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'''Barton Street and Cowley Street''' are two short streets in ], London. They were developed in the 18th century by the actor ], the former taking his first name, and the latter the name of an estate he owned at ], then in ] to the west of London. The streets' proximity to the ] has made them a popular choice for politicians looking for homes within ] ] area; they have also attracted other celebrities, including; ], who wrote much of his '']'' at No. 14, Barton Street; and the actor, ] lived at No. 16, Cowley Street. Many of the buildings are ], most at the second highest grade, II*. Simon Bradley and ], in the sixth London volume in the ] series, describe Barton Street and Cowley Street as, "among the most perfect ] streets in Westminster". '''Barton Street and Cowley Street''' are two short streets in ], London. They were developed in the 18th century by the actor ], the former taking his first name, and the latter the name of an estate he owned at ], then in ] to the west of London. The streets' proximity to the ] has made them a popular choice for politicians looking for homes within ] ] area; the ] politician ] lived at No.8, Barton Street in the 20th century, and ] lives at No.7, Cowley Street in the 21st. They have also attracted other notables including; ], who wrote much of his '']'' at No. 14, Barton Street; the actor, ], who lived at No. 16, Cowley Street and the composer ], who had a six-year tenure at No.10, Barton Street. Many of the buildings are ], most at the second highest grade, II*. Simon Bradley and ], in the sixth London volume in the ] series, describe Barton Street and Cowley Street as, "among the most perfect ] streets in Westminster".


==Location== ==Location==
Line 34: Line 34:
] (1682 – 1733) was among the most successful actors of the 18th century.<ref name="auto1">{{cite web|url=https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/barton-booth/|title=Barton Booth|publisher=]|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref> He invested some of the profits of his success in property development, laying out Barton Street, named after himself, and Cowley Street, named after his country estate in ], from 1722.{{efn|While most sources ascribe the naming of Cowley Street to his Middlesex manor, it has been suggested that the street was named in honour of ], a fellow ] and Booth's favourite poet.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/old-new-london/vol4/pp1-13|title=The City of Westminster: Introduction|publisher=British History Online |access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>}}{{sfn|Bradley|Pevsner|2003|pp=699-700}} Booth was familiar with the area having been educated at ], just to the north.<ref name="auto1"/> ] (1682 – 1733) was among the most successful actors of the 18th century.<ref name="auto1">{{cite web|url=https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/barton-booth/|title=Barton Booth|publisher=]|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref> He invested some of the profits of his success in property development, laying out Barton Street, named after himself, and Cowley Street, named after his country estate in ], from 1722.{{efn|While most sources ascribe the naming of Cowley Street to his Middlesex manor, it has been suggested that the street was named in honour of ], a fellow ] and Booth's favourite poet.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/old-new-london/vol4/pp1-13|title=The City of Westminster: Introduction|publisher=British History Online |access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>}}{{sfn|Bradley|Pevsner|2003|pp=699-700}} Booth was familiar with the area having been educated at ], just to the north.<ref name="auto1"/>


