Belgrave Square
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Belgrave Square is a large 19th-century
garden square A garden square is a type of communal garden in an urban area wholly or substantially surrounded by buildings; commonly, it continues to be applied to public and private parks formed after such a garden becomes accessible to the public at large. ...
in London. It is the centrepiece of
Belgravia Belgravia () is a district in Central London, covering parts of the areas of the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Belgravia was known as the 'Five Fields' during the Tudor Period, and became a dangerous pla ...
, and its architecture resembles the original scheme of property contractor
Thomas Cubitt Thomas Cubitt (25 February 1788 – 20 December 1855) was a British master builder, notable for his employment in developing many of the historic streets and squares of London, especially in Belgravia, Pimlico and Bloomsbury. Background The s ...
who engaged George Basevi for all of the terraces for the 2nd Earl Grosvenor, later the 1st Marquess of Westminster, in the 1820s. Most of the houses were occupied by 1840. The square takes its name from one of the
Duke of Westminster Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ...
's subsidiary titles, Viscount Belgrave. The village and former manor house of Belgrave, Cheshire, were among the rural landholdings associated with the main home and gardens of the senior branch of the family, Eaton Hall. Today, many
embassies A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually denotes a ...
occupy buildings on all four sides.


History

The square is perfectly across, inclusive of small porch projections. The square is surrounded by four terraces, three of eleven houses and the fourth (south-east) of twelve. These houses are all white stucco except for the cream-coloured projecting corner houses. In addition there are detached mansion houses in three of the corners, and a private central garden. Numbering is anticlockwise from the north: NW terrace, No.s1 to 11; west corner mansion, No.12; SW terrace, No.s13 to 23; south corner mansion, No.24; SE terrace. No.s25 to 36; east corner mansion, No.37; NE terrace No.s38 to 48. The slightly later north corner mansion No.49 was drawn up by Cubitt (not to be confused with his son George, another architect, ennobled as Lord Ashcombe) for Sidney Herbert in 1851. The terraces were designed by George Basevi. The largest corner mansion, No.37 ( Seaford House), was designed by Philip Hardwick. No.12 was designed by Robert Smirke. The square features statues of
Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...
,
Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24July 178317December 1830) was a Venezuelan statesman and military officer who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bol ...
,
José de San Martín José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras (; 25 February 177817 August 1850), nicknamed "the Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru", was an Argentine general and the primary leader of the southern and central parts of South America's succe ...
,
Prince Henry the Navigator Princy Henry of Portugal, Duke of Viseu (Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Infante Dom (title), Dom Henrique''; 4 March 1394 – 13 November 1460), better known as Prince Henry the Navigator (), was a Infante of Portugal, Portuguese prince and a ...
and the 1st Marquess of Westminster, a bust of George Basevi, and a sculpture entitled '' Homage to Leonardo'' by Italian sculptor Enzo Plazzotta. From its construction until the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
the square saw building rentals and longer leases by the upper echelons of capitalists seeking further influence, status or socialising in the capital. Such success was immediate. This was encapsulated by the decision of another of London's leading freeholders and estate planners, the
Duke of Bedford Duke of Bedford (named after Bedford, England) is a title that has been created six times (for five distinct people) in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1414 for Henry IV's third son, John, who later served as regent of Fran ...
, to choose No.6 as London accommodation rather than any house on his own
Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London, part of the London Borough of Camden in England. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural institution, cultural, intellectual, and educational ...
estate, which had lost its aristocratic cachet.Page 75, ''London in the 19th Century'', Jerry White (2007). The square has included embassies since its first century, including the German Embassy, which occupies three houses on the west side. During the Second World War the square was used as a tank park; most of the houses were afterwards converted into offices for charities and institutes. The 21st century has seen more domestic
lease A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the user (referred to as the ''lessee'') to pay the owner (referred to as the ''lessor'') for the use of an asset. Property, buildings and vehicles are common assets that are leased. Industrial ...
s granted, such as three by the Grosvenor Estate in 2004.


Listed status


Grade I

The buildings on the square are listed. In this highest category are: *the Spanish Embassy, formerly Downshire House, at No.24, *No.s1–11 *No.12 *No.s13–23 *No.s25–36 *No.s38–48 are listed Grade I.


Grade II*

* No.49 *No.37 ( Seaford House) *Railings and gate piers of No.s12, 24 and 49.


Grade II

*No.11a is listed Grade II.


