8 South Audley Street, Mayfair

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8 South Audley Street
Corner South Audley Street and Hill Street, London W1 - geograph.org.uk - 1098335.jpg
Corner of South Audley Street and Hill Street, Mayfair
8 South Audley Street, Mayfair
Former namesCambridge House, Curzon House, and Alington House
General information
Architectural styleGeorgian
Location8 South Audley Street, Mayfair, London W1, City of Westminster, London, England
Construction started1744 [1]
Technical details
MaterialBrown brick with stucco dressings [1]
Floor count4 (plus basement) [1]

8 South Audley Street Mayfair is a Grade II Listed building in Mayfair, London which was constructed in 1744 and significantly altered in the early and mid-19th century.

Contents

The building currently houses the Nehru Centre, London, and has previously has served as an aristocratic Townhouse and as a Royal Residence. At various times in the building's history it has been known as Alington House, Cambridge House, and Curzon House.

Design and construction

No. 8 South Audley Street is a four-storey Georgian corner townhouse of brown brick with stucco dressings, articulated by a boldly projecting nineteenth-century Ionic-pilastered porch, a sequence of pedimented first-floor windows (with a central Venetian light), foliated architraves to the upper storeys, cast-iron balconettes and guards, and a full-height three-window bow to the rear; internally it retains an eighteenth-century stone stair with wrought-iron balustrade alongside later neoclassical and fuller mid-nineteenth-century work. [1] Although the original architect is not recorded, an early nineteenth-century ground-floor plan signed “C. Beazley Archt, March 1804” shows Charles Beazley's involvement in alterations when the house was known as Alington House, establishing a documented architectural hand on the building's fabric. [2]

History and occupants

18th Century

Following the building's construction in 1744 the property was occupied by the City merchant James Lumley, who brought with him an elaborate chimneypiece attributed to Isaac Ware. Soon after it was acquired as the London residence of the Archbishops of York.. [3]

Royal residence

8 South Audley Street was reportedly used as the London residence of Queen Caroline during the final year of her life. [1] The next recorded residents were her brother-in-law Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge and his family. During the years which the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge leased No. 8 the building was known as Cambridge House. [4] During this period Prince Adolphus was frequently abroad in his capacity as Viceroy of Hanover, and in 1826 the House was recorded as the London residence of the Duke of Cambridge's elder brother Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany. [5]

The Duke of Cambridge gave up the house in 1830, and instead leased a larger House at No. 94 Piccadilly, which has since retained the name Cambridge House . [4]

1840s to 1870s: Curzon House

By 1844 the house was known as Curzon House, and it was the London residence of Richard Curzon-Howe, 1st Earl Howe. [6] Lord Howe's daughter Adelaide, Lady Burghersh gave birth to her first child at the House on 3 September 1858. [7] Howe died in 1870, and in June 1876 his Executors directed the estate agents Messrs. Driver to sell the leasehold of 8 South Audley Street, which they noted included a remaining term of more than 60 years. [8]

1880s to 1920s: Alington House

By 1883 No. 8 South Audley Street was the home of Henry Sturt, 1st Baron Alington, and the building became known as Alington House. [9] Lord Alington was reportedly on friendly terms with various members of the British Royal Family, and in the early 20th century the House maintained some minor repute as the site of a large Ball which Lord Alington hosted, at which there were reportedly sixteen members of the Royal Family were in attendance. [10] [11]

In May 1896 the leasehold of 8 South Audley Street was advertised as being for sale by Lord Alington; the particulars of the advertisements noted that the remaining term of the leasehold was nearly 40 years. [12]

In 1899 the House was leased by Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough and his wife Consuelo, Duchess of Marlborough. [13]

Following Lord Alington's death in 1904, details of his estate reported in contemporary newspaper articles in September of the same year revealed that he was not as wealthy as he had been rumoured to be during his life, and that consequently his son Humphrey Sturt, 2nd Baron Alington intended to dispose of Alington House immediately. [14] The house was then purchased by William Denison, 2nd Earl of Londesborough, [10] who lived at the property with his wife and daughter Lady Irene Denison (later Marchioness of Carisbrooke) during the early years of the 1900s. By 1905 Lord and Lady Londesborough were undertaking substantial renovations to the House. [15]

