| Mayfair | |
|---|---|
 The Biltmore Mayfair overlookingGrosvenor Square | |
  Mayfair | |
| OS grid reference | TQ285807 |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | W1 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°30′36″N0°08′49″W / 51.510°N 0.147°W /51.510; -0.147 | |
Mayfair is an area ofWestminster,London, England, in theCity of Westminster. It is inCentral London and part of theWest End. It is betweenOxford Street,Regent Street,Piccadilly andPark Lane and one of the most expensive districts in the world.[1]
The area was originally part of the manor ofEia 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 nowShepherd Market. Over the years, the fair grew increasingly downmarket and unpleasant, and it became a public nuisance. The Grosvenor family (who becameDukes of Westminster) acquired the land through marriage and began to develop it under the direction of Thomas Barlow. The work includedHanover Square,Berkeley Square andGrosvenor Square, which were surrounded by high-quality houses, andSt 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 theBritish aristocracy in the early 20th century led to the area becoming more commercial, with many houses converted into offices for corporate headquarters and variousembassies. Mayfair retains a substantial quantity of high-end residential property, upmarket shops and restaurants, and luxury hotels alongPiccadilly andPark Lane. Its prestigious status has been commemorated by being the most expensive property square on the LondonMonopoly board.
Mayfair is in theCity of Westminster, and mainly consists of the historicalGrosvenor estate and theAlbemarle,Berkeley,Burlington, andCurzon estates.[2] It is bordered on the west byPark Lane, north byOxford Street, east byRegent Street, and the south byPiccadilly.[3] Beyond the bounding roads, to the north isMarylebone, to the eastSoho, and to the southwestKnightsbridge andBelgravia.[4]
Mayfair is surrounded by parkland;Hyde Park andGreen Park run along its boundary.[2] The 8-acre (3.2 ha)Grosvenor Square is roughly in the centre of Mayfair,[5] and its centrepiece, containing numerous expensive and desirable properties.[6]
Following analysis of the alignment of Roman roads, it has been speculated that the Romans settled in the area before establishingLondinium.[7]Whitaker's Almanack suggested thatAulus Plautius built a fort here during theRoman conquest of Britain in AD 43 while waiting forClaudius.[8] 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.[9] The proposal has been disputed because of lack of archaeological evidence.[10][11] If there was a fort, it is believed the perimeter would have been where the modernGreen 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.[8] This area was the manor ofEia in theDomesday Book, and owned byGeoffrey de Mandeville after theNorman Conquest. It was subsequently given to the Abbey of Westminster, who owned it until 1536 when it was taken over by KingHenry VIII during thedissolution of the monasteries.[12]
Mayfair consisted mainly of open fields until development began in theShepherd Market area around 1686–88 to accommodate the May Fair, which had moved fromHaymarket inSt James's because of overcrowding.[3] There were some buildings before 1686. A cottage in Stanhope Row, dating from 1618, was destroyed inthe Blitz in late 1940.[13] A 17th-centuryEnglish Civil War fortification established in what is nowMount Street was known as Oliver's Mount by the 18th century.[5]
The May Fair was held every year at Great Brookfield (which is now part ofCurzon Street and Shepherd Market) from 1 to 14 May.[3] It was established during the reign ofEdward 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 ofplague, but otherwise continued throughout the 17th century.[14] In 1686, the fair moved to what is now Mayfair.[3] By the 18th century, it had attracted showmen, jugglers and fencers and numerous fairground attractions.[14] Popular attractions included bare-knuckle fighting,semolina-eating contests and women'sfoot racing.[15]
By the reign ofGeorge I, the May Fair had fallen into disrepute and was regarded as a public scandal. The6th Earl of Coventry, who lived on Piccadilly, considered the fair to be a nuisance and, with local residents, led a public campaign against it. It was abolished in 1764.[3][14] One reason for Mayfair's subsequent boom in property development was that it was able to keep out lower-class activities.[16]
Building on Mayfair began in the 1660s on the corner of Piccadilly, and progressed along the north side of that street.[3]Burlington House was started between 1664 and 1665 byJohn Denham and sold two years later toRichard Boyle, 1st Earl of Burlington, who asked Hugh May to complete it. The house was extensively modified through the 18th century, and is the only one of this era to survive into the 21st century.[17]
The origins of major development began whenSir Thomas Grosvenor, 3rd Baronet, married Mary Davies, heiress to part of the Manor ofEbury, in 1677.[18] 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.[a] The land was referred to as "The Hundred Acres" in early deeds.[12]
In 1721, theLondon 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".[14]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 the properties being rebuilt.[18][20] Barlow proposed a grid of wide, straight streets, with a large park (now Grosvenor Square) as a centrepiece.[5]
