Mayfair is a prosperous area in London's West End to the eastern edge of Hyde Park, in Westminster City, between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. It is one of the most expensive districts of London and the world.
The area around Mayfair was originally part of Eia's manor and remained largely in the countryside until the early 18th century. It became famous for the annual "Fair Fair" that runs from 1686 to 1764 in the Shepherd Market now. The exhibition attracted an unpleasant element of the downmarket and gradually became a public nuisance. The Grosvenor family, who later became the Duke of Westminster, acquired the land through marriage and began to develop it under the direction of Thomas Barlow. The work includes three large squares - Hanover Square, Berkeley Square, and Grosvenor Square, all surrounded by mansions, and St. George Hanover Square church.
At the end of the 18th century, most of Mayfair was built with prestigious housing to cater for the upper classes; unlike some of the nearby areas of London, it has never lost its affluent status. The decline of the British aristocracy in the early 20th century caused Mayfair to be more commercial than residence, with many used homes converted into offices for large corporate headquarters, embassies and other businesses. There are still a large number of luxury residential properties, upscale shops and restaurants, and modern hotels along Piccadilly and Park Lane in particular. Mayfair's prestigious status has been celebrated by becoming the most expensive property square on the London Monopoly board.
Video Mayfair
Geography
The Mayfair area is on the London Borough of Westminster and consists mainly of the historic Grosvenor plantation, along with Albemarle, Berkeley, Burlington and Curzon estates. It is bordered on West by Park Lane, north by Oxford Street, east by Regent Street, and south by Piccadilly. Across the bordering road, north is Marylebone, east, Soho and to the southwest, Knightsbridge and Belgravia.
Mayfair is surrounded by gardens; both Hyde Park and Green Park are running along its border. The 8 acres (3.2 hectare) Grosvenor Square is approximately in the center of Mayfair, and is the center of the area, which contains many expensive and desirable properties.
Maps Mayfair
History
Initial history
There is speculation that the Romans settled in the area before establishing Londinium, following an analysis of the alignment of Roman streets. Almanack Whitaker has suggested that Aulus Plautius erected a fortress near the intersection of Park Street and Oxford Street during the Roman conquest of England in 43 AD while waiting for Claudius; the theory was fully developed in 1993, with a proposal that around the fortress of a Roman city was formed, which was later abandoned because it was too far from the River Thames. The proposal has been disputed for lack of archaeological evidence. If there is a fort, it is believed the perimeter is where the modern Green Street, North Audley Street, Upper Grosvenor Street and Park Lane are now located, and that Park Street will be the main road through the center. This area is known as the Eia manor in the Domesday Book, and is owned by Geoffrey de Mandeville after the Norman Conquest. It was then given to the Abbey of Westminster, who had it until 1536 when it was taken over by Henry VIII.
Mayfair is mainly open field until construction began in the Shepherd Market area around 1686-8 to accommodate the May Fair which has moved from Haymarket at St James due to its density. There were several buildings before 1686 - a hut in Stanhope Row, dating from 1618, which was destroyed at Blitz in the late 1940s. The 17th century British fortress was erected in what is now Mount Street in Mayfair, and is known as Oliver's Mountain in the Middle Ages -18.
The May Fair
The May Fair is held annually at Great Brookfield (which is now part of Curzon Street and Shepherd Market) from May 1 to 14. It was founded during the reign of Edward I, where the area outside St James is an open field. Fair was recorded as "Saint James's fayer by Westminster" in 1560. Postponed briefly in 1603 due to plague, but instead continued throughout the 17th century. In 1686, the fair moved to what is now Mayfair. On the 18th, the event has attracted a variety of performances, magicians, fencers, and many highway attractions. Popular attractions include bare-book battles, semolina feeding contests and women's foot racing.
During the reign of George I, the May Fair has been underestimated and considered a public scandal. The 6th Earl of Coventry, who lives in Piccadilly, considers fairness as a nuisance and leads a public campaign against it along with the locals. It was removed in 1764. One of the reasons for the subsequent explosion of Mayfair in the development of property was to discourage lower-class activities.
Family and Grosvenor plantations
Build what is now Mayfair began in the 1660s, originally on the corner of Piccadilly, and flourished along the north side of the road. Burlington House was built between 1664-5 by John Denham, but was sold two years later to Richard Boyle, the 1st Earl of Burlington asking Hugh May to complete. The house was modified extensively through the 18th century, and is the only one of this era to survive until the 21st century.