In 1909 newspapers reported that Sir Berkeley Sheffield purchased the house from Lord Londesborough; [16] however the memoirs of the Earl of Crawford note that the House had been leased to Sir Berkeley for a London Season for a rent of £630. [17]

First World War

The house was used as the "Russian Hospital for British Officers" during the First World War. [11]

Final years as a private house

An auction of the "valuable contents of the mansion" was held on 24 July 1922 at the direction of Sir Berkeley. [18] By the end of 1922 the Sheffield family had vacated the property, and acquired a new London residence at No. 16 Kensington Palace Gardens. [19]

In 1927 the House was rented by Gerald Liddell, 6th Baron Ravensworth, where he and his wife hosted a debutante coming-out ball for their daughters in May. [11]

The freehold of the mansion was advertised as being for sale in October 1929. [20]

Clubhouse

On 1 May 1930 the Bachelors' Club officially opened its new premises at No. 8 South Audley Street. [21]

Second World War

The house sustained bomb damage during the Second World War, [22] and was used as the American Officers' Mess during the later years of the War. [17]

Recent history

Following the end of the Second World War the building was leased by the Government of India. [23] The house was advertised as being for sale in September 1946, for a rumoured price of £120,000. [24] In 1949 the freehold of 8 South Audley Street was purchased by an insurance company as an investment; the price paid was reportedly £150,000. [23] By 1950 No. 8 South Audley Street had become the premises of the Indian Services Club. [22] The House was also used for entertaining by the High Commissioner for India during the early 1950s. [25]

Architecture and interior

Auction and sale notices record a formal ground- and first-floor plan centred on an entrance hall, inner hall, and principal stair leading to a reception suite, with extensive family accommodation and service rooms behind. In 1876, particulars listed a suite of reception rooms, eighteen bed- and dressing-rooms, ample domestic offices, and—within the same holding—an ancillary Hill Street cottage and extensive stabling and coach-house premises. [8]

By 1896 (Alington House), the first-floor entertaining suite comprised a ballroom (about 35×29 ft), drawing room (c. 36×21 ft), a long conservatory (nearly 50 ft) opening to a winter garden, a boudoir, and two further large sitting rooms. The ground floor around the stair hall contained a state dining room (c. 35×24 ft), smaller dining room (c. 22×16 ft) with service connection to the basement, a library (c. 36×21 ft) opening to the garden, and a morning room of roughly 20 ft square. Bedrooms included three principal rooms (about 25×24 ft, 25×21 ft, and ~19 ft in width/depth as stated) with large dressing rooms, plus roughly 15 additional bedrooms, and separate male-servant rooms in the basement. The domestic offices were described as ample, light, and well arranged. Associated South Street stables provided 10 stalls, carriage space for five vehicles, with lofts and living rooms over. [12]

In 1929, the freehold sale notice quantified the interior as a suite of six reception rooms, 25 bedrooms, five bathrooms, and the usual service offices, the whole stated at about 17,210 sq ft. [20]

