Belgravia; sedate, exclusive & diplomatic
by Adam Singleton
Today Belgravia is one of London’s most exclusive and fashionable residential areas, and also home to numerous UK embassies and consulates for countries throughout the world. But as recently as 1820 it was considered as a swampy wasteland suitable only for grazing sheep. Named after Belgrave, a village on their Leicestershire estate, the 400 acres that make up Belgravia passed to the Grosvenor family in 1677 when Sir Thomas Grosvenor married heiress Mary Davies.
A tranquil part of central London, Belgravia as it looks today owes much to the extensive redevelopment began in 1825 by renowned architect and builder Thomas Cubitt. The 37-year-old was commissioned by the Grosvenor family to build an entire community, and not only was he responsible for building numerous houses and stables, but he also planned the entire layout, building all roads and pavements, and ensured that there was an adequate sewage system for the area.
When London underwent its first housing boom at the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Belgravia was ideally placed to benefit due to its superb location. A stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace - which King George IV decided to make his permanent residence after ascension to the throne and close to the Palace of Westminster - made an address in Belgravia one of London’s most desirable. After the Earl of Essex became the first of the day’s nobility to buy into the area it soon attracted many members of the era’s high society, much to the delight of the Grosvenor family who soon saw lucrative returns from their speculative investment. The Duke of Westminster - Britain’s richest man - is a direct descendent of the Grosvenor family and it is the property owned in Belgravia, and other areas of Westminster such as Mayfair that are primarily responsible for his vast wealth.
There are some quite substantial private dwellings, fascinating mew’s houses and stunning luxury hotels in Belgravia, all dotted amongst the many consulates and embassies found in the area’s famous broad streets and numerous elegant squares. The embassies are mainly former Victorian mansions, built to house an entire family and all the servants who supported them, whereas the smaller mew’s houses were originally the stables situated to the rear of the substantial houses.
And, although it is part of the one of the world’s largest cities, Belgravia still manages to maintain an element of the village atmosphere that prevailed back in the 19th century. But, it is its proximity to central London and the many attractions of England’s capital that make it an ideal base for residents, diplomats and tourists alike.