Individual properties

1 Belgrave Square was the official residence of the ambassadors of
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
from 1936 to 2005. The building has continued to host events for the Embassy since 2006, and is also headquarters of the Romanian Cultural Institute in London. 2 Belgrave Square was first leased ( 1829) to James Goding, whose Lion Brewery on the south bank of the River Thames was denoted by the iconic South Bank Lion and Twickenham Stadium Lion. Later residents included James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Abercorn, Edward Balfour and Nathaniel Clayton. In the 20th century, the house was purchased by the British soldier and politician Ernest George Pretyman and his wife, Lady Beatrice, daughter of George Bridgeman, 4th Earl of Bradford. In 1935, after Pretyman's death, it was sold to Grace, Lady Dance. On 12 May 1953, it was reopened by the
Duke of Gloucester Duke of Gloucester ( ) is a British royal title (after Gloucester), often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; the curre ...
as the base of the Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Council, which remained until it moved to 14-15 Belgrave Square in 2013. Since 2021, it has become the residence to Lalit Modi the former chairman of the Indian Premier League. 3 Belgrave Square was the London home of the
Duke of Kent Duke of Kent is a title that has been created several times in the peerages of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, most recently as a royal dukedom for the fourth son of King George V. Since 1942, the title has been held by Prince Edwa ...
; in 1935, it was the birthplace of the current Duke, and in the following year that of Princess Alexandra. 4 Belgrave Square was the home of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Ogle. 5 Belgrave Square was the home of Sir George Murray, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, until he died there in 1846; Chips Channon from 1935 to 1958; and later housed the
Institute of Directors The Institute of Directors (IoD) is a British professional organisation for company directors, senior business leaders and entrepreneurs. It is the UK's longest running organisation for professional leaders, having been founded in 1903 and inco ...
, followed by the British Plastics Federation. 10 Belgrave Square was the London home of
William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire (27 April 1808 – 21 December 1891), styled Lord Cavendish of Keighley between 1831 and 1834 and Earl of Burlington between 1834 and 1858, was an English Aristocracy, aristocrat, Land tenure, landowner ...
. 11 Belgrave Square serves as the Embassy of Portugal. 12 Belgrave Square was the home of Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 1st Earl of Ancaster. 13 Belgrave Square was the home of William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp. It was also used by the St John Ambulance Brigade as a base during the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. 16 Belgrave Square was the home for many years of geographer and geologist Sir Roderick Impey Murchison and his wife, geologist Charlotte Murchison; it was later home to Charles Henry Crompton-Roberts. 17 Belgrave Square was the base of the
Royal College of Psychiatrists The Royal College of Psychiatrists is the main professional organisation of psychiatrists in the United Kingdom, and is responsible for representing psychiatrists, for psychiatric research and for providing public information about mental healt ...
until the college relocated in October 2013, and was home to two MPs, Sir Ralph Howard and Pandeli Ralli. Leontine, Lady Sassoon was in residence from 1929 to 1952. She is said to have held parties for soldiers during the Second World War, while part of the property was used as a
Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...
supply depot. No.17 was taken over by the Institute of Metals in 1956; the college arrived in 1974. 18 Belgrave Square has been the home of the Austrian Embassy since 1866. It is the only building of those used by the
Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...
's Foreign Service that is still used today by diplomats of the
Republic of Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
. Between 1846 and 1851, it was inhabited by Sir Francis Egerton (born Leveson-Gower), the 1st Earl of Ellesmere, and his family. Owing to the rebuilding of Cleveland House in St. James's, which would be renamed Bridgewater House, the Earl was also forced to house his famed "Bridgewater Collection of Pictures" here, using bedrooms, dining rooms, hallways, etc. The collection reopened to the public once it moved back to Bridgewater House in 1851. 19–20 Belgrave Square houses the Bruneian High Commission. Previously, No. 20 was the London home of the 9th Baron Barnard. 21–23 Belgrave Square has been the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany since 1955. The buildings were leased for 99 years in 1953, and converted into a combined property. 24 Belgrave Square is now the Embassy of Spain. In the early part of the 20th century, it was known as Downshire House and was the London residence of Lord and Lady Pirrie. Lord Pirrie was the chairman of
Harland & Wolff Harland & Wolff Holdings plc is a British shipbuilding and Metal fabrication, fabrication company headquartered in London with sites in Belfast, Arnish yard, Arnish, Appledore, Torridge, Appledore and Methil. It specialises in ship repair, ship ...
, a leading shipbuilding firm located in
Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
, Ireland. One evening in July 1907, the Pirries hosted J. Bruce Ismay and his wife Florence for dinner. Ismay was the managing director of
White Star Line The White Star Line was a British shipping line. Founded out of the remains of a defunct Packet trade, packet company, it gradually grew to become one of the most prominent shipping companies in the world, providing passenger and cargo service ...
, one of the main shipping lines of the North Atlantic. Harland and Wolff constructed all of White Star's vessels, with their main rival being
Cunard Line The Cunard Line ( ) is a British shipping and an international cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its four ships have been r ...
. Cunard's newest vessel, the , the largest ship in the world, was just two months before entering service. Pirrie and Ismay discussed the new ships during the dinner, and how to respond to their competition. Their discussions led to the original propositions behind the construction of the newest and the then largest class of ocean liner in the world. The names of these new ocean liners would be , and . 25 Belgrave Square has been the Embassy of Norway since 1949. 28 Belgrave Square was the home of Robert Carew, 3rd Baron Carew, who died there on 29 April 1923. It is now the home of the Embassy of the
Republic of Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
. 29 Belgrave Square is where Sir
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
received his first cabinet appointment in 1906, from the Prime Minister at that time, Sir
Henry Campbell-Bannerman Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman ( né Campbell; 7 September 183622 April 1908) was a British statesman and Liberal Party politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1905 to 1908 and Leader of the Liberal Party from 1899 to 1908. ...
. 31 Belgrave Square was the home of the
Royal Automobile Club The Royal Automobile Club is a British private Club (organization)#Country or sports club, social and athletic club. It has two clubhouses: one in London at 89 Pall Mall, London, Pall Mall, and the other in the countryside at Woodcote Park, ne ...
Motor Sports Association and the Speedway Control Board. 32 Belgrave Square was an overseas residence of Heidi Horten. 33 Belgrave Square was home to the banker Maurice Ruffer, and later to the Spiritualist Association of Great Britain. 34 Belgrave Square served as the embassy of the
German Democratic Republic East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
until
German reunification German reunification () was the process of re-establishing Germany as a single sovereign state, which began on 9 November 1989 and culminated on 3 October 1990 with the dissolution of the East Germany, German Democratic Republic and the int ...
in 1990. It currently houses the British-German Association. 36 Belgrave Square, known as Ingestre House, was leased by
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
as a home for her mother, the widowed Duchess of Kent. 37 Belgrave Square, now known as Seaford House, was built in 1842 by Philip Hardwick for the Earl of Sefton. In 1902, the house was remodelled for Lord Howard de Walden (who was also Baron Seaford). It is now the home of the
Royal College of Defence Studies The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) instructs the most promising senior officers of the British Armed Forces, His Majesty's Diplomatic Service and Civil Service in national defence and international security matters at the highest leve ...
. 38 Belgrave Square was the home of
Bruce Wasserstein Bruce Jay Wasserstein (December 25, 1947 – October 14, 2009) was an American investment banker, businessman, and writer. He was prominent in the mergers and acquisitions industry, credited with working on 1,000 transactions with a total value ...
. 43 Belgrave Square has been the Embassy of Turkey since 1954. In the early part of the 20th century, it was the London home of the
Earls of Harewood Earl of Harewood (), in the County of York, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. History The title was created in 1812 for Edward Lascelles, 1st Earl of Harewood, Edward Lascelles, 1st Baron Harewood, a wealthy sugar plantation own ...
. Article by H.E. Wortham, revised by K.D. Reynolds. 45 Belgrave Square was the home of Caroline Beresford, Duchess of Montrose (1818–1894), who used the pseudonym "Mr Manton", also of Sefton Lodge, Newmarket, a notable racehorse owner, a "wildly extravagant woman" who "strode across the racing scene". It is now the Malaysian High Commission. It featured in the 1954 film ''
The Million Pound Note ''The Million Pound Note'' is a 1954 British comedy film directed by Ronald Neame and starring Gregory Peck, Ronald Squire, Wilfrid Hyde-White and Jane Griffiths (actress), Jane Griffiths. It is based on the 1893 Mark Twain short story "The Mi ...
'', as the spot where the actor
Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, 12th-greatest male ...
lost the note in the wind. 46 Belgrave Square was '' The Guide Club'' a private member's club which was owned by the Girl Guides Association and ran from 1948 to 1976. 48 Belgrave Square serves as the residence of the Mexican ambassador. 49 Belgrave Square, also known as Herbert House, was the home of
Sidney Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Lea Sidney Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Lea, Privy Council (United Kingdom), PC (16 September 1810 – 2 August 1861) was a British Politician, statesman and a close ally and confidant of Florence Nightingale. Early life He was the younger son of ...
, and then
Charles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond, 6th Duke of Lennox, 1st Duke of Gordon, (27 February 1818 – 27 September 1903), styled the Earl of March until 1860, was a British Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician. Backgroun ...
. It is currently the residence of the Argentine ambassador.


Gardens

The private communal garden is in size and contains mature plane,
chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Description ...
and lime trees, and various shrubs. Its gravel walks were laid in 1854, with privet hedges planted around its perimeter. Wooden
pergola A pergola is most commonly used as an outdoor garden feature forming a shaded walkway, passageway, or sitting area of vertical posts or pillars that usually support crossbeams and a sturdy open lattice, often upon which woody vines are t ...
s and shelters stand within, and it features a tennis court. The garden is listed Grade II on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. Sculptures in the gardens include Statue of Christopher Columbus, Statue of Prince Henry the Navigator, Statue of Simón Bolívar, Statue of José de San Martín, '' Homage to Leonardo'', and a bust of George Basevi.


21st-century tenants

The square is primarily a centre for embassies and institutions. *
Romanian Cultural Institute The Romanian Cultural Institute (, ICR), headquartered in Bucharest, was established in 2004 on the older institutional framework provided by the Romanian Cultural Foundation and before 1989 by the Institute for the Cultural Relations Abroad. ...
section of the Embassy of Romania, at No.1 *
Oleg Deripaska Oleg Vladimirovich Deripaska (; born 2 January 1968) is a Russian oligarch and billionaire. Deripaska began his career as a metals trader after the breakup of the Soviet Union. He used accumulated funds from trading to acquire stakes in the Sa ...
, at No.5 * The Embassy of Syria, at No.8 * The official residence of the ambassador of Kuwait, at No.11A * The Embassy of Portugal, at No.s11-12 * The High Commission of Ghana, at No.13 * The
Society of Chemical Industry The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) is a learned society set up in 1881 "to further the application of chemistry and related sciences for the public benefit". Offices The society's headquarters is in Belgrave Square, London. There are semi-in ...
, at No.s14–15 * Canning House, The Hispanic & Luso-Brazilian Council, at No.s14-15 * The Country Land and Business Association, at No.16 * The Official Residence of the Austrian Ambassador, at No.18 * The Bruneian High Commission, at No.s19–20 * The Embassy of Germany, at No.s(21)–23 * The Embassy of Spain, at No.24 * The Royal Norwegian Embassy, at No.25 * The Embassy of Serbia, at No.28 * The Saudi Cultural Bureau, at No.29 * The Embassy of Bahrain, at No.30 * Henadiy Boholyubov of Privat Group, at No.31 * The British-German Association, at No.34 * The Official Residence of the Belgian Ambassador, at No.36 * The
Royal College of Defence Studies The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) instructs the most promising senior officers of the British Armed Forces, His Majesty's Diplomatic Service and Civil Service in national defence and international security matters at the highest leve ...
, Seaford House, at No.37 * Italian Cultural Institute at No.39 * The Trinidad and Tobago High Commission at No.42 * The Turkish Embassy at No.43 * The
Institute of Practitioners in Advertising The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), incorporated by a Royal Charter, is the trade body and professional institute for agencies and individuals working in the UK's advertising, media and marketing communications industry. History F ...
at No.44 * The Malaysian High Commission at No.45 * The Official Residence of the Mexican Ambassador at No.48 * Argentine Ambassador's Residence, at No.49


References


Sources

* ''
The Buildings of England ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
, London 6: Westminster'', by Simon Bradley and
Nikolaus Pevsner Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner (30 January 1902 – 18 August 1983) was a German-British art historian and architectural historian best known for his monumental 46-volume series of county-by-county guides, ''The Buildings of England'' (195 ...
, (2003), pages 739–41. * ''Georgian London'', by
John Summerson Sir John Newenham Summerson (25 November 1904 – 10 November 1992) was one of the leading British architectural historians of the 20th century. Early life John Summerson was born at Barnstead, Coniscliffe Road, Darlington. His grandfather wo ...
. 1988 edition. . *'' Titanic Triumph and Tragedy'' by John P. Eaton and Charles A. Haas *'' Titanic An Illustrated History'', text by Don Lynch, paintings by Ken Marschall


External links


Website about Philip Hardwick, the architect of Seaford House
{{LB Westminster 1825 establishments in England Streets in the City of Westminster Squares in the City of Westminster Belgravia Diplomatic districts Grade I listed houses in London Grade II listed houses Grade II* listed buildings in the City of Westminster Grade II listed parks and gardens in London Garden squares in London Communal gardens