In 1946, after modernisation, particulars recorded panelled reception rooms, about 25 bed- and dressing-rooms, and a two-galleried squash racquets court within the house, with decorative work attributed to the Adam brothers. [24]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "8 South Audley Street (List Entry 1236395)". Historic England. Historic England. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
  2. ↑ "Charles Beazley (c.1760–1829), London, South Audley Street (Allington House), Plan of ground floor, signed and dated March 1804". Sir John Soane’s Museum Collections. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
  3. ↑ "About". Nehru Centre London. Indian Council for Cultural Relations. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
  4. 1 2 Kinloch Cooke, Clement (1900). A Memoir of Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck: Based on Her Private Diaries and Letters. London: John Murray. p. 19. LCCN   04034875. OCLC   321553 – via Internet Archive.
  5. ↑ Mitton, G. E. (1903). Besant, Walter (ed.). Mayfair, Belgravia and Bayswater. The Fascination of London. London: A. & C. Black. pp. 14–15. LCCN   03023828. OCLC   78118806 – via Internet Archive. Title within ornamental border.
  6. ↑ "Earl Howe—Town Residence: 8 South Audley Street, Mayfair". The Leicestershire Mercury and General Advertiser for the Midland Counties. 6 April 1844. p. 3. Retrieved 12 October 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Lady Burghersh gives birth to a son at 8 South Audley Street". The Morning Chronicle. 6 September 1858. p. 8. Retrieved 12 October 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  8. 1 2 "Long Lease for Auction—8 South Audley Street, Mayfair". The Times. 10 June 1876. p. 18. Retrieved 12 October 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "The Prince and Princess of Wales". The Morning Post. 20 June 1883. p. 5. Retrieved 12 October 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  10. 1 2 "Where Royalty Dance—Alington House, South Audley Street, Mayfair". The Mail (Millom and South Copeland edition). 17 October 1929. p. 2. Retrieved 12 October 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  11. 1 2 3 "Ravensworth Ball—Alington House, South Audley Street, Mayfair". Evening Standard. 28 March 1927. p. 19. Retrieved 12 October 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  12. 1 2 "Alington House, South Audley Street, Mayfair—submitted for auction". The Daily Telegraph. 9 May 1896. p. 11. Retrieved 12 October 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ Churchill, Randolph S. (1967). Winston S. Churchill: Companion Volume I, Part 2: 1896–1900 (1 ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin. pp. 1024–1025. ISBN   9780395075265 – via Internet Archive.
  14. ↑ "Alington House, South Audley Street, Mayfair, to be sold". Evening Herald. 9 March 1904. p. 4. Retrieved 12 October 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Alington House renovations". Birmingham Gazette. 28 February 1905. p. 4. Retrieved 12 October 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Sir Berkeley Sheffield purchases No. 8 South Audley Street, Mayfair (Alington House)". The Observer. 7 March 1909. p. 9. Retrieved 12 October 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  17. 1 2 Combat History of the 324th Infantry Regiment, 44th Infantry Division. Baton Rouge, La., Army & Navy Pub. Co. 1946. pp. 25–26. LCCN   49028939. OL   6057117M – via Internet Archive.
  18. ↑ "Contents of 8 South Audley Street, Mayfair, to be auctioned—by direction of Sir Berkeley Sheffield". The Daily Telegraph. 3 July 1922. p. 24. Retrieved 12 October 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ Wade, Stephen (2017). Tales from the Big House: Normanby Hall—400 Years of Its History and People. Barnsley: Pen & Sword History. pp. 60–61. ISBN   9781473893399 – via Internet Archive.
  20. 1 2 "8 South Audley Street, Mayfair—Freehold for Sale". Evening Standard. 24 October 1929. p. 22. Retrieved 12 October 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ "Bachelors' Club opens new premises at 8 South Audley Street, Mayfair". The Daily Telegraph. 1 May 1930. p. 1. Retrieved 12 October 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  22. 1 2 "London Day by Day: A Lavish Club (Indian Services Club, 8 South Audley Street, Mayfair)". The Daily Telegraph. 16 August 1950. p. 12. Retrieved 12 October 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  23. 1 2 "A £150,000 Deal—sale of 8 South Audley Street, Mayfair". The Daily Telegraph. 21 November 1949. p. 2. Retrieved 12 October 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  24. 1 2 "Houses and Estate—A Noted Mayfair Mansion (8 South Audley Street)". The Daily Telegraph. 23 September 1946. p. 2. Retrieved 12 October 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  25. ↑ "Dinner—High Commissioner for India (Indian Services Club, 8 South Audley Street, Mayfair)". The Daily Telegraph. 22 August 1953. p. 4. Retrieved 12 October 2025– via Newspapers.com.
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