The origins of major developments in Mayfair began when Sir Thomas Grosvenor, the 3rd Baronet married Mary Davis, heir of the part of the Manor of Ebury, in 1677. The Grosvenor family acquired 500 acres (200 hectares) of land, of which about 100 acres (40Ã, ha) is located south of Oxford Street and east of Park Lane. It's called "Hundred Hectares" at the beginning of the act.
In 1721, the London Journal reported "the land where the earlier May Fair was held was marked for a large square, and some nice roads and houses had to be built on it". Sir Richard Grosvenor, 4 Baronet asked surveyor Thomas Barlow to design a road layout, which has survived most intact to this day even though most properties are being rebuilt. Barlow proposes a wide straight path, a straight path, with a large place as the center. Buildings were built here in sequence, and by the mid-18th century the building was covered with houses. Much of the land is based around seven estates - Burlington, Millfield, Conduit Mead, Albemarle Ground, Berkeley, Curzon and, most importantly, Grosvenor. From the original property built in Mayfair, only the Grosvenor plantation survives intact and is owned by the same family, which later became the Duke of Westminster in 1874. Chesterfield Street is one of the few streets in Mayfair that still has an 18th century property in both side. , with a single exception, and is probably the least modified path in the area.
Hanover Square is the first of three large boxes to be built at Mayfair. It was named after King George I, also known as the Hanover Voters, soon after the ascension of the throne in 1714. The original houses in the square were inhabited by "different people" like retired generals. Although most have been destroyed, a small number of homes have survived to this day. Hanover Square Rooms became a popular venue for classical music concerts, including Johann Sebastian Bach, Joseph Haydn, NiccolÃÆ'² Paganini and Franz Liszt. There is a large statue of William Pitt the Younger at the southern end of the square.
In 1725, Mayfair became part of the new parish of St. George Hanover Square, walking east as far as Bond Street and to Regent Street north of Conduit Street. It ran as far north as Oxford Street and south near to Piccadilly. The parish continued into Hyde Park in the west and extended southwest to St George's Hospital. Most of the territory belongs to (and continues to be owned by) the Grosvenor family, despite the freehold of some parts of Crown Estate's Mayfair. Water supply to the area was built by Chelsea Water Works, and a royal warrant was issued in 1725 for a reservoir in Hyde Park that could supply water to Mayfair, where it is now the Grosvenor Gate. In 1835, the reservoir was decorated with an ornamental basin and a fountain in its center. In 1963, after the widening of Park Lane, it was rebuilt as the Joy of Life Fountain.
Grosvenor Square is planned as a Mayfair estate center. It's laid out around 1725-31 and contains about 51 individual plots for development. This is the second largest square in London (after Lincoln's Inn Fields) and accommodates many members of the aristocracy until the mid-20th century. In the late 19th century, the Grosvenor family was described as "the richest family in Europe" and the annual rent for their Mayfair property reached around Ã, £ 135,000 (now Ã, £ 13,530,000). The square has never declined in popularity and continues to be a prestigious London address into the 21st century. Only two original houses in the surviving square; No. 9, was once the home of John Adams, and No. 38 who is now the Embassy of Indonesia.
Berkeley House in Piccadilly was named after John Berkeley, 1 Baron Berkeley of Stratton who had bought his land, and its surroundings, shortly after the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660. In 1696, the Berkeley family sold the house and land to the 1st floor. Duke of Devonshire (who named it Devonshire House) provided that the view from the back of the house should not be damaged. Berkeley Square was laid out to the back of the house in the 1730s; because of the condition of the sale, the house is only built on the east and west side. The west side still has various buildings mid-18th century along it, while the eastern side now contains offices including Berkeley Square House.
Mayfair's expansion moved upper-class Londoners away from areas such as Covent Garden and Soho, which had already declined in the 18th century. Part of its success is due to its proximity to St James Court and the park, and due to its well-designed layout. This caused it to retain its popularity into the 21st century. The aristocratic requirements led to a variety of horse stables, coach houses, and serviced accommodation erected along the cage walking parallel to the streets. Some stalls have been converted into garages and offices.