Simon Bradley and ], in the 2003 revised ''London 6: Westminster'' in the ] series, consider the streets, "among the most perfect ] streets in Westminster".{{sfn|Bradley|Pevsner|2003|pp=699-700}} ] noted the unusual residential nature of the streets, together with Lord North Street and Gayfere Street, describing them as "remarkable surviving residential terraces".{{sfn|Westminster City Council|2005|p=30}} The houses are mainly of ], of three storeys with basements and attics and with decorated ].{{sfn|Bradley|Pevsner|2003|pp=699-700}} Their layout follows what ] called "the insistent verticality of the London house" .{{sfn|Summerson|1978|p=67}} There are some later insertions, mainly of the later 19th and 20th centuries, including: Corner House, which incorporates No.11, Cowley Street, and No.8, Little College Street, and dates from 1911 and is by ];<ref name="auto2">{{NHLE|num=1288975|desc=Corner House, including No.11 Cowley Street|grade=II|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref> ], of 1904 by ] and described by ] as "rather out of scale with its neighbors"<ref name="auto">{{NHLE|num=1290822|desc=No.4, Cowley Street|grade=II|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>; and No.8 Barton Street, of 1909 and also by Field.<ref name="auto3">{{NHLE|num=1066475|desc=No.8, Barton Street|grade=II|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref> Simon Bradley and ], in the 2003 revised ''London 6: Westminster'' in the ] series, consider the streets, "among the most perfect ] streets in Westminster".{{sfn|Bradley|Pevsner|2003|pp=699-700}} ] noted the unusual residential nature of the streets, together with ] and Gayfere Street, describing them as "remarkable surviving residential terraces".{{sfn|Westminster City Council|2005|p=30}} The houses are mainly of ], of three storeys with basements and attics and with decorated ].{{sfn|Bradley|Pevsner|2003|pp=699-700}} Their layout follows what ] called "the insistent verticality of the London house" .{{sfn|Summerson|1978|p=67}} There are some later insertions, mainly of the later 19th and 20th centuries, including: Corner House, which incorporates No.11, Cowley Street, and No.8, Little College Street, and dates from 1911 and is by ];<ref name="auto2">{{NHLE|num=1288975|desc=Corner House, including No.11 Cowley Street|grade=II|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref> ], of 1904 by ] and described by ] as "rather out of scale with its neighbours";<ref name="auto">{{NHLE|num=1290822|desc=No.4, Cowley Street|grade=II|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref> and No.8 Barton Street, of 1909 and also by Field.<ref name="auto3">{{NHLE|num=1066475|desc=No.8, Barton Street|grade=II|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>


==Buildings, occupants and listing designations== ==Buildings, occupants and listing designations==

