left blind. Five Fields' distance from London also made it a popular spot forduelling.[10][11]

Despite its reputation for crime and violence, Five Fields was a pleasant area during the daytime, and various market gardens were established. The area began to be built up afterGeorge IIImoved toBuckingham Houseand constructed a row of houses on what is nowGrosvenor Place.In 1826,Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminsterreceived rights from Parliament to build on land that was to become Belgravia, and came into agreement withThomas Cubittto design an estate.[11]The construction of the stucco grand terraces took place between 1830 and 1847.[11]Belgravia is characterised by grand terraces of whitestuccohouses, and is focused onBelgrave SquareandEaton Square.It was one of London's most fashionable residential districts from its beginnings.[12]Towards the late 19th century, Belgravia ranked among other fashionable areas in London such asTyburniaand Mayfair.[13]

Upper Belgrave Street, Belgravia

AfterWorld War II,some of the largest houses ceased to be used as residences, ortownhousesfor the country gentry and aristocracy, and were increasingly occupied by embassies, charity headquarters, professional institutions and other businesses. Belgravia has become a relatively quiet district in the heart of London, contrasting with neighbouring districts, which have far more busy shops, large modern office buildings, hotels and entertainment venues. Many embassies are located in the area, especially inBelgrave Square.[3]

In the early 21st century, some houses are being reconverted to residential use, because offices in old houses are no longer as desirable as they were in the post-war decades, while the number ofsuper-richin London is at a high level not seen since at least 1939. The average house price in Belgravia, as of March 2010, was £6.6 million,[14]although many houses in Belgravia are among the most expensive anywhere in the world, costing up to £100 million, £4,761 per square foot (£51,000 per m2) as of 2009.[15]

As of 2013, many residential properties in Belgravia were owned by wealthy foreigners who may have other luxury residences in exclusive locations worldwide, so many are temporarily unoccupied as their owners are elsewhere. The increase in land value has been in sharp contrast to the UK average and has left the area empty and isolated.[16]

Squares and streets

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See also:Street names of Belgravia

Belgrave Square

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The formerRoyal College of Psychiatrists,Belgrave Square

Belgrave Square,one of the grandest and largest 19th-century squares, is the centrepiece of Belgravia. It was laid out by the property contractorThomas Cubittfor the2nd Earl Grosvenor,later to be the 1st Marquess of Westminster, beginning in 1826. Building was largely complete by the 1840s.[17]

The original scheme consisted of four terraces, each made up of eleven grand white stuccoed houses, apart from the south-east terrace, which had twelve; detached mansions were in three of the corners and there was a private central garden.[3]The numbering is anti-clockwise from the north: NW terrace Nos. 1 to 11, west corner mansion No. 12, SW terrace 13–23, south corner mansion No. 24, SE terrace Nos. 25–36, east corner mansion No. 37, NE terrace Nos. 38–48.[18]

There is also a slightly later detached house at the northern corner, No. 49, which was built by Cubitt forSidney Herbertin 1847.[3]The terraces were designed byGeorge Basevi(cousin ofBenjamin Disraeli). The largest of the corner mansions,Seaford Housein the east corner, was designed byPhilip Hardwick,and the one in the west corner was designed byRobert Smirke,completedcirca1830.[3]

The square contains statues ofChristopher Columbus,Simón Bolívar,José de San Martín,Prince Henry the Navigator,the 1st Marquess of Westminster, a bust of Basevi and a sculpture entitled "Homage to Leonardo, the Vitruvian Man", by Italian sculptorEnzo Plazzotta.[19]

Eaton Square

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St Peter's,Eaton Square

Eaton Squareis one of three garden squares built by the Grosvenor family, and is named afterEaton Hall, Cheshire,the family's principal seat. It is longer but less grand than Belgrave Square, and is an elongated rectangle. The first block was laid out by Cubitt in 1826, but the square was not completed until 1855, the year of his death. The long construction period is reflected in the variety of architecture along the square.[20]