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, the Grosvenor. Of the original properties constructed in Mayfair, only the Grosvenor estate survives intact and owned by the same family,[2] who became theDukes of Westminster in 1874.[12]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.[21]
Hanover Square was the first of three great squares to be constructed. It 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. TheHanover Square Rooms became a popular place forclassical music concerts, includingJohann Christian Bach,Joseph Haydn,Niccolò Paganini andFranz Liszt. A large statue ofWilliam Pitt the Younger is sited at the southern end of the square.[22]
In 1725, Mayfair became part of the new parish ofSt George Hanover Square,[23] which stretched as far east asBond Street and to Regent Street north ofConduit 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 toSt George's Hospital.[24] Most of the area belonged to (and continues to be owned by) the Grosvenor family, though thefreehold of some parts belongs to theCrown Estate.[25]
A water supply to the area was built by theChelsea 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 a fountain in its centre.[23] In 1963, following the widening of Park Lane, it was rebuilt as the Joy of Life Fountain.[26]
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 (afterLincoln's Inn Fields) and housed numerous members of the aristocracy until the mid-20th century.[27] By 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).[19] 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 ofJohn Adams, and No. 38 which is now theIndonesian Embassy.[27]
Berkeley House on Piccadilly was named afterJohn Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton, who had purchased its land, and that surrounding it, shortly after theRestoration of the Monarchy in 1660. In 1696, the Berkeley family sold the house and grounds toWilliam Cavendish, 1stDuke of Devonshire (who renamed itDevonshire House), on condition that 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.[28]
The expansion of Mayfair movedupper-class Londoners away from areas such asCovent Garden and Soho, which were already in decline by the 18th century. Part of its success was its proximity to theCourt 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.[2]
TheRothschild family owned several Mayfair properties in 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 brotherLeopold to Marie Perugia took place here in 1881. The house was demolished after theFirst World War when Curzon Street was extended through the site to meet Park Lane.[29] The future Prime MinisterArchibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, was born inCharles Street in 1847, and grew up in the area.[30]
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 theUS Embassy on Grosvenor Square.Theodore Roosevelt was married in Hanover Square, andFranklin D. Roosevelt honeymooned in Berkeley Square.[31] A small memorial park inMount Street Gardens has benches engraved with the names of former American residents in and visitors to Mayfair.[32]
The death ofHugh 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 asDavid Lloyd George's establishment of thewelfare state in 1909 greatly reduced the power of the Lords. Land value fell around Mayfair, and some leases were not renewed.[33]
FollowingWorld 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. The2nd Duke of Westminster decided to demolish Grosvenor House and move his residence toBourdon House. Mayfair attracted commercial development after much of theCity of London was destroyed during the Blitz, and many corporate headquarters were established in the area.[2] Several historically important houses were demolished, includingAldford House,Londonderry House andChesterfield House.[34]
In 1961, the old US embassy at No. 1 Grosvenor Square became theCanadian High Commission, and the building was namedMacdonald House, after the first Canadian Prime MinisterJohn A. Macdonald. TheItalian Embassy is at No. 4 Grosvenor Square.[35]
The district has become increasingly commercial, with many offices in converted houses and new buildings, though the trend has been reversed in places.[2] TheUnited States embassy announced in 2008 it would move from its long-established location at Grosvenor Square toNine Elms,Wandsworth, owing to security concerns, despite constructing an £8m security upgrading after theSeptember 11 attacks including 6 ft (1.8 m) high blast walls.[36] Since the 1990s residential properties have become available again, though the rents are among the highest in London.[37] Mayfair remains one of the most expensive places to live in London and the world,[1] and it possesses some exclusive shopping, London's largest concentration of luxuryhotels and many restaurants, particularly around Park Lane and Grosvenor Square.[2]
TheAl-Thani family, the ruling family ofQatar, and their relatives and associates owned a quarter of the 279 acres of Mayfair by 2006.[38] The north-western part of Mayfair has subsequently been nicknamed "Little Doha".[39][38][40][41] The area has also been called a "Qatari quarter" and 'Qataropolis'.[39] Prominent properties owned in Mayfair by Qataris includeDudley House onPark Lane and Lombard House on Curzon Street.[42][43] Family members also ownThe Connaught andClaridge's hotels in Mayfair through theMaybourne Hotel Group.[44]