⚫ * No.1, Cowley Street - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1220724|desc=No.1, Cowley Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>
===Barton Street===
⚫ * No.2 and No.3, Cowley Street - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1066951|desc=No.2 and No.3, Cowley Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>
⚫ * No.1 - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1217989|desc=No.1, Barton Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>
⚫ * No.4, Cowley Street - Grade II listed.<ref name="auto"/> Built by ] as the London headquarters of the ]. Later the headquarters of the ], it was renovated and marketed as a private home in 2017.{{efn|In 2024 the building, renamed Mansion House, was available for long or short-term lets, at a rate of £21,250 per week.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/152041661#/?channel=RES_LET| title=Mansion House, 4 Cowley Street|publisher=]|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.countrylife.co.uk/property/one-of-londons-most-striking-offices-has-become-one-of-its-most-extraordinary-homes-164895|first=Toby|last=Keel|title=A palatial home in the very heart of Westminster|work=]|date=5 September 2017 |access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>
⚫ * No.3 - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1357196|desc=No.3, Barton Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>
⚫ * No.7, Cowley Street. The home of ], formerly owned by ].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/dec/01/jacob-rees-mogg-commons-inquiry-launched-over-undeclared-loans | title=Jacob Rees-Mogg faces Commons inquiry over undeclared £6m loans | work=] | date=1 December 2021 | last1=Walker | first1=Peter|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/homesandproperty/celebrity-homes/jacob-reesmogg-property-portfolio-b1196834.html |title=Empire of Posh: Inside Jacob Rees-Mogg's property portfolio|first=Emma|last=Magnus|work=]|date=4 December 2024|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>
* No.4, No.5 and No.6 - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1292168|desc=No.4, No.5 and No.6, Barton Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref> ], the first general manager, and later ] of the ] (BBC) lived at No.6.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/lord-reith/ | title=Blue Plaques: Lord Reith, Director of the BBC|publisher=]|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref> In May 1926, the then ], ], made a broadcast about the ] from Reith's study at the house.{{efn|The broadcast was controversial; ], the leader of the opposition ], complaining that the BBC was showing partisanship towards the government and breaching its own impartiality.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/aug/18/-sp-bbc-report-facts-impartial| title=BBC's long struggle to present the facts without fear or favour | work=] | date=18 August 2014| last1=Higgins | first1=Charlotte|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref> Some sources incorrectly state that the broadcast was made by Reith.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/article/lord-reith-westminster-house-for-sale| title=The former Westminster home of BBC's founder Lord Reith is up for sale – complete with a blue plaque and landmark views|work=]| date=11 January 2024| last1=Chubb | first1=Christabel|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>}} No.6 retains features from its earlier 18th century role as a ].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.countrylife.co.uk/property/the-grade-ii-listed-former-home-of-the-bbcs-founder-lord-reith-is-for-sale-in-the-heart-of-westminster-263209 |first=Annabel|last=Dixon|title=The Grade II*-listed former home of the BBC's founder, Lord Reith, is for sale in the heart of Westminster|work=]|date=13 December 2023|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>
* Corner House, including No.11, Cowley Street - Grade II listed.<ref name="auto2"/> Designed by Lutyens for ], a politician and pilot killed in the ].{{efn|] also designed McLaren's ] at ] in Surrey.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England |num=1044532 |desc=Jekyll Memorial|grade=II|access-date=21 December 2019}}</ref>}}<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.lutyenstrust.org.uk/portfolio-item/walking-tour-westminster/ | title=A Walking Tour of Westminster|publisher=Lutyens Trust|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>
⚫ * No.8 - Grade II listed, of 1909 by Horace Field.<ref name="auto3"/> Home of the politician ], and later the official residence of the ].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.londonpicturearchive.org.uk/view-item?i=127969&WINID=1734785519401 | title=Houses in Barton Street|publisher=London Picture Archive|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>
⚫ * No.13, Cowley Street - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1356975|desc=No.13, Cowley Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>
* No.14, Cowley Street - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1220752|desc=No.14, Cowley Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref> * No.9 and No.10 - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1292177|desc=No.9 and No.10, Barton Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref> No.10 was the home of ] where he composed '']'', ''Bucolic Suite'' and ''Heroic Elegy''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://rvwsociety.com/rvw-places/ | title=Places associated with Vaughan Williams|publisher=Ralph Vaughan Williams Society|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>
⚫ * No.11, No.12, No.13 and No.14 - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1066476|desc=No.11, No.12, No.13 and No.14, Barton Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref> ] wrote much of the third draft of the '']'' at No.14, Barton Street.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/t-e-lawrence-of-arabia/ | title=Blue Plaques: T. E. Lawrence| publisher=]|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref> Lawrence occupied the attic, the rest of the building being the architectural offices of ], Lutyens' partner in the design of ].{{sfn|Kendall|2024|p=58}}
⚫ * No.15, Cowley Street - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1066952|desc=No.15, Cowley Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>