The houses in Eaton Square are large, predominantly three bay wide buildings, joined in regular terraces in a classical style, with four or five main storeys, plus attic and basement and amews housebehind. The square is one of London's largest and is divided into six compartments by the upper end ofKing's Road(northeast ofSloane Square), a main road, now busy with traffic, that occupies its long axis, and two smaller cross streets.[21]

Although not as fashionable as some of the other squares in London, Eaton Square was home to several key figures.George FitzClarence, 1st Earl of Munster,the illegitimate son ofWilliam IV,lived at No. 13, whileStanley BaldwinandNeville Chamberlainlived at No 93 and No. 37 respectively. Since World War II, Eaton Square has become less residential; the Bolivian Embassy is at No. 106 while the Belgian Embassy is at No. 103.[20]

At the east end of the square isSt Peter's Church.It was designed byHenry Hakewilland built between 1824 and 1827 during the first development of Eaton Square. The first church was destroyed by fire in 1836 and rebuilt by Hakewill, and again in 1987, when it was restored by the Braithwaite Partnership.[21][22]It is aGrade II* listed building,in aGreek revivalstyle featuring a six-columnedIonic porticoand a clock tower.[23][22]

Eaton Place is an extension to the square, developed by Cubitt between 1826 and 1845. The scientistWilliam Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvinlived here, as did theIrish UnionistEdward Carson.Sir Henry Wilson, 1st Baronetwas assassinated by Irish Republicans in 1922 as he was leaving No. 36.[20]

Upper Belgrave Street

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Upper Belgrave Street was constructed in the 1840s to connect King's Road with Belgrave Square.[24]It is a wide one-way residential street with grand white stuccoed buildings. It stretches from the south-east corner of Belgrave Square to the north-east corner of Eaton Square. Most of the houses have now been divided into flats and achieve sale prices as high as £3,500 per square foot. Many of the buildings were constructed by Cubitt in the 1820s and 1830s.[citation needed]

Walter Bagehot,a writer, banker and economist, lived at No. 12 during the 1860s.Alfred, Lord Tennysonlived at No 9 in 1880–1881.John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucanlived at No. 46, and disappeared without trace from there in 1974 after his children's nanny was found murdered.[24]

Hope Portocarrero,the wife ofAnastasio Somoza,a Nicaraguan dictator, lived at number 35.[25]

Chester Square

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Chester Square

Chester Squareis a smaller, residential garden square, the last of the three garden squares built by the Grosvenor family. It is named after the city ofChester,near Eaton Hall. Members of the family also served asMembers of Parliament(MPs) forChester.[26]The garden, just under 1.5 acres (6,100 m2) in size, is planted with shrubs and herbaceous borders. It was refurbished in 1997, to the layout that appears in theOrdnance Surveymap of 1867. Past residents include the poetMatthew Arnold(1822–88) at No. 2,Mary Shelley(1797–1851) at No. 24,John Liddell(1794–1868) at No. 72,Margaret Thatcher(1925–2013) at No. 73, and QueenWilhelmina of the Netherlands(1880–1962) resided at No. 77 from 1940 until 1945.[27][28]

Wilton Crescent

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Wilton Crescent(numbers 15 onwards)

Wilton Crescentwas created byThomas Cundy II,theGrosvenor familyestate surveyor, and was drawn up with the original 1821 Wyatt plan for Belgravia.[29]It is named after the 2ndEarl of Wilton,second son of the 1st Marquess of Westminster. The street was built in 1827 by William Howard Seth-Smith.[30]

In the 19th and 20th centuries, it was home to many prominent British politicians, ambassadors and civil servants.Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burmalived at No. 2 for many years andAlfonso López Pumarejo,twicePresident of Colombia,lived and died at No. 33 (which is marked by ablue plaque).[30][31]

Like much of Belgravia, Wilton Crescent has grand terraces with lavish white houses which are built in a crescent shape, many of them with stuccoed balconies, particularly in the southern part of the crescent. The houses to the north of the crescent are stone clad, and five storeys high, and were refaced between 1908 and 1912. Most of the houses had originally been built in the stucco style, but such houses became stone clad during this renovation period. Other houses today have black iron balconies.