St George's, Hanover Square, constructed between 1721 and 1724 byJohn James, was one of 50 churches built following theCommission for Building Fifty New Churches Act in 1711.Emma, Lady Hamilton, in 1791, poetPercy Bysshe Shelley in 1814, and Prime MinistersBenjamin Disraeli andH. H. Asquith in 1839 and 1894 respectively were all married in the church. The porch houses two cast-iron dogs rescued from a shop in Conduit Street that was bombed during the Blitz.[45]
Grosvenor Chapel onSouth Audley Street was built byBenjamin Timbrell in 1730 for the Grosvenor Estate. It was used by American armed forces during theSecond World War. The parents ofArthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, are buried in the churchyard.[19]
TheMayfair Chapel on Curzon Street was a popular place for illegal marriages, including over 700 in 1742.James Hamilton, 6th Duke of Hamilton, marriedElizabeth Gunning here in 1752. TheMarriage Act 1753 stopped the practice of unlicensed marriages. The chapel was demolished in 1899.[46]
Having opened in 1837,Brown's Hotel is considered one of London's oldest hotels.[47] StraddlingAlbemarle andDover streets, it is thought to have been a populartea location forQueen Victoria, and it was from the hotel that in 1876Alexander Graham Bell made the first successful telephone call in Britain. Certain writers were known to stay there frequently;Rudyard Kipling'sThe Jungle Book andAgatha Christie'sAt Bertram's Hotel were each partly written during a visit to Brown's.Theodore Roosevelt enjoyed staying at the hotel and married his fiancéeEdith Roosevelt with a reception there in 1886. Now part ofRocco Forte Hotels, the Hotel maintains its popular tea room and has expanded to occupy 11 townhouses.[48][better source needed]
Claridge's was founded in 1812 as Mivart's Hotel onBrook Street. It was acquired by William Claridge in 1855, who gave it its current name. The hotel 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 MinisterWinston Churchill is said to have declared the suite he was born in to be Yugoslav territory.[49]
Flemings Mayfair onHalf Moon Street was opened in 1851 by Robert Fleming, who worked forHenry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey. It is the second-oldest independent hotel in London.[50]
The London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square on the corner of Grosvenor Square andDuke Street was the firstMarriott 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 the American Embassy.[51]
TheGrosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane is on the former site ofGrosvenor House, the home ofRobert Grosvenor, 2nd Earl Grosvenor (who later became the 1st Marquess of Westminster). It was built byArthur 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.[52]
The Dorchester is named afterJoseph 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 bySir Robert McAlpine and Sons andGordon Hotels Ltd in 1928 to be converted into a hotel, which opened on 18 April 1931. It was GeneralDwight Eisenhower's London headquarters in the Second World War. TheDuke of Edinburgh held hisstag night at the hotel prior to his marriage toPrincess Elizabeth.[53]
The May Fair Hotel opened in 1927 on the site of Devonshire House inStratton Street. It also accommodates the May Fair Theatre, which opened in 1963.[54][55]
The Ritz opened on Piccadilly on 24 May 1906. It was the firststeel-framed building to be constructed in London,[56] and it is one of the most prestigious and best-known hotels in the world.[57]
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 asBonhams,Christie's andSotheby's.[58]
From the early 19th century, tailors, attracted by the affluent and influential residents, began to take up premises onSavile Row in south-eastern Mayfair, beginning in 1803. The earliest extant tailor to move to Savile Row wasHenry 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 theglobal home of men's tailoring; a reputation retained to the present day.[59][60]
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-tieredwedding cakes. The shop moved to Curzon Street in 1936 when the eastern side of Berkeley Square was demolished, until closing in 1956. The business as a whole survived until the late 1970s.[61]
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.[62]
Shepherd Market has been called 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 visitingMonica Coghlan, a call girl in Shepherd Market, which eventually led to a libel trial and his imprisonment forperverting the course of justice.[63]
Alongside Burlington House is one of London's most luxurious shopping areas, theBurlington Arcade. It was designed bySamuel Ware forGeorge 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 theChesham family. In 1911, another storey was added byBeresford Pite, who also added the Chesham arms. The family sold the arcade to thePrudential Assurance Company for £333,000 (now £24,413,000) in 1926. It was bombed during the Second World War and subsequently restored.[64]
Allens of Mayfair, one of the best-known butchers in London, was founded in a shop on Mount Street in 1830. It held aRoyal warrant of appointment to supply meat to the Queen, as well as supplying several high-profile restaurants. After accruing spiralling debts, it was sold to Rare Butchers of Distinction in 2006.[65] The Mayfair premises closed in 2015, but the company retains an online presence.[66]