The Rothschild family owns several Mayfair properties in the 19th century. Alfred de Rothschild lives in No. 1 Seamore Place and held many "adoration dinners" where the only guests are female friends. His brother Leopold's marriage to Marie Perugia took place here in 1881. Dismantled after World War I when Curzon Street extended through the site to meet Park Lane.
Mayfair has had a long relationship with the United States. Pocahontas is believed to have visited the area in the early 17th century. In 1786, John Adams founded the US Embassy at Grosvenor Square. Theodore Roosevelt was married in Hanover Square, while Franklin D. Roosevelt honeymooned in Berkeley Square. There is a small memorial park in Mount Street Gardens with a collection of benches carved with the names of former Americans and visitors of Mayfair.
Modern history
The death of Hugh Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster 1 in 1899 was an important point in the development of Mayfair, after which all non-operating rebuilding schemes were canceled. In subsequent years, government budget proposals such as the establishment of the welfare state of David Lloyd George in 1909, greatly reduced the power of the Lords. The value of the land falls around Mayfair, and some rents are not renewed.
After World War I, the British upper class declined due to the decrease in the number of workers meant that the waiters were less well-stocked and demanded a higher salary. Major houses in Mayfair became more expensive for service and consequently many moved to foreign embassies. The 2nd Duke of Westminster decided to destroy Grosvenor House and build Bourdon House instead. Mayfair attracted commercial development after much of London City was destroyed during Blitz, and many company headquarters were set up in the area. Several important historic houses were destroyed, including Aldford House, Londonderry House and Chesterfield House.
The Canadian High Commission was established at Macdonald House in No. 1 Grosvenor Square in 1961. Named after the first Canadian Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald. The Italian Embassy is at No. 4 Grosvenor Square.
The district has become increasingly commercial, with many offices in converted homes and new buildings, although the trend has returned in places. The United States Embassy announced in 2008 that it will move from its long-established location at Grosvenor Square to Nine Elms, Wandsworth due to security concerns, despite building a £ 8 million security improvement after the September 11 attacks including a 6-foot (1.8 m ) high explosive wall. Since the 1990s, residential properties have become available again, although rental rates are the highest in London. Mayfair remains one of the most expensive places to stay in London and the world and there remains some exclusive shopping and concentration of the largest luxury hotels in London and many restaurants, especially around Park Lane and Grosvenor Square.
Properties
Church
St. George's, Hanover Square was built between 1721-4 by John James, as one of the 50 new churches after the Commission for the Building Fifty New Churches Act in 1711. It featured the first portico built for the English church. Some historically important people married here, including Emma, ​​Lady Hamilton in 1791, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1814, and Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli and H. H. Asquith in 1839 and 1894 respectively. The porch featured two iron dogs rescued from a shop on Conduit Street that was bombed during Blitz.
Grosvenor Chapel is on South Audley Street in Mayfair, built by Benjamin Timbrell in 1730 for Grosvenor Estate. It was used by American armed forces during World War II. Arthur Wellesley's parents, Duke of Wellington were first buried in the churchyard.
Mayfair Chapel based in Curzon Street. It became a popular place for illegal marriages, including over 700 in 1742, and in which James Hamilton, the sixth Duke married Elizabeth Gunning in 1752. The 1753 Marriage Act stops unmarried marriage. The chapel was destroyed in 1899.
Hotel
Flemings Mayfair is a boutique hotel located in Mayfair, London. Converted from a Georgian townhouse in 1731, opened in 1851, making it one of London's oldest hotels. This hotel is located on Half Moon Street. Although Half Moon Street is now one of the most luxurious addresses in London, in the 1880s at Victoria London, the place was much more colorful and bohemian where many 'confirmed bachelors' live and socialize.
Claridge's was founded in 1812 as Mivart's Hotel on Brook Street. It was acquired by William Claridge in 1855, who gave him his current name. The hotel was purchased by the Savoy Company in 1895 and redeveloped with red brick designs, and extended again in 1931. Several of the European royal family in exile stayed at the hotel during World War II. Alexander, the Crown Prince of Yugoslavia was born at the hotel on July 17, 1945; Prime Minister Winston Churchill was said to have declared the suite he had born into the Yugoslavia.
The London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square, originally built as The Europa Hotel in 1961, became the first Marriott hotel in Britain in 1985 transforming a 6-storey residential building at the corner of Grosvenor Square and Duke Street into 217 Rooms and 20 suites. The hotel's original bar, named 'The Diplomat' becomes a stylish hangout for wealthy and officials visiting the American Embassy located at Grosvenor Square. The hotel has undergone several renovations since its first launch and is now home to 13 meeting rooms and a typical restaurant by Gordon Ramsay.
The Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane is in the former home of Gloucester House, the home of Robert Grosvenor, the 2nd Earl Grosvenor (later Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster). It was expanded by Alfred Octavius ​​in 1928 and now supports more than 450 rooms with 150 plush flats in the south wing. This is the first London hotel to have its own swimming pool.
Dorchester was named after Joseph Damer, the first Earl Dorchester. The first important building here was founded by Joseph Damer in 1751, and was renamed Dorchester House after Earl's succession in 1792. The property was purchased by Sir Robert McAlpine and Sons and Gordon Hotels Ltd in 1928 to be rebuilt into a hotel, which will be rebuilt. - opened on April 18, 1931. It was General Dwight Eisenhower's headquarters in London during World War II, while the Duke of Edinburgh held a speech party at the hotel before his marriage to Princess Elizabeth.
The May Fair Hotel opened in 1927 at the former Devonshire House site on Stratton Street. It accommodates the Mayfair Theater, which opened in 1963.
The Ritz opened in Piccadilly on May 24, 1906. It is the first steel-frame building built in London, and is one of the most prestigious and most famous hotels in the world.
Retail
Mayfair has included exclusive shops, hotels, restaurants and clubs since the 19th century. Quarters - particularly the Bond Street area - are also home to a number of commercial art galleries, as well as international auction houses such as Bonhams, Christie's and Sotheby's.
Gunter Tea Shop was founded in 1757 in Nos. 7-8 Berkeley Square by Domenico Negri Italia. Robert Gunter took joint ownership of the store in 1777, and full ownership in 1799. During the 19th century it became a fashionable place to buy cakes and ice cream, and was famous for its multi-tiered wedding cakes. The store moved to Curzon Street in 1936 when the east side of Berkley Square was destroyed. It closed in 1956, with the catering business lasting until 1976.
Mount Street has been a popular street for shops since Mayfair was first developed in the 18th century. It was largely rebuilt between 1880 and 1900 under the direction of the Duke of Westminster 1, while the closest social house was moved to Pimlico. Now there are a number of stores dealing with fancy trades.
The Shepherd Market has been called the "village center" of Mayfair. The current building dates from around 1860 and consists of food and antiques stores next to pubs and restaurants. The market previously had a reputation for high-class prostitution. Jeffrey Archer allegedly frequented the area for this purpose, and was accused of visiting Monica Coghlan, a call girl in Shepherd Market, which eventually led to a libel trial and his imprisonment in the future for changing the course of justice.
Next to Burlington House is one of London's most luxurious shopping areas, Burlington Arcade. It was designed by Samuel Ware for George Cavendish, the 1st Earl of Burlington in 1819. The Arcade was designed with high walls on either side especially to stop passersby by dumping trash into Earl's garden. The arcade ownership was later relegated to the Chesham family. In 1911, another floor was added by Beresford Pite, which also added Chesham weapons. The family sold the arcade to Prudential Assurance Company for £ 333,000 (now Ã, £ 17,738,000) in 1926. It was bombed during World War II and later restored.
Butcher Allen Mayfair was founded in a shop on Mount Street in 1830. It is one of London's most famous butchers and holds a Royal appointment letter to supply the meat to the Queen, as well as supplying some high profile. restaurants in the area. After the debt spun, it was sold to Rare Butchers of Distinction in 2006. Mayfair closed in 2015, but the company maintains its online presence.
Scott's restaurant moved from Coventry Street to Nos. 20-22 Mount Street in 1967. In 1975, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) bombed the restaurant twice, killing one person and wounding 15 people.
Museums and galleries
Mayfair is home to many galleries, which have earned it a reputation as an international art center. The Royal Academy of Arts is based at Burlington House. Founded in 1768 by George III and is the oldest art community in the world. The founding president is Sir Joshua Reynolds. The Academy hosts classes and exhibitions, and students have included John Constable and J. M. W. Turner. Moving from Somerset House to Trafalgar Square in 1837, sharing with the National Gallery, before moving to Burlington House in 1868. The Academy hosts the famous annual Summer Exhibition, featuring over 1,000 contemporary art pieces that can be submitted by anyone.