⚫ * No.16 and No.17, Cowley Street - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1220766|desc=No.16 and No.17, Cowley Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref> No.16 was the home of the actor ].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/john-gielgud/ | title=Blue Plaques: John Gielgud, Actor & Director|publisher=]|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>
* No.18, Cowley Street - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1066953|desc=No.18, Cowley Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref> ===Cowley Street===
* No.1 - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1220724|desc=No.1, Cowley Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>
⚫ * No.2 and No.3 - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1066951|desc=No.2 and No.3, Cowley Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>
⚫ * No.19, Cowley Street - Grade II* listed, and reconstructed and extended by ] in the 1920s.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1220778|desc=No.19, Cowley Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref> In the 19th century, the house was home to ], a ] and founder of ].{{efn|] was ruined by his wife's claims to be the illegitimate daughter of the ], a claim she pursued loudly and publicly, causing Serres to lose favour at ].<ref>{{cite web |url= https://artcollection.dcms.gov.uk/person/serres-john-thomas/| title=John Thomas Serres |publisher=Government Art Collection|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>}} In the 20th century, ] used No.19 as his London home while serving as the last ].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pcptarchitects.co.uk/2021/02/10/cowley-street-westminster-sw1/ | title=Cowley Street, Westminster SW1 |publisher=PCPT Architects|date=10 February 2021|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>
⚫ * ] - Grade II listed.<ref name="auto"/> Built by ] as the London headquarters of the ]. Later the headquarters of the ], it was renovated and marketed as a private home in 2017.{{efn|In 2024 the building, renamed Mansion House, was available for long or short-term lets, at a rate of £21,250 per week.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/152041661#/?channel=RES_LET| title=Mansion House, 4 Cowley Street|publisher=]|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.countrylife.co.uk/property/one-of-londons-most-striking-offices-has-become-one-of-its-most-extraordinary-homes-164895|first=Toby|last=Keel|title=A palatial home in the very heart of Westminster|work=]|date=5 September 2017 |access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>
⚫ * No.1, Barton Street - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1217989|desc=No.1, Barton Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>
⚫ * No.7. The home of ], formerly owned by ].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/dec/01/jacob-rees-mogg-commons-inquiry-launched-over-undeclared-loans | title=Jacob Rees-Mogg faces Commons inquiry over undeclared £6m loans | work=] | date=1 December 2021 | last1=Walker | first1=Peter|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/homesandproperty/celebrity-homes/jacob-reesmogg-property-portfolio-b1196834.html |title=Empire of Posh: Inside Jacob Rees-Mogg's property portfolio|first=Emma|last=Magnus|work=]|date=4 December 2024|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>
⚫ * No.3, Barton Street - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1357196|desc=No.3, Barton Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>
* No.4, No.5 and No.6, Barton Street - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1292168|desc=No.4, No.5 and No.6, Barton Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref> ] lived at No.6, Barton Street.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/lord-reith/ | title=Blue Plaques: Lord Reith, Director of the BBC|publisher=]|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref> The house retains features from its earlier 18th century role as a ].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.countrylife.co.uk/property/the-grade-ii-listed-former-home-of-the-bbcs-founder-lord-reith-is-for-sale-in-the-heart-of-westminster-263209 |first=Annabel|last=Dixon|title=The Grade II*-listed former home of the BBC's founder, Lord Reith, is for sale in the heart of Westminster|work=]|date=13 December 2023|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref> * Corner House, including No.11 - Grade II listed.<ref name="auto2"/> Designed by Lutyens for ], a politician and pilot killed in the ].{{efn|] also designed McLaren's ] at ] in Surrey.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England |num=1044532 |desc=Jekyll Memorial|grade=II|access-date=21 December 2019}}</ref>}}<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.lutyenstrust.org.uk/portfolio-item/walking-tour-westminster/ | title=A Walking Tour of Westminster|publisher=Lutyens Trust|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>
⚫ * No.13 - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1356975|desc=No.13, Cowley Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>
⚫ * No.8, Barton Street - Grade II listed, of 1909 by Horace Field.<ref name="auto3"/> Home of the politician ], and later the official residence of the ].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.londonpicturearchive.org.uk/view-item?i=127969&WINID=1734785519401 | title=Houses in Barton Street|publisher=London Picture Archive|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>
* No.9 and No.10, Barton Street - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1292177|desc=No.9 and No.10, Barton Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref> No.10 was the home of ] where he composed '']'', ''Bucolic Suite'' and ''Heroic Elegy''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://rvwsociety.com/rvw-places/ | title=Places associated with Vaughan Williams|publisher=Ralph Vaughan Williams Society|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref> * No.14 - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1220752|desc=No.14, Cowley Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>
⚫ * No.15 - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1066952|desc=No.15, Cowley Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>
⚫ * No.11, No.12, No.13 and No.14, Barton Street - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1066476|desc=No.11, No.12, No.13 and No.14, Barton Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref> ] wrote much of the third draft of the '']'' at No.14, Barton Street.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/t-e-lawrence-of-arabia/ | title=Blue Plaques: T. E. Lawrence| publisher=]|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref> Lawrence occupied the attic, the rest of the building being the architectural offices of ], Lutyens' partner in the design of ].{{sfn|Kendall|2024|p=58}}
⚫ * No.16 and No.17 - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1220766|desc=No.16 and No.17, Cowley Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref> No.16 was the home of the actor ].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/john-gielgud/ | title=Blue Plaques: John Gielgud, Actor & Director|publisher=]|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>
⚫ * No.18 - Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1066953|desc=No.18, Cowley Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>
⚫ * No.19 - Grade II* listed, and reconstructed and extended by ] in the 1920s.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1220778|desc=No.19, Cowley Street|grade=II*|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref> In the 19th century, the house was home to ], a ] and founder of ].{{efn|] was ruined by his wife, ]'s claims to be the illegitimate daughter of the ], a claim she pursued loudly and publicly, causing Serres to lose favour at ].<ref>{{cite web |url= https://artcollection.dcms.gov.uk/person/serres-john-thomas/| title=John Thomas Serres |publisher=Government Art Collection|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>}} In the 20th century, ] used No.19 as his London home while serving as the last ].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pcptarchitects.co.uk/2021/02/10/cowley-street-westminster-sw1/ | title=Cowley Street, Westminster SW1 |publisher=PCPT Architects|date=10 February 2021|access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>


