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A Short MAYFAIR WalkMichael Strachan

Copyright © heritagewalks.london 2019 75 West Street, Harrow on the Hill, London HA1 3EL info@walkingthepast.co.uk First published in the UK in 2012 Text and images copyright © Michael Strachan Michael Strachan has asserted his rights to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, by photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. (The cover illustration shows Shepherd Market).

A ShortMayfair Walk

INTRODUCTION!From Hyde Park Corner, with its striking memorials, this walk takes you from the Constitution/Wellington Arch, celebrating the famous Duke of Wellington’s achievements, through the ‘village’ streets of Shepherd Market, where the original May Fair was held, to Green Park and Piccadilly. Mayfair was the site of an annual May Fair and Spring cattle market first held in the late 1600’s. They took place in Trebeck Street, which runs into what is now Shepherd Market. The fair and market were curtailed in the reign of George III because of the notorious behaviour of the ‘lazy rascals’ and ‘sluttish strum-pets’ who thronged there. The valuable real estate that became available was developed between 1700 and 1750 by landlords such as the Dukes of Westminster (the Grosvenor family) and, by the 1800s, it was established as London’s most fashionable area for politicians, diplomats and the very rich, with shops, restaurants, coffee houses, gaming clubs and hotels to cater for their every need. In the early twentieth century it became the haunt of the young and idle rich and the setting for many of P.G Wodehouse’s nov-els featuring Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. Today, Mayfair retains an air of exclusivity with a high propor-tion of 5-star hotels and fashionable restaurants and shops selling luxury goods to residents and visitors from all over the world. Site of May FairShepherd Market Wellington Arch 1920s

It is also a fascinating and historic area to wander around, with the mews and little streets containing interesting houses and architectural details from previous centuries juxtaposed with modern residential and business premises. The Palace of Westminster (Parliament) and Clock Tower with Big Ben are dramatic examples of Gothic Revival architecture. Nearby Westminster Abbey and St Margaret’s Church have many royal, religious and diplomatic associations. Our walk takes you on from Parliament to Buckingham Palace, which has been the London residence of the monarch since Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837. From there you walk through Green Park, close to the royal residences of Clarence House, Lancaster House and St. James’s Palace, end-ing at Green Park station. To hear these two pages read back to you click this icon If you would like to donate an amount which will help us cover our costs and continue to work on new publications please scan or tap the QR link below:

Planning Your Walk If possible, walk with a friend. Tell so me on e where you a re goi ng . Take ca re wh en w al king at ni gh t. Wear sensible clothes and footwear. Always take a bottle of water to avoid de-hydration. Don't try to do too much in one visit. Check the opening times of all Museums and Galleries online. Take yo ur c amera or c am er a phone wi th batteri es f ul ly charged. Don’t forget to download your free Quiz and Plaque scoresheets by using the URL links on the next page… Start at Hyde Park Corner Underground station. (Piccadilly line) End at Green Park Underground station. (Piccadilly, Victoria & Jubilee lines) Use the Transport for London (TFL) planner to plan your journey. 2.0 km 1.2 miles 1-2 hrsIf printing out,! do staple these! pages!together! for ease of use.

To make your walk more interesting… …we have created an on-line, interactive map which you can find by clicking the link below, or by scanning the green QR code opposite. This will only work if you are reading this guide on a smart device like an iPad: Plot-a-Route map We have also added some fun challenges - the first is a picture quiz. So you need to look out for interesting ob-jects such as ‘street furniture’, statues and architectural features shown in the I-Spy Challenge scoresheet. Click the link below, or scan the pink QR code opposite, to access a download for this scoresheet. It can then be printed or saved: I-Spy Challenge The second challenge is to ‘bag’ all the plaques along this walk. These are listed on a ‘Pastwalkers’ scoresheet along with their ‘what3words’ loca-tions. (Click the information icon op-posite for more about how ‘What3Words’ works). The plaque scores are based on age and quality rather than the importance of the person or event commemorated. Download by clicking on the link below, or by scanning the blue QR code opposite: Plaque Challenge Tick them off when you find them

From Hyde Park Corner to Green Park Having arrived at Hyde Park Underground station take exit 2 and walk straight up the ramp… Along the ramp there are many pictures/murals of Wel-lington's battles carved into the stone on both sides. As you emerge you will see the imposing statue of the Duke of Wellington mounted on his favourite horse Copenhagen, and guarded by four sentries representing some of the famous regiments he commanded during the Iberian Peninsular War. The focal point of the green is Wellington Arch (or Constitution Arch), built to a design by Decimus Burton, as a northern gate to the grounds of Buckingham Palace. Originally the arch was topped with an 8.5m equestrian statue of the Duke, but in 1912 it was replaced with The Angel of Peace descending on the Quadriga of Victory by the sculptor Adri-an Jones. It commemorates the Duke of Wellington's victories in the Napoleonic Wars, especially Waterloo in June 1815. Walk across the slope to the Royal Artillery Memorial... This memorial was placed here in 1925 in memory of the British gunners killed in World War 1. The stone structure was the work of architect Lionel Pearson and the sculptures were by Charles Jagger. The whole piece was completed in 1925. ‘what3Words’ scan or tap The Quadriga & Arch

Continue down the slope to the Australian War Me-morial... This evocative design by a team of Sydney architects was unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II in 2003. It is made from 200 tons of Verde Laguna granite from Jerramun-gup, Western Australia. Its 8-foot (2.3m) high curved wall bears the names of 24,000 Australian towns and 47 battle sites around the world where Australian service-men and women died. Walk back up the slope towards the Constitution/Wellington Arch. At this point you may wish to turn down to the crossing and walk into Green Park to see the Royal Air Force Bomber Command Memorial. This commemorates the crews of RAF Bomber Command who flew missions during the Second World War. It marks the sacrifice of 55,573 aircrew from Bri-tain, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Poland and other countries of the Commonwealth, as well as civilians of all nations killed during raids. The controversy over the tactics em-ployed by RAF, under the command of Air Marshall ‘Bomber’ Harris during the Second World War meant that an official memorial to the aircrews had been delayed for many years. Despite describing bombers as "the means of victory" in 1940, British prime minister Winston Churchill did not even mention Bomber Com-mand in his speech at the end of the war. ‘Bomber’ Harris

The sculpture of seven aircrew was designed by the sculptor Philip Jackson to look as though they have just returned from a bombing mission and left their aircraft. Aluminium from a Royal Canadian Air Force Handley Page Halifax of No. 426 Squadron that had crashed in Belgium in May 1944 was used to build the roof of the memorial, which was designed to evoke the geodetic structure of the Vickers Wellington. The crashed Halifax, LW682 OW/M, had been removed from a swamp in 1997 with three of the crew found still at their posts. They were buried with full military honours. 10,000 of 55,573 Bomber Command aircrew killed during the war were Canadian. Return to the Constitution/Wellington Arch… Until 1992 the arch housed London's second smallest police station but this has been replaced by an English Heritage shop where you can pay to climb the stairs and get a unique view. Once through the Arch turn left up the slope… The set of dark pillars ahead form the striking New Zealand memorial. The memorial consists of 16 vertical, cross-shaped, bronze 'standards' set out in formation on the grassy slope. Each standard is adorned with text, patterns and small sculptures. As you continue up the slope to your left is the memorial to the men of the Machine Gun Corps of the Brit-ish Army who died in World War 1.

Look north across the road for a good view of Apsley House, also known as No. 1 London. It is a dis-tinguished Georgian mansion, built in warm Bath stone from a Robert Adam design of 1777-1778. It was first owned by Lord Apsley, the Lord Chancellor, and then acquired by the Duke of Wellington. The large portico and elevated pillars in front were the Duke’s improvements. Take the Park Lane subway entrance to the left of the memorial to the north side of Piccadilly… Note the decorative panels in the underpass relating events from the lives of the two great opponents of the Napoleonic wars, the Duke of Wellington and Napoleon Bonaparte. At the end of the subway, turn right, take the Park Lane stairs and walk North alongside the Intercontinental Hotel precinct wall… This part of Park Lane is home to some of London's most prestigious hotels. The Hilton, a concrete and glass tower completed in 1963, is the most iconic. Note the Lions plaque set into the wall relating to a special tree planted in the central reservation. Look across Park Lane to see a set of ornate Hyde Park gates commemorating Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. At the mini roundabout, turn left across the front of the Hilton Hotel and walk into Pitt’s Head Mews…

The mews gets its name from the Pitt's Head, a pub that once stood here, com-memorating the famous Prime Minister of 1766 –1768, William Pitt (the Elder). Look out for number 21, shown in the illustra-tion opposite. This is one of the buildings that survived the Blitz of 1940 and is grade 2 listed. It was probably built around 1905 as stabling, coach houses and accommodation above. On your left is Derby Street… If you wish, enter this street to view some fine Georgian houses and an interesting feature above the doorway of No.6. Classic Georgian features are flat fronts, yellowish bricks, attractive doors and entrances, sash windows of decreasing size, basements and steps with railings. Follow Pitt’s Head Mews around into Stanhope Row… Ahead of you is the front of Park Lane Mews Hotel. Note the curious, empty Georgian house tucked away in the corner. There is a Westminster Council plaque here on the hotel facade commemorating the destruction of the oldest house in Mayfair. The building, which dated back to 1618, was originally the site of a shepherd’s cottage – known as Mayfair’s oldest house. During the Blitz, in the winter of 1940, the cottage was destroyed when a bomb struck a building opposite. Go through the archway into Shepherd Street…