Gallery Fine Art Society was founded in No. 148 New Bond Street in 1876. Other popular galleries in Mayfair include Maddox Gallery on Maddox Street and Halcyon Gallery.
The Handel House Museum is at No. 25 Brook Street in Mayfair, and opened in 2001. George Frederic Handel was the first inhabitant of this house from 1723 until his death in 1759. Most of his major works, including the Messiah , and Music for the Royal Fireworks are organized here. The museum also includes the Jimi Hendrix exhibition, which lives on the top floor flat in No. 23 Brook Street adjacent in 1968-9.
The Faraday Museum is on Albermarle Street, in the basement laboratory originally used by Michael Faraday as part of his experiments with electromagnetic and motor rotations at the Royal Institution. It opened in 1973 and included the first electrical generator designed by Faraday, along with various notes and medals.
Business
Lord Rothschild bought GVO, an investment house in Mayfair, in 2014. The company's investment fund has been more successful than the FTSE All-Share Index and the FTSE Small Cap Index.
Cadbury's previous headquarters are at No. 25 Square Square in Mayfair. In 2007, Cadbury Schweppes announced that they moved to Uxbridge to cut costs.
More
Bourdon House is one of the oldest properties in Mayfair. It was built by Thomas Barlow between 1723-5 as part of the initial development plan. Additional levels were added around 1864-5. In 1909, the 2nd Duke of Westminster ordered a massive renovation and expansion of the three-story wing. He moved from Grosvenor House in 1916 to this place, where he lived until his death in 1953.
Crewe House was built in the late 18th century at the site of a house on Curzon Street owned by Edward Shepherd, a major builder and architect around Mayfair. It was purchased by James Stuart-Wortley, 1st Baron Wharncliffe in 1818 and became known as Wharncliffe House. In 1899, it was purchased by Robert Crewe-Milnes, Earl Crewe, giving him his current name. The house is now part of the Saudi Arabian Embassy.
Mayfair has many blue plaques on the building, due to the proliferation of important and recognized residents. Standing on the corner of Chesterfield Street and Charles Street, one can see placards for William, Duke of Clarence and St Andrews (then King William IV), Prime Minister Lord Rosebery, Somerset Maughan writer and fashion icon Beau Brummell District.
Transport
Although there is no London Subway Station inside Mayfair, there are some on the border. Marble Arch, Bond Street and Oxford Circus along Oxford Street are on the north bank, while Piccadilly Circus and Green Park are along Piccadilly in the south, along with Hyde Park Corner near Knightsbridge.
Down Street Tube Station opened in 1907 as "Down Street (Mayfair)". It was closed in 1932 but was used during the Second World War by the Emergency Railway Committee, and briefly by Churchill and the war cabinet while waiting for the War Room to be ready. While there is only one bus route in Mayfair itself, the C2 24 hour route, there are many bus routes along the perimeter road.
Cultural reference
Oscar Wilde lived in Grosvenor Square between 1883 and 1884 and called it in his works. He regularly socializes in the artistic quarter along Half Moon Street, mentioned on both The Importance of Being Earnest and The Portrait of Dorian Gray.
Mayfair is the most expensive property on the British standard board Monopoly at £ 400, and is part of the dark blue set with Park Lane. It orders the highest lease of all properties; landed in Mayfair at a hotel cost of Ã,  £ 2,000. The price is a reference to property values ​​in the area, which remain consistently high, with real life rent of Ã, £ 36,000 per week. By the time the board was being drafted in the 1930s, Mayfair still had a significant upscale population.
Department store Debenhams became one of the first companies in the UK to have a special business phone number, Mayfair 1, in 1903.
In fiction, Mayfair has been featured in a number of novels including, P.G. Wodehouse's, The Mating Season (1949) and Evelyn Waugh, A Handful of Dust (1934) and partial arrangements for Jane Austen Sense and Sensibility (1811), Oscar Wilde Picture of Dorian Gray, Saki's The Unberable Bassington (1912) and Michael Arlen's The Green Hat (1924).
Also a protagonist of Amnesia: The Dark Descent remembered that he used to live in Mayfair.
See also
- A Nightingale Sang at Berkeley Square
- The Punch Bowl, Mayfair
- Street name of Mayfair
References
Note
Quotes
Source
Further reading
External links
- Official website from the business directory
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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