==Gallery== ==Gallery==
<gallery widths="150px" heights="150px"> <gallery widths="150px" heights="150px">
Liberal Democrats HQ, Cowley Street.jpg|No.4, Cowley Street - "rather out of scale with its neighbors"<ref>{{NHLE|num=1290822|desc=No.4, Cowley Street|grade=II|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref> Liberal Democrats HQ, Cowley Street.jpg|No.4, Cowley Street - "rather out of scale with its neighbours"<ref>{{NHLE|num=1290822|desc=No.4, Cowley Street|grade=II|access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>
Sir JOHN GIELGUD - 16 Cowley Street Westminster London SW1P 3LZ.jpg|Sir John Gielgud at No.16, Cowley Street Sir JOHN GIELGUD - 16 Cowley Street Westminster London SW1P 3LZ (retouched).jpg|Sir John Gielgud's house at No.16, Cowley Street
Sir JOHN GIELGUD 1904-2000 Actor and Director lived here 1945-1976.jpg|The Gielgud plaque
Quiet corner of London.jpg|The junction of Cowley and Barton Streets, showing No.19, Cowley Street on the left, and No.8, Barton Street on the right Quiet corner of London.jpg|The junction of Cowley and Barton Streets, showing No.19, Cowley Street on the left, and No.8, Barton Street on the right
Barton Street, a typical London street but with NO CARS! (4839755643).jpg|View along Barton Street Barton Street, a typical London street but with NO CARS! (4839755643).jpg|View along Barton Street
LORD REITH 1889-1971 First Director-General of the BBC lived here 1924-1930.jpg|The Reith plaque
T.E. LAWRENCE - 14 Barton Street Westminster London SW1P 3NE.jpg|T.E.Lawrence at No.14, Barton Street T.E. LAWRENCE - 14 Barton Street Westminster London SW1P 3NE.jpg|T.E.Lawrence at No.14, Barton Street
T.E. LAWRENCE 'Lawrence of Arabia' 1888-1935 lived Here.jpg|The Lawrence plaque
</gallery> </gallery>


Latest revision as of 14:22, 25 December 2024

Streets in the City of Westminster, in Central London

Barton Street and Cowley Street
A view along Cowley Street to Barton Street
Barton Street and Cowley Street, Westminster is located in City of WestminsterBarton Street and Cowley Street, WestminsterLocation within Central London
Maintained byTransport for London
LocationCentral London, Westminster, London
Postal codeSW1
Nearest Tube station
Coordinates51°29′50″N 0°07′40″W / 51.4971°N 0.1279°W / 51.4971; -0.1279
North endGreat College Street
South endGreat Peter Street