Scott's restaurant moved fromCoventry Street to Nos. 20–22 Mount Street in 1967.[67] In 1975, theProvisional Irish Republican Army (IRA)bombed the restaurant twice, killing one and injuring 15 people.[68]
South Audley Street is a major shopping street in Mayfair running from north to south from Grosvenor Square to Curzon Street.[69] Originally a residential street, it was redeveloped between 1875 and 1900. Retailers include china and silverware specialistsThomas Goode and gunsmithsJames Purdey & Sons.[70][71]
Numerous galleries have given Mayfair a reputation as an international art hub.[72] TheRoyal Academy of Arts, based in Burlington House, was founded in 1768 byGeorge III and is the oldest fine arts society in the world. Its founding president was SirJoshua Reynolds. The academy holds classes and exhibitions, and students have includedJohn Constable andJ. M. W. Turner. It moved fromSomerset House toTrafalgar Square in 1837, sharing with theNational Gallery, before moving to Burlington House in 1868. The academy hosts anannual Summer Exhibition, showing over 1,000 contemporary works of art that can be submitted by anyone.[73]
TheFine Art Society gallery was established at No. 148 New Bond Street in 1876.[74] Other galleries in Mayfair include the Maddox Gallery onMaddox Street,[75] and theHalcyon Gallery.[76]
TheHandel House Museum at No. 25 Brook Street opened in 2001.George Frideric Handel was the first resident from 1723 until his death in 1759. Most of his major works, includingMessiah, andMusic for the Royal Fireworks were composed here. The museum held an exhibition ofJimi Hendrix, who lived in an upper-floor flat in neighbouring No. 23 Brook Street in 1968–69.[77][78]
TheFaraday Museum inAlbemarle Street occupies a basement laboratory used byMichael Faraday for his experiments with electromagnetic rotation and motors at theRoyal Institution. It opened in 1973 and exhibits include the first electric generator designed by Faraday, along with various notes and medals.[79]
Cadbury's head office was formerly at No. 25 Berkeley Square in Mayfair. In 2007,Cadbury Schweppes announced that it was moving toUxbridge in order to cut costs.[80]
Bourdon House, one of the oldest properties in Mayfair, was constructed by Thomas Barlow between 1723 and 1725 as part of the original development. An additional storey was added around 1864–65. In 1909, the 2nd Duke of Westminster ordered major refurbishments and the expansion of a three-storey wing. He moved out of Grosvenor House in 1916 into this, where he stayed until his death in 1953.[81]
Crewe House was built in the late 18th century on the site of a house on Curzon Street owned byEdward Shepherd, a key builder and architect around Mayfair. It was bought byJames Stuart-Wortley, 1st Baron Wharncliffe in 1818 and became known as Wharncliffe House. In 1899, it was purchased byRobert Crewe-Milnes, Earl Crewe, giving it its current name. The house is part of theSaudi Arabian Embassy.[46]
Mayfair has manyblue plaques on buildings for its prominent residents. Standing at the corner of Chesterfield Street and Charles Street, one can see plaques for William, Duke of Clarence and St Andrews (laterKing William IV), Prime MinisterLord Rosebery, the writerSomerset Maugham and Regency-era fashion iconBeau Brummell.[82]
While there are noLondon Underground stations inside Mayfair, there are several on the boundaries. TheCentral Line stops atMarble Arch,Bond Street andOxford Circus along Oxford Street along the northern edge, andPiccadilly Circus andGreen Park are along thePiccadilly line on the southern side, along withHyde Park Corner close by in Knightsbridge.[83]
Down Street tube station opened in 1907 as "Down Street (Mayfair)".[84] It closed in 1932[85] but was used during theSecond World War by the Emergency Railway Committee, and briefly by Churchill and the war cabinet while waiting for theWar Rooms to be ready.[86] While there is only one bus route in Mayfair itself, the 24-hour routeC2,[87] there are many bus routes along the perimeter roads.[88]
Mayfair (spelled "May Fair") is the home of Sir Brian in Thackeray'sThe Newcomes, and otherwise features as the most desirable part of London.[89]Mayfair is the principal location of the television seriesBridgerton.[90][91][92]
Mayfair has featured in a number of novels, includingEvelyn Waugh'sA Handful of Dust (1934) andP. G. Wodehouse'sThe Mating Season (1949). It is a partial setting forJane Austen'sSense and Sensibility (1811) andMichael Arlen'sThe Green Hat (1924).[93]Oscar Wilde lived in Grosvenor Square between 1883 and 1884, and referred to it in his works.[94] He regularly socialised in the artistic quarter alongHalf Moon Street, which is mentioned in bothThe Picture of Dorian Gray andThe Importance of Being Earnest.[95]
Mayfair is the most expensive property on the standard BritishMonopoly board at £400, and is part of the dark blue set withPark Lane. It commands the highest rents ofall properties; landing on Mayfair with a hotel costs £2,000.[96] The price is a reference to the property values in the area, which have remained consistently high, with real-life rent as much as £36,000 per week.[37] At the time the board was being designed in the 1930s, Mayfair still had a significant upper-class residential population.[82]
The department storeDebenhams became one of the first companies in Britain to have a dedicated business telephone number, Mayfair 1, in 1903.[97]
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