St James's
Fortnum & Mason flagship store,Piccadilly
St James's Location withinGreater London
Population	10,828 (2011 Census. Ward)[1]
OS grid reference	TQ295805
• Charing Cross	0.5 mi (0.8 km) E
London borough	Westminster
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	SW1
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
UK Parliament	Cities of London and Westminster
London Assembly	West Central
List of places UK England London 51°30′31″N0°07′59″W / 51.5085°N 0.1330°W /51.5085; -0.1330

St James's is a district ofWestminster, and a central district in theCity of Westminster, London, forming part of theWest End. The area was once part of the northwestern gardens and parks ofSt. James's Palace and much of it is still owned by theCrown Estate. Duringthe Restoration in the 17th century, the area was developed as a residential location for theBritish aristocracy, and around the 19th century was the focus of the development of theirgentlemen's clubs. Once part of the parish ofSt Martin in the Fields, much of it formed the parish ofSt James from 1685 to 1922. Since theSecond World War the area has transitioned from residential to commercial use.

St James's is bounded to the north byPiccadilly andMayfair, to the west byGreen Park, to the south byThe Mall andSt. James's Park, and to the east byHaymarket.

The area's name is derived from the dedication of a 12th-centuryleper hospital to SaintJames the Less.^[2][3] The hospital site is now occupied bySt James's Palace.^[4] The area became known as "Clubland" because of the historic presence ofgentlemen's clubs.^[5][5]

The section ofRegent Street (colloquially known as 'Lower Regent Street') that runs between Waterloo Place andPiccadilly Circus has been officially renamed 'Regent Street St James's'.

St James's was once part of the same royal park asGreen Park andSt. James's Park. In the 1660s,Charles II gave the right to develop the area toHenry Jermyn, 1st Earl of St Albans who developed it as a predominantly aristocratic residential area around a grid of streets centred onSt James's Square. Until theSecond World War, St James's remained one of the most exclusive residential enclaves in London. Notable residences includeSt James's Palace,Clarence House,Marlborough House,Lancaster House,Spencer House,Schomberg House,Norfolk House,Bridgewater House, and the remaining townhomes ofCarlton House Terrace.

St James's was in theancient parish of St Martin in the Fields in theLiberty of Westminster. Attempts made in 1664, 1668 and 1670 to separate St James's from the parish were resisted by St Martin'svestry.^[6] The building ofSt James's Church, Piccadilly in 1684 forced the issue, and a new parish ofSt James within the Liberty of Westminster was created in 1685. The parish stretched fromOxford Street in the north toPall Mall in the south.^[7] It roughly corresponded to the contemporary St James's area, but extended into parts ofSoho andMayfair. Land south of Pall Mall remained in St Martin in the Fields' parish, and St James's Park was split between the parishes of St Martin andSt Margaret. St James's Palace was anextra-parochial area and not part of any parish. Aselect vestry was created for the new parish.

For elections toWestminster City Council, the area is part of the St James's ward.^[8] The ward includesCovent Garden,the Strand,Westminster and part of Mayfair. The ward elects three councillors.^[9]

Notable streets include:

• St James's Square, which retains many of its original houses but is mostly in office use. TheLondon Library is located there.
• Jermyn Street, an upmarket retail street best known for bespoke shirtmakers and shops offering the finest gentlemen's attire.
• Pall Mall, which contains many of London's gentlemen's clubs. It is also home toMarlborough House, the seat of theCommonwealth Secretariat, and the Québec Government Office in London.^[10]
• Crown Passage, a narrow street which splits off from Pall Mall opposite Marlborough House and is home to the Red Lion, one of the oldestpubs in London's West End to still be in business.^[11]
• Haymarket was once the best-known centre of prostitution in London, but no trace remains of this part of its past. It contains two historic theatres: theHaymarket Theatre andHer Majesty's Theatre.
• Carlton House Terrace, a pair of grand terraces of houses designed byJohn Nash overlooking St. James's Park.
• St James's Street, which runs down from Piccadilly to St James's Palace.

The following utilises the generally accepted boundaries of St James’s, viz. Piccadilly to the north, Haymarket andCockspur Street to the east, The Mall to the south and Queen's Walk to the west.

