St.
James
The main street of the area is Piccadilly. This is one
of the two ancient roads leading out of the city to the west, the other
being the current Oxford St. The street was built up along with the rest
of the area after the Restoration. Going along Piccadilly from Piccadilly
Circus westwards. On the south side of Piccadilly is Waterstones bookshop
in the former Simpsons. Further along is St James Church. It was designed
by Wren and built from 1676-84.
Large parts of the interior stem, from Grinling Gibbons. William Blake
was baptised here, and Marquees of Queensberry is buried in the crypt.
Continuing on is Fortnum
and Mason, which is well worth a visit. The store was founded in 1770
by Charles Fortnum, a one time footman to George 3, with his friend John
Mason. At 3 Arlington Street
Sir Robert Walpole used to live. Shortly after comes the Ritz Hotel. It
was built in 1906 and was one
of the first steel framed buildings in London.
To
the south running running parallel to Piccadilly from The Haymarket to
St. James's Street is Jermyn Street. The street was built in 1680
by Henry Jermyn, the Earl of St Albans. The land was leased from the King;
Charles 2, a relief in the facade of 73 shows the deeds being handed over.
None of the buildings from this period survive. The street is renowned
for it's men wear shops, Paxton
and Whitfield the cheese shop and Floris perfumery. Isaac Newton use
to life on the site of 87.
St James's Street runs from Pall Mall to Piccadilly. It was built at the
same time as St. James's Places. Among the famous people who lived here
are, Wren, who may have died here in 1723
and Byron. At the Pall Mall end there are some fine examples of 18 century
shop fronts. To the right a passage way leads off to Pickering Place. The
Legation of the Republic of Texas used to be here.
Further
up is King Street which leads to St. James's Square. Along this street
are the Auction Rooms of Christies. Louis Napoleon lived here from 1846-8.
On the western side of St. James's Street is St. James's Place. There
are some very pleasant old houses along the street. Chopin lived at number
4 in 1848. At the end of the street is Spencer House, built by Earl Spencer,
heir to the 1st Duchess of Marlborough, in 1766.
The house can be best seen from Green Park. Further up St. James's Street
are the Economist Buildings, built by Peter and Alison Smithson in 1962-4.
St James's Square is one of the finest squares in London. It was laid
out in 1660 by Henry Jermyn.
Mary Astor, the first female member of Parliament lived at 4. Number 5
is the Libyan Embassy from which shots were fired on a group of protesters
resulting in the death of a female police officer. Three Prime Ministers
lived at number 10, William Pitt, Derby and Gladstone. Number 14 is the
London Library. Queen Caroline lived at 17 while her divorce from George
4 was brought before the House of Lords. 31 was General Eisenhower's headquarters,
much of the D-Day landing was planned and coordinated from here. It is
also the birthplace of George 3
Green
Park
The area of the park used to be a lepers grave yard, for the nearby St.
James's Hospital. Legend has it that this is the reason why no flower
grow here as opposed to St James's park on the other side of the Mall.
The area was enclosed by Henry 8, and made into a Royal Park by Charles
2. On the north side opposite 119 Piccadilly, the king would have a snow
house built to cool drinks in summer. The mounds for the walls can still
be seen. In the 18 century it was a popular place for duels and highwaymen.
In the north east corner there used to be a water reservoir, it was here
that Shelley's pregnant wife, drowned under mysterious circumstances,
in 1816. The gate on the northern end of the park stem from Devonshire
House and are by Inigo Jones.
To
the south the limits of Green Park are marked by Constitution Hill, which
runs form Buckingham Palace to Hyde Park Corner. At the Hyde Park end
stands the Memorial Gate to mark the sacrifice made by members of the
Commonwealth in Britain's Wars, inside the pavilion is the role of honour
for holder of the Victoria and George Cross. The southern side of Constitution
Hill is the walled off garden of Buckingham Palace. The origins of the
name Constitution Hill are unclear, but the theory is that the it came
from the fact that Charles took his constitutionals here. Three attempts
on the life of Queen Victoria took place here in 1840,
1842 and 1849.
In 1850 Sir Robert Peel was fatally
injured here after falling of his horse.
The
Mall
The Mall runs form Trafalgar Square to Buckingham
Palace. It was originally laid out in 1660
and was used to play the game "Paille Mall" as a replacement
site for Pall Mall. In 1911 as
part of the memorial to Queen Victoria the street was newly laid out slightly
to the south of the original.
At the eastern end stands Admiralty Arch which was built
in 1910. By tradition the centre
gate is only opened for the monarch. On the south side stand a status
to Captain Cook. To the north stands Carlton House Terrace. The Terrace
was built between 1827-32 by
John Nash, on the site of the former Carlton House. Among the people who
have lived here are Gladstone at number 4 and 11, Palmerstone at 5 and
Lord Curzon at 1.