Barton Street and Cowley Street are two short streets in Westminster, London. They were developed in the 18th century by the actor Barton Booth, the former taking his first name, and the latter the name of an estate he owned at Cowley, then in Middlesex to the west of London. The streets' proximity to the Palace of Westminster has made them a popular choice for politicians looking for homes within Parliament's Division bell area; the Liberal politician Walter Runciman lived at No.8, Barton Street in the 20th century, and Jacob Rees-Mogg lives at No.7, Cowley Street in the 21st. They have also attracted other notables including; T. E. Lawrence, who wrote much of his Seven Pillars of Wisdom at No. 14, Barton Street; the actor, John Gielgud, who lived at No. 16, Cowley Street and the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, who had a six-year tenure at No.10, Barton Street. Many of the buildings are listed, most at the second highest grade, II*. Simon Bradley and Nikolaus Pevsner, in the sixth London volume in the Buildings of England series, describe Barton Street and Cowley Street as, "among the most perfect Early Georgian streets in Westminster".

Location

Barton Street and Cowley Street run in a dog-leg from Great Peter Street in the south to Great College Street in the north, lying to the south of the grounds of Westminster School.

History and description

These narrow houses, three or four storeys high - one for eating, one for sleeping, a third for company, a fourth underground for the kitchen, a fifth perhaps at the top for servants - give the idea of a cage with its sticks and birds

Louis Simond - Journal of a Tour and Residence in Great Britain (1817)

Barton Booth (1682 – 1733) was among the most successful actors of the 18th century. He invested some of the profits of his success in property development, laying out Barton Street, named after himself, and Cowley Street, named after his country estate in Middlesex, from 1722. Booth was familiar with the area having been educated at Westminster School, just to the north.

Simon Bradley and Nikolaus Pevsner, in the 2003 revised London 6: Westminster in the Buildings of England series, consider the streets, "among the most perfect Early Georgian streets in Westminster". Westminster City Council noted the unusual residential nature of the streets, together with Lord North Street and Gayfere Street, describing them as "remarkable surviving residential terraces". The houses are mainly of London stock brick, of three storeys with basements and attics and with decorated doorcases. Their layout follows what John Summerson called "the insistent verticality of the London house" . There are some later insertions, mainly of the later 19th and 20th centuries, including: Corner House, which incorporates No.11, Cowley Street, and No.8, Little College Street, and dates from 1911 and is by Edwin Lutyens; No.4, Cowley Street, of 1904 by Horace Field and described by Historic England as "rather out of scale with its neighbours"; and No.8 Barton Street, of 1909 and also by Field.

Buildings, occupants and listing designations

Barton Street

Cowley Street

Gallery

  • No.4, Cowley Street - "rather out of scale with its neighbours" No.4, Cowley Street - "rather out of scale with its neighbours"
  • Sir John Gielgud's house at No.16, Cowley Street Sir John Gielgud's house at No.16, Cowley Street
  • The Gielgud plaque The Gielgud plaque
  • The junction of Cowley and Barton Streets, showing No.19, Cowley Street on the left, and No.8, Barton Street on the right The junction of Cowley and Barton Streets, showing No.19, Cowley Street on the left, and No.8, Barton Street on the right
  • View along Barton Street View along Barton Street
  • The Reith plaque The Reith plaque
  • T.E.Lawrence at No.14, Barton Street T.E.Lawrence at No.14, Barton Street
  • The Lawrence plaque The Lawrence plaque

Notes

  1. While most sources ascribe the naming of Cowley Street to his Middlesex manor, it has been suggested that the street was named in honour of Abraham Cowley, a fellow Old Westminster and Booth's favourite poet.
  2. The broadcast was controversial; Ramsay MacDonald, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, complaining that the BBC was showing partisanship towards the government and breaching its own impartiality. Some sources incorrectly state that the broadcast was made by Reith.
  3. In 2024 the building, renamed Mansion House, was available for long or short-term lets, at a rate of £21,250 per week.
  4. Lutyens also designed McLaren's memorial at Busbridge in Surrey.
  5. John Thomas Serres was ruined by his wife, Olivia's claims to be the illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Cumberland, a claim she pursued loudly and publicly, causing Serres to lose favour at court.

References

  1. ^ Summerson 1978, p. 67.
  2. ^ "Barton Booth". Westminster Abbey. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  3. "The City of Westminster: Introduction". British History Online. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  4. ^ Bradley & Pevsner 2003, pp. 699–700.
  5. Westminster City Council 2005, p. 30.
  6. ^ Historic England. "Corner House, including No.11 Cowley Street (Grade II) (1288975)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  7. ^ Historic England. "No.4, Cowley Street (Grade II) (1290822)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  8. ^ Historic England. "No.8, Barton Street (Grade II) (1066475)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  9. Historic England. "No.1, Barton Street (Grade II*) (1217989)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  10. Historic England. "No.3, Barton Street (Grade II*) (1357196)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  11. Historic England. "No.4, No.5 and No.6, Barton Street (Grade II*) (1292168)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  12. "Blue Plaques: Lord Reith, Director of the BBC". English Heritage. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  13. Higgins, Charlotte (18 August 2014). "BBC's long struggle to present the facts without fear or favour". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  14. Chubb, Christabel (11 January 2024). "The former Westminster home of BBC's founder Lord Reith is up for sale – complete with a blue plaque and landmark views". House & Garden. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  15. Dixon, Annabel (13 December 2023). "The Grade II*-listed former home of the BBC's founder, Lord Reith, is for sale in the heart of Westminster". Country Life. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  16. "Houses in Barton Street". London Picture Archive. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  17. Historic England. "No.9 and No.10, Barton Street (Grade II*) (1292177)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  18. "Places associated with Vaughan Williams". Ralph Vaughan Williams Society. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  19. Historic England. "No.11, No.12, No.13 and No.14, Barton Street (Grade II*) (1066476)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  20. "Blue Plaques: T. E. Lawrence". English Heritage. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  21. Kendall 2024, p. 58.
  22. Historic England. "No.1, Cowley Street (Grade II*) (1220724)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  23. Historic England. "No.2 and No.3, Cowley Street (Grade II*) (1066951)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  24. "Mansion House, 4 Cowley Street". Rightmove. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  25. Keel, Toby (5 September 2017). "A palatial home in the very heart of Westminster". Country Life. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  26. Walker, Peter (1 December 2021). "Jacob Rees-Mogg faces Commons inquiry over undeclared £6m loans". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  27. Magnus, Emma (4 December 2024). "Empire of Posh: Inside Jacob Rees-Mogg's property portfolio". Evening Standard. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  28. Historic England. "Jekyll Memorial (Grade II) (1044532)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  29. "A Walking Tour of Westminster". Lutyens Trust. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  30. Historic England. "No.13, Cowley Street (Grade II*) (1356975)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  31. Historic England. "No.14, Cowley Street (Grade II*) (1220752)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  32. Historic England. "No.15, Cowley Street (Grade II*) (1066952)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  33. Historic England. "No.16 and No.17, Cowley Street (Grade II*) (1220766)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  34. "Blue Plaques: John Gielgud, Actor & Director". English Heritage. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  35. Historic England. "No.18, Cowley Street (Grade II*) (1066953)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  36. Historic England. "No.19, Cowley Street (Grade II*) (1220778)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  37. "John Thomas Serres". Government Art Collection. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  38. "Cowley Street, Westminster SW1". PCPT Architects. 10 February 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  39. Historic England. "No.4, Cowley Street (Grade II) (1290822)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.

Sources

External links

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