Wilton Crescent lies east ofLowndes Squareand Lowndes Street, to the northwest ofBelgrave Square.It is accessed viaWilton Place,constructed in 1825 to connect it toKnightsbridge.[30]It is adjacent toGrosvenor Crescentto the east, which contains the Indonesian Embassy. Further to the east liesBuckingham Palace.The playMajor Barbarais partly set at Lady Britomart's house in Wilton Crescent. In 2007, Wilton Garden, in the middle of the crescent, was awarded a bronze medal by the London Gardens Society.

Lowndes Square

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Lowndes Street where it entersLowndes Square(the trees to the right)

Lowndes Squareis named after theSecretary to the TreasuryWilliam Lowndes.[32]Like much of Belgravia, it has grand terraces with white stucco houses. To the east lie Wilton Crescent and Belgrave Square. The square runs parallel withSloane Streetto the east, east of theHarvey Nicholsdepartment store andKnightsbridge Underground station.It has some of the most expensive properties in the world. Russian businessmanRoman Abramovichbought two stucco houses in Lowndes Square in 2008. The merged houses, with a total of eight bedrooms, are expected to be worth £150 million, which exceeds the value of the previous most expensive house in London.[33]

George Basevidesigned many of the houses in the square.Mick JaggerandJames Foxonce filmed inLeonard Plugge's house in Lowndes Square. The square was used as a setting for theEdward Frederic BensonnovelThe Countess of Lowndes Square.[34]

Cultural references

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The novels ofAnthony Trollope(1815–1882):The Way We Live Now,Phineas Finn,Phineas Redux,The Prime Minister,andThe Duke's Childrenall give accurate descriptions of 19th-century Belgravia.

Flunkeyania or Belgravian Morals,written under the pseudonym "Chawles", was one of the novels serialised inThe Pearl,an allegedly pornographicVictorianmagazine.[35]

A 1967 episode of the television seriesBatmanis set in Belgravia.[36]

In the popular British television seriesUpstairs, Downstairs(1971–1975), the scene is set in the household of Richard Bellamy (later 1st Viscount Bellamy of Haversham) at 165 Eaton Place, Belgravia (65 Eaton Place was used for exterior shots; a "1" was painted in front of the house number).[37]It depicts the lives of the Bellamys and their staff ofdomestic servantsin the years 1903–1930, as they experience the tumultuous events of theEdwardian era,World War I and the postwar 1920s, culminating with thestock market crash of 1929,which ends the world they had known. In 2010, filming began on a mini-series intended to pick up the story of one of the main characters,Rose Buck,in 1936, as she returns to 165 Eaton Place to serve as the Holland family'shousekeeper.

The first episode of the second series of the television programmeSherlockis "A Scandal in Belgravia",loosely based on theArthur Conan Doyleshort story "A Scandal in Bohemia".[38]Moreover, Conan Doyle's friend and literary collaborator,Bertram Fletcher Robinson,died in Belgravia in 1907.

The Princess Switch,a 2018 Netflix original movie starringVanessa Hudgens,takes place largely in the fictional kingdom of Belgravia.[39]

Belgraviais a period television series, broadcast in 2020, based on a novel of the same name byJulian Fellowes,published in 2016, which Fellowes himself adapted for the series.

