Mount Street, London

Mount Street is an east–west, quite narrow, archetypal street in the Mayfair district of the City of Westminster, London fronted by many mid-rise buildings, mostly of a narrow frontage. The sides of two very grand hotels flank part of either end of the street. Small, high-end property businesses, investment funds and accountancy businesses punctuate the buildings as well as a row of traditional businesses and conversion-style mansion block apartments or, more generally, authentic such homes.

Location

Mount Street runs from Park Lane in the west to Davies Street in the east. It is crossed by Park Street in the east and South Audley Street midway. On the south side Rex and Balfour Places branch off. In the east it leads to Berkeley Square and Carlos Place, Mount Street Mews and Carpenter Street branch off.

A notable area has been set aside to the south of the middle section, a canopy-covered public lawn with benches, Mount Street Gardens.

History

Mount Street was one of the original shopping streets when Mayfair was built up.^[1]

Buildings

Mount Street is mostly made up of four and five storey older buildings, often with retail premises on the ground floor, and some mansion blocks.

The residence of the Brazilian ambassador is No. 54.

The Grosvenor House and Connaught hotels top and tail the street, having side entrances onto the street.

James Purdey & Sons is on a corner with South Audley Street.

The Terrace of shops and flats at 125-9 is by the architect William Henry Powell and dates from 1886 to 1887. It is Grade II listed.^[2]

Scott's is a seafood restaurant at 20 Mount Street.

The members club George is situated at 87-88 Mount Street.^[3]

Notable residents

H. H. Asquith, politician. ^[4]
Fanny Burney, at No. 102^[5]
David Carritt (1927-1982), art historian, dealer and critic, at No. 120^[6]
Lady Mary Coke, at No. 34^[7]
David Meller (born 1959), businessman, at No. 79^[8]
Winston Churchill (1874-1965), statesman, at No. 105^[9]
Rev. Dr. John Lockman, Canon of Windsor^[10]
Adrian Ward-Jackson (1960-1991), art consultant and administrator, at No. 120.^[11]

In popular culture

W. E. Johns's creation 'Biggles' had a flat on Mount Street.
In the "Raffles" stories written by E. W. Hornung, the character Bunny Manders has a flat in Mount Street.^[12]
In Georgette Heyer’s 1949 publication 'Arabella' the wealthy Mr. Beaumaris lived on Mount Street. This book is set in the Regency era, 1817.

References

^ Hibbert, Christopher; Ben Weinreb; John Keay; Julia Keay (2010). The London Encyclopaedia. London: Pan Macmillan. p. 536. ISBN 978-0-230-73878-2.
^ Historic England. "125-9 Mount Street W1 (1223669)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
^ Goldman, Lawrence (2009). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. p. 104. ISBN 978-0-19-967154-0. OCLC 257555548.
^ Jenkins, p. 56.
^ Mitton, G. E. Where Great Men Lived in London. London: A. & C. Black. p. 12.
^ "Carritt, (Hugh) David Graham (1927–1982)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/30903. Retrieved 28 September 2016. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ Dasent, Arthur Irwin (1920). Piccadilly in Three Centuries. London: Macmillan. p. 240.
^ "Qataris buy £40m six storey Mayfair mansion". standard.co.uk. 18 May 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
^ "Charting Churchill: 105 Mount Street, London". hautevitrine.com. 15 December 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
^ "Search Results".
^ "Ward-Jackson, