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Barton Street and Cowley Street

A view along Cowley Street to Barton Street
Location within Central London
Maintained by	Transport for London
Location	Central London, Westminster, London
Postal code	SW1
Nearest Tube station	Westminster
Coordinates	51°29′50″N 0°07′40″W / 51.4971°N 0.1279°W / 51.4971; -0.1279
North end	Great College Street
South end	Great 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; they have also attracted other celebrities, including; T. E. Lawrence, who wrote much of his Seven Pillars of Wisdom at No. 14, Barton Street; and the actor, John Gielgud lived at No. 16, Cowley 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, Westminster, revised and reissued in 2003, 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

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".

Buildings, occupants and listing designations

• No.1, Cowley Street
• No.2 and No.3, Cowley Street
• No.4, Cowley Street
• No.7, Cowley Street. Home of Jacob Rees-Mogg, formerly owned by Michael Ashcroft.
• Corner House, including No.11, Cowley Street
• No.13, Cowley Street
• No.14, Cowley Street
• No.15, Cowley Street
• No.16 and No.17, Cowley Street No.16 was the home of John Gielgud
• No.18, Cowley Street
• No.19, Cowley Street
• No.1, Barton Street
• No.3, Barton Street
• No.4, No.5 and No.6, Barton Street Lord Reith lived at No.6, Barton Street.
• No.8, Barton Street Home of the politician Walter Runciman, and later the official residence of the Bishop of London.
• No.9 and No.10, Barton Street
• No.11, No.12, No.13 and No.14, Barton Street T. E. Lawrence wrote much of the third draft of the Seven Pillars of Wisdom at No. 14, Barton Street.

Gallery

• No.4, Cowley Street - "rather out of scale with its neighbors"
• Sir John Gielgud at No.16, Cowley Street
• 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
• T.E.Lawrence at No.14, Barton Street

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.

References

1. https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/barton-booth/
2. https://www.british-history.ac.uk/old-new-london/vol4/pp1-13
3. ^ Bradley & Pevsner 2003, pp. 699–700.
4. https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/barton-booth/
5. Westminster City Council 2005, p. 30.
6. Historic England. "No.1, Cowley Street (Grade II*) (1220724)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
7. Historic England. "No.2 and No.3, Cowley Street (Grade II*) (1066951)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
8. Historic England. "No.4, Cowley Street (Grade II) (1290822)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
9. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/dec/01/jacob-rees-mogg-commons-inquiry-launched-over-undeclared-loans
10. Historic England. "Corner House, including No.11 Cowley Street (Grade II) (1288975)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
11. Historic England. "No.13, Cowley Street (Grade II*) (1356975)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
12. Historic England. "No.14, Cowley Street (Grade II*) (1220752)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
13. Historic England. "No.15, Cowley Street (Grade II*) (1066952)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
14. Historic England. "No.16 and No.17, Cowley Street (Grade II*) (1220766)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
15. https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/john-gielgud/
16. Historic England. "No.18, Cowley Street (Grade II*) (1066953)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
17. Historic England. "No.19, Cowley Street (Grade II*) (1220778)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
18. Historic England. "No.1, Barton Street (Grade II*) (1217989)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
19. Historic England. "No.3, Barton Street (Grade II*) (1357196)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
20. Historic England. "No.4, No.5 and No.6, Barton Street (Grade II*) (1292168)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
21. https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/lord-reith/
22. Historic England. "No.8, Barton Street (Grade II) (1066475)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
23. https://www.londonpicturearchive.org.uk/view-item?i=127969&WINID=1734785519401
24. Historic England. "No.9 and No.10, Barton Street (Grade II*) (1292177)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
25. 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.
26. https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/t-e-lawrence-of-arabia/
27. Historic England. "No.4, Cowley Street (Grade II) (1290822)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2024.

Sources

• Bradley, Simon; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2003). London: Westminster. The Buildings of England. New Haven, US, London, UK: Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300095951. OCLC 609428632.
• Summerson, John (1978). Georgian London. London: Barrie & Jenkins. OCLC 922574924.
• Westminster City Council, ed. (2005). Smith Square Conservation Area Audit (PDF).

External links

• Streets in the City of Westminster