References

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Citations

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  1. ^"Belgravia".Collins Dictionary.n.d.Retrieved24 September2014.
  2. ^"London's Places"(PDF).The London Plan.Greater London Authority.2011. p. 46. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 6 September 2015.Retrieved27 May2014.
  3. ^abcdefgWeinreb et al. 2008,p. 56.
  4. ^Westminster City Council(Map).Retrieved4 December2017.
  5. ^"Belgravia –" The rich man's Pimlico "".City West Homes Residential. Archived fromthe originalon 28 February 2009.Retrieved12 September2010.
  6. ^ab"Belgravia, London".Google Maps.Retrieved3 December2017.
  7. ^Weinreb et al. 2008,pp. 57, 263.
  8. ^Transport to and from Belgraviatfl.gov.uk
  9. ^"Chester Palatinate – Richard Grosvenor (Viscount Belgrave)".The National Archives. 1829.Retrieved4 December2017.
  10. ^Weinreb et al. 2008,p. 57.
  11. ^abcWeinreb, Ben (1986).The London Encyclopedia.Bethesda, Maryland: Adler & Adler. pp. 53–54.ISBN978-0-917561-07-8.
  12. ^Fodor's London 2014.Fodor's Travel. 2013. p. 239.ISBN978-0-770-43220-1.
  13. ^Inwood, Stephen (1998).A History of London.London: Macmillan. p. 575.ISBN978-0-333-67153-5.
  14. ^"Belgravia square tops expensive homes list".BBC News.8 March 2010.Retrieved14 December2017.
  15. ^"Record £100m price-tag on London house".London Evening Standard.14 April 2009.Retrieved5 December2017.
  16. ^Sarah Lyall (1 April 2013)."A Slice of London So Exclusive Even the Owners Are Visitors".The New York Times.Retrieved2 April2013.
  17. ^Weinreb et al. 2008,pp. 56–57.
  18. ^"Belgrave Square, Belgravia, London".Google Maps. Zoom around the Streetview plan to verify house numbers.Retrieved5 December2017.
  19. ^Bob Speel."Belgrave Square".Archived fromthe originalon 13 May 2008.Retrieved3 December2009.
  20. ^abcWeinreb et al. 2008,p. 263.
  21. ^abBrandon & Brooke 2016,p. 26.
  22. ^abWeinreb et al. 2008,p. 813.
  23. ^Historic England."Church of St Peter (Grade II*) (1356980)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved20 March2017.
  24. ^abWeinreb et al. 2008,p. 961.
  25. ^Rushdie, Salman (18 September 2012).Joseph Anton: A Memoir.Random House Publishing.ISBN9780679643883.
  26. ^Walford, Edward (1878).'The western suburbs: Belgravia', Old and New London.pp. 1–14.Retrieved3 December2009.
  27. ^Steves, Rick. (2012).Rick Steves' England 2013.Avalon Travel Publishing. p.168.ISBN978-1612383897.
  28. ^Weinreb et al. 2008,p. 161.
  29. ^"Opensquares.org".Opensquares.org. Archived fromthe originalon 22 August 2014.Retrieved21 August2014.
  30. ^abcWeinreb et al. 2008,p. 1025.
  31. ^"Alfonso Lopez-Pumarejo blue plaque in London".Blue Plaques.Retrieved14 December2017.
  32. ^Weinreb et al. 2008,p. 517.
  33. ^"London's 'Chester Square' tops list of Britain's priciest addresses".The Daily Telegraph.8 March 2010.ISSN0307-1235.Archivedfrom the original on 12 January 2022.Retrieved15 March2020.
  34. ^"The Countess of Lowndes square, and the stories: Benson, E. F. (Edward Frederic), 1867–1940: Free Download & Streaming: Internet Archive".Retrieved21 August2014.
  35. ^Chawles, [pseud.]."Biblio book sales".Biblio.Retrieved21 August2014.
  36. ^"Catwoman's Dressed to Kill".Batman.Season 3. Episode 14. 14 December 1967.Retrieved12 October2022.
  37. ^"Upstairs, Downstairs The house 1".Retrieved15 April2016.
  38. ^Crompton, Sarah (1 January 2012)."The timeless appeal of Holmes's sexy logic".The Daily Telegraph.Archived fromthe originalon 2 January 2012.Retrieved5 January2012.
  39. ^"The Princess Switch (2018) on IMDB".IMDb.Retrieved26 April2023.

Sources

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