In the middle of Carlton House Terrace are the Duke
of York steps, which lead up to Waterloo Place and then Lower Regent Street.
At the top of the steps stands the Duke of York Column, which commemorates
Frederick the second son of George 3. His greatest claim to fame is the
nursery rhyme;
The
Grand old Duke of York
he had 10,000 men
he marched them up to the top of the hill
And then he marched down again
The column is 124 feet tall. The building costs were raised by stopping
one days pay from every soldier in the Army. Bad tongues claimed that
the column was so high in order to keep the Duke away from his creditors.
For most of its length the Mall runs along St. James
Park. This was originally a marshy meadow, which was drained in the reign
of Henry 8 and turned into a deer park. In the reign of Charles 2 it was
turned into a landscaped garden. The current park was remodeled in 1829
by John Nash.
At
the end of the Mall stands the Victoria Memorial which was built in 1911.
Behind the memorial is Buckingham Palace. This is the official residence
of the British Monarch. When the sovereign is in residence the royal standard
is flown from the flagpole above the palace, at other times the Union
Jack is there. The original Buckingham House was built in 1702-5,
and bought in 1761 by George
3. In 1824 John Nash was commissioned
to turn it into a palace. It was not used much until 1837
when Victoria made it her permanent London residence. The current building
has about 600 rooms, the Queens apartment is on the 1st floor in the north
wing overlooking Green Park. On the second floor overlooking the Mall
there are apartments for other family members.
Pall
Mall
The street was first laid out in 1661
and was named Catherine Street, after the Queen, Catherine of Braganza.
The current name come from "paille-maille", which is the name
given to the bat used in the game of "pallo a maglio". The street
was famed for it's large houses and grand stores. The first gas street
lighting was installed along part of the street in 1807.
In addition to the houses and shops it was famed for it's coffee houses,
which overtime turn into the clubs of the current day. Nell Gwynne, mistress
to Charles 2 lived at 79. Gainsborough lived here in 1774-88.
Mr Fitzherbert, wife of George 4 lived at 105 from 1789-96.
Half
way along is Waterloo place, which was laid out in 1816.
On the south west side is the Athenaeum Club with a horse mount put there
by the Duke of Wellington in 1830.
On the north side is the Guards Crimean Memorial. The gun are Russian
ones captured at Sebastopol in 1855.
There is also a statue of Florence Nightingale. In the centre of Waterloo
Place is the National Memorial to Edward 7. Around the square there are
statue among then one of Scott of the Antarctic. At the southern end is
Carlton Gardens, with its small green and the George 6 memorial, and steps
leading down to the Mall. At number 4 General de Gaulle had his war time
HQ. Louis Napoleon lived at 1 from 1839-40,
this is now the official residence of the Foreign Secretary
Further along Pall Mall stands Marlborough House. The original house
was built by Wren from 1709-11
for the Duke of Marlborough and his wife Sarah. Later residence include
Leopold 1 of Belgium, Queen Adelaide, George 5, Queen Alexandra and Queen
Mary. The chapel, known as Queens Chapel was built by Inigo Jones 1623-7.
It has served as the private chapel for Catholic wives of Charles 1 and
2.
Next
door is St James's Palace. It was built by Henry 8 between 1532-40
on the site of St James the Less leper hospital. The only part of the
original Tudor palace that remains is the Gatehouse or Clock Tower. The
Gatehouse leads to Colour Court, which has an 17 century colonnade. To
the west of Colour Court is Ambassadors Court, which includes the Chapel
Royal. William 3, Mary 2, Anne, George 4, Victoria and George 5 all married
in the chapel. On the Marlborough Road side is Friary Court, which is
the entrance to the State Apartments. Queen Mary died her, Elizabeth 1
lived here, as did James 1. Charles 1 spent his last night here before
being executed. After Whitehall Palace burned down in 1698,
St James's again become the main royal residence in London. Queen Anne,
George 1, 2 and 3 all live here. In 1809
large parts of the palace burned down. The Palace is still the official
home of the court and all Ambassadors are accredited to it. It is also
the place where the Accession Council meets and the monarch is proclaimed.
The Palace is also the home of Prince Charles and his 2 sons.
Along
Cleveland Row, next to St. James's Place is York House, currently called
Lancaster House. In the south west corner of St James's Palace is Clarence
House, the former residence of the Queen Mother.
On the north side of Pall Mall opposite the Palace is Crown Passage,
a picturesque alley leading up to King St. The Red Lion pub is well worth
visiting. |