• St Alban's Street – afterHenry Jermyn, 1st Earl of Saint Albans, 17th century politician and local landowner^[12][13]
• Angel Court – thought to be after a former inn of this name^[14]
• Apple Tree Yard – thought to be after the apple trees formerly to be found here; formerly Angier Street^[15][16]
• Arlington Street – afterHenry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington, 17th century statesman and local landowner^[17][18]
• Babmaes Street – named after Baptist May (or Mays), trustee to local landownerHenry Jermyn, 1st Earl of Saint Albans; it was formerly known as Babmay's Mews^[19][20]
• Bennet Street – afterHenry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington, 17th century statesman and local landowner^[21][22]
• Blue Ball Yard – after the former 18th century Blew Ball tavern here^[23]
• Bury Street – afterHenry Jermyn, 1st Earl of Saint Albans and Baron Jermyn of St Edmundsbury (Bury St Edmunds), 17th century politician and local landowner^[24][13]
• Carlton Gardens, Carlton Street andCarlton House Terrace – after the former Carlton House, built here in 1709 forHenry Boyle, 1st Baron Carleton^[25][26]
• Catherine Wheel Yard – from the name of an inn that stood on this site until it burnt down in 1895^[27][28]
• Charing Cross – after theEleanor cross at Charing, from the Old English word "cierring", referring to a bend in theRiver Thames^[29][30]
• Charles II Street – named afterCharles II, king when this street was built^[29][31]
• Church Place – after the adjacentSt James's Church, Piccadilly; formerly Church Passage^[32][33]
• Cleveland Place and Cleveland Row – after Cleveland House (nowBridgwater House), named forBarbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland who lived there in the late 17th century^[34][35]
• Cockspur Court andCockspur Street – unknown, though possibly after thecock fighting that formerly occurred here, cocks often having spurs attached to their feet during fights^[36]
• Crown Passage – thought to be after a former tavern of this name^[37]
• Duke Street, St James's and Duke of York Street – named afterJames II, Duke of York when the street was built and brother toCharles II, king at the time^[38][31]
• Eagle Place
• Haymarket – site of a former market selling hay until the 1830s^[39][40]
• St James's Market, St James's Place,St James's Square,St James's Street and Little St James's Street – all fromSt James's Palace,^[41] built on the site of the medieval St James's leper hospital which was dedicated to St James the Less, apostle and Bishop of Jerusalem,^[2][3] or, according to Sheila Fairfield, writing inThe Streets of London (1983), to the other apostleJames, son of Zebedee^[42]
• Jermyn Street – afterHenry Jermyn, 1st Earl of Saint Albans, 17th century politician and local landowner^[12][13]
• King Street – named afterCharles II, king when this street was built in the 1600s^[43][31]
• The Mall – built as a course for playing the gamepall-mall, fashionable in the 17th century^[44][45]
• Marlborough Road – after the adjacentMarlborough House, built forSarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough in 1711^[46]
• Mason's Yard – after the local 18th century victualler Henry Mason; it was formerly known as West Stable Yard^[47][48]
• Norris Street – after Godfrye Norris, local leaseholder in the 17th century^[49][50]
• Ormond Yard – afterJames Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde, who owned a house next to this yard in the 17th century^[51][52]
• Pall Mall and Pall Mall Place – laid out as a grounds for playing the game pall-mall in the 17th century^[53][54]
• Park Place – after the nearbyGreen Park^[55]
• Piccadilly, Piccadilly Arcade andPiccadilly Circus – after Piccadilly Hall, home of local tailor Robert Baker in the 17th century, believed to be named after thepiccadills –cut-work lace trimming used for hems or fashionable broad collars of the 16th and 17th century– which made his fortune. Circus is a British term for an older-style circular road junction; it was laid out by John Nash in 1819^[56][57]
• Pickering Place – after William Pickering, local painter, stainer and grocer, who leased property here in the 1730s^[58][59]
• Princes Arcade – built 1929–1933, named after the former Prince's Hotel, which stood here^[32]
• Princes Place
• Queen's Walk – afterCaroline of Ansbach, wife ofGeorge II, who took a strong interest in the Royal Parks^[60]
• Regent Street – made in the 1810s by John Nash and named after the Prince Regent, laterGeorge IV^[61][62]
• Rose and Crown Yard – unknown, probably after a former inn of this name^[63]
• Royal Opera Arcade – originally part of an opera house theatre, built byJohn Nash^[64][65]
• Russell Court – after the Russell family, who lived here in the 1600s^[66][67]
• Ryder Court, Ryder Street and Ryder Yard – after Richard Rider, Master Carpenter toCharles II^[68]
• Spring Gardens – after the 17th century pleasure grounds of this name which formerly lay on this site; they were closed in 1660^[69][70]
• Stable Yard and Stable Yard Road – as they leads to the stables of St James's Palace^[71]
• Warwick House Street – formerly approached Warwick House, built in the 17th century for SirPhilip Warwick^[72][73]
• Waterloo Place – after theBattle of Waterloo which ended theNapoleonic Wars^[74]

St James's is a predominantly commercial area with some of the highest rents in London and, consequently, the world. The auction houseChristie's is based in King Street, and the surrounding streets contain many upmarket art and antique dealers includingColnaghi,Agnew's Gallery,Moretti Fine Art,Hazlitt, Gooden & Fox, Stoppenbach & Delestre Ltd,The Sladmore Gallery and S Franses Ltd.

BP is headquartered in St James's.^[75]The area is home to fine wine merchants includingBerry Brothers and Rudd, at number 3 St James's Street. Adjoining St James's Street is Jermyn Street, famous for tailoring. Some famous cigar retailers are at 35 St James's Street, occupied byDavidoff of London; J.J. Fox at 19 St James's Street andDunhill at 50 Jermyn St.

Shoemaker,Wildsmith, designers of the firstloafer, was located at 41 Duke Street but is now at 13Savile Row.

Art galleries catering for a spectrum of tastes occupy premises in the area. TheWhite Cube gallery, which representsDamien Hirst andTracey Emin, opened in Duke Street before moving toHoxton Square. In September 2006, it opened a second gallery at 25–26 Mason's Yard, off Duke Street, on a plot previously occupied by an electricity substation. The gallery is the first free-standing building to be built in the area for more than 30 years.

Other notable modern and contemporary art dealers in the St James's area includeHelly Nahmad Gallery,Paisnel Gallery, Bernard Jacobson Gallery, Thomas Dane, Whitford Fine Art and Panter & Hall.

On the southernmost border of St James's is The Mall where TheInstitute of Contemporary Arts and theMall Galleries are located.

St James's is home to many of the best knowngentlemen's clubs in London, and sometimes, though not as often as formerly, referred to as "Clubland".^[76] The clubs are organisations of English high society. A variety of groups come together here, such as military officers, politicians, motoring enthusiasts, yachtsmen, and other groups. In 1990, theCarlton Club, traditional meeting place for members of theConservative Party, was struck by anIRA bomb.

• List of schools in the City of Westminster
• Townhouse (Great Britain), for the aristocratic nature of speculative building in the development of St James's

• Bebbington, Gillian (1972).London street names. London: Batsford.ISBN 978-0-7134-0140-0.
• Fairfield, Sheila (1983).The streets of London: A dictionary of the names and their origins. London: Macmillan.ISBN 978-0-333-28649-4.
• Griffin, J. P. (January–February 1998)."London's medieval hospitals and the Reformation".Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London.32 (1):72–76.PMC 9662966.PMID 9507445.
• Mills, Anthony David (2001).A Dictionary of London Place Names. Oxford:Oxford University Press.ISBN 978-0-19-280106-7.
• Roffey, Simon (November 2012). "Medieval Leper Hospitals in England: An Archaeological Perspective".Medieval Archaeology.56 (1):203–233.doi:10.1179/0076609712Z.0000000007.S2CID 162392427. [Brief mention (only) of St James's Hospital for leprous women].Some hospitals were perhaps more specific, such as St James the Less in London, which apparently just catered for leprous women." ... "The hospital was later replaced in the 16th century by the Palace of St James. Excavations in the 1920s and 1990s revealed evidence for a 12th-century chapel on the site. Citing:
  • Greenwood, Pamela A; Maloney, Catharine (1995)."London Fieldwork and Publication Round-up 1994".London Archaeologist.7 (13):333–354.doi:10.5284/1070869. Retrieved23 June 2023 – via Archaeology Data Service.St James's Palace, State Apartments, Pall Mall: ... The earliest recorded deposits ... both dated to the late 11th / early 12th c. They were succeeded by ... a building ... identified as the leper hospital ofSt James the Less.
• Sheppard, F. H. W., ed. (1960).Survey of London: St James Westminster, Part 1. Vol. 29 and 30. London: London County Council – via English Heritage: British History Online.Chapters:
  • "Cleveland Row", inSurvey of London: St James Westminster, Part 1, Vol. 29 and 30. Chapter XXVII, pp. 487–509
  • "Duke of York Street", inSurvey of London: St James Westminster, Part 1, Vol. 29 and 30. Chapter XI, pp. 285–287
  • "St. James's Street, East Side", inSurvey of London: St James Westminster, Part 1, Vol. 29 and 30. Chapter XIV, pp. 433–458
  • "Piccadilly, South Side", inSurvey of London: St James Westminster, Part 1, Vol. 29 and 30. Chapter IX, pp. 251–270
  • "Pall Mall", inSurvey of London: St James Westminster, Part 1, Vol. 29 and 30. Chapter XVII, pp. 322–324
  • "The Parish and Vestry of St. James", inSurvey of London: St James Westminster, Part 1, Vol. 29 and 30. Chapter II, pp. 29–30
• Walford, Edward (1878)."Pall Mall–Clubland".Old and New London. Vol. 4. London: Cassell, Petter & Galpin. pp. 140–164 – via British History Online.

• John Timbs (1867),"St. James's",Curiosities of London (2nd ed.), London: J.C. Hotten,OCLC 12878129

Wikimedia Commons has media related toSt James's.

• St James's Westminster, Part 1 – a volume of theSurvey of London which provides a very detailed architectural history of most of St James's. However a few sections of the parish of St James's fall outside the district, so they are omitted (map).
• Map of St James's and surrounding areasArchived 2 July 2017 at theWayback Machine
• Clubland at Virtual London
• Tourist Information on St James's
• Area website for St James's with profiles on shops, restaurants and galleries in the area and a full events calendar
• "St. James's Park – from leper hospital to royal park".The History of London. General interest London history website from Peter Stone

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