Portman Square

History

Context and development

It was built between 1765 and 1784 on land belonging to Henry William Portman.

An infantry barracks, Portman Square Barracks, was built between Portman and Orchard Streets; it was demolished in about 1860.

At the east end of the garden, thus marking one end of Baker Street and of Orchard Street (a short link to Oxford Street) is the Hamilton Memorial Drinking fountain. This was provided by Mariana Augusta, under the auspices of the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association, in honour of her late husband Sir John James Hamilton, 2nd Baronet, briefly MP for Sudbury. The fountain is statutorily protected and recognised in the mainstream, initial category (Grade II).

Notable residents

Its houses were in its first century let or rented in toto by Alexander Hamilton, 10th Duke of Hamilton, Sir Brook Bridges, 3rd Baronet, Henry Pelham-Clinton, 4th Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne, George Keppel, 6th Earl of Albemarle, Sir Charles Asgill, 1st Baronet, and William Henry Percy. Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife, leased No. 15 in the weeks prior to his marriage to Louise, Princess Royal; Princess Louise resided at No. 15 from 1889 until her death in 1931.

Notable houses

About a third of the north side is in the statutory category scheme, described above but in the rarest, highest category, Grade I.

• No.s 11–15 built in 1773–1776 by architect James Wyatt in cooperation with his brother Samuel Wyatt. First houses in which Coade stone was used. Demolished in the 20th century.
• No. 20 – Home House, built by Robert Adam between 1773 and 1777 for Elizabeth, Countess of Home, and later used by the Courtauld Institute.
• No. 22 – Montagu House, built in the northwest corner of the square by James Stuart between 1777 and 1781 for Elizabeth Montagu, demolished in the Blitz by an incendiary bomb.
• No. 30 – Churchill Hotel, incorporating the Michelin-starred Locanda Locatelli restaurant. This was bought on a long lease as home of George Keppel, grandson of George Keppel, 6th Earl of Albemarle (noted above), and the husband of Alice Keppel, the mistress of King Edward VII.

Gallery

File:PortmanSquare.jpg|Map of much of part of Mayfair (south) and Marylebone (north) 1830 the square is top left File:Portman Square.JPG|Side-view of the south side in 2008, displaying odd traffic system replaced 2013 File:The Dining Room of 20 Portman Square, London.jpg|The Dining Room of No. 20 in 1913

References

References

1. (1878). "Old and New London: Volume IV". Cassell, Petter & Galpin.
2. {{NHLE
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4. ''James Wyatt, architect to George III.'' Author John Martin Robinson. Yale University Press 2012.