One of the first buildings on your left was the home of Stirling Moss, the famous Formula 1 British racing driver (shown in the photo op-posite). Notice the racing car decorations on the facade. The interior was filled with labour-saving gadgets… Note the juxtaposition of styles of other build-ings in this mews: some original Georgian houses and features alongside major refurbishments or developments of others. Continue along Shepherd Street… On the corner is the handsome Shep-herd’s Tavern pub, built in 1735 as part of the original redevelopment of the area by Edward Shepherd, (after the May Fair was moved to Bow in 1686). Note the West-minster plaque remembering Wendy Richard, a well-loved English actress who lived here. Continue across Hereford Street then turn left into Trebeck Street… Ahead, in Curzon Street, you can see the Saudi Arabian Embassy housed in what was an original Mayfair man-sion – Crewe House. You are now standing on the site of the original May Fair… Take the first right turning into Shepherd Market – a narrow alley which then opens out…

During the 1920's, this area was a very fashionable ad-dress for some of London's most refined inhabitants, who lived there like characters in an Evelyn Waugh novel or a play by Noel Coward. The writer Michael Arlen (pictured oppos-ite on the cover of Time magazine) rented rooms opposite Ye Grapes public house, and used Shepherd Market as the setting for his best-selling 1924 novel “The Green Hat”. The book also went on to become a hit Broadway play and a film starring Greta Garbo, re-named as “A Woman of Affairs’. Shepherd Market was for many years no-torious for its sex trade, much of which was allegedly based in properties owned by a major public school. The brothels and prostitutes have largely gone, replaced by restaurants, bars and shops. This is now an area of restaurants and up-market boutiques. Note the buildings on your right with Shepherd Market named in plasterwork at the top, rebuilt in the 1860s in the original 18th-century style. At lunchtimes, the square is filled with people from surrounding offices who come to eat, drink, shop or meet. Turn left towards Ye Grapes pub… Shepherd Market in the 1920s

This handsome Victorian pub retains some of the origin-al external features, such as leaded windows and glazed tiling and is very popular with tourists and locals. At Ye Grapes pub, bear left and exit via the pas-sageway to Curzon Street and turn right… Note the interesting building at 46 Curzon Street alongside the passageway. Two shops stand out directly across Curzon Street. One is a famous bookstore - Heywood Hill, where the writer Nancy Mitford worked. Nancy grew up in the 1920s of the ‘Bright Young Things’ and in the politically polarised 1930s. Her sisters Diana and Unity were drawn to the extreme Right and Jessica to the Left. Nancy wavered between the two but could never take politics – or indeed anything– very seriously.!!!! 'Novelist, essayist and historian, Nancy Mitford was one of the funniest writers of the 20th century. Read and re-read by de-voted fans, her bestsellers – which include The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate – continue to enchant new gener-ations of readers.' Nancy's novels!evoke a lost world of Eng-lish upper-class elegance and endearing eccentricity, which she observed with a razor-sharp wit and infectious gaiety. Next door is Trumpers - perhaps the most famous gen-tlemen’s hairdresser in London. This is the area where Nancy Mitford

author P.G. Wodehouse placed the home of Bertie Wooster and Jeeves (Half Moon Street). Turn right down Curzon Street… Note the imposing Church of Christ, Sci-entist (shown on the previous page). The building dates from 1910–1912. It is a branch of the Mother Church in Boston, Massachusetts. Continue along Curzon Street cross-ing Half Moon Street where you may wish to divert briefly to number 17… There Is a private plaque here stating the the famous American classical composer Charles Ives stayed here for a while back before the second world war. One of the first American composers of interna-tional renown, his music was largely ig-nored during his early career. Later in life, his music was publicly recognised and he came to be regarded as an "American original”. (Click the YouTube link on the next page for more about Ives.) Clarges and Bolton Streets then bear right along Lansdowne Row… Turn right into Berkeley Street, (un-less you wish to divert into Berkeley Square where there are many interest-ing buildings and plaques - covered in ‘An American Walk in Mayfair’). Young Charles Ives

13 Berkeley Street used to be the home of The Fleming Collection, one of the finest collections of Scottish art in private hands. It has now closed and the foundation fo-cusses on 'loans, exhibitions, and art education' Turn right into Stratton Street… Just as you turn, look up to see an inter-esting plaque on the site of a wartime club where Bert Ambrose and his band used to play. Born in Warsaw, Ambrose (shown opposite) spent his youth in America where he learned his trade as a jazz musician before returning to Britain and forming his own group. (Click the YouTube link on the next page for a famous Ambrose piece.) Bert Ambrose

Continue around Stratton Street… Note the imposing red brick Victorian building in the corner with iron railings on the balconies and windows at every level. There is an interesting mixture of many architectural styles in this section of the street - Victorian, Georgian, Edwardian and modern. Number 15 - Green Park House - is a Grade 2 listed building - now serviced offices. Note the very unusual downpipes. The street was first laid out between 1693 and 1720, but only No.6 dates from that time. When you reach the top of Stratton Street this short walk ends at the entrance to Green Park Station on your left or on Piccadilly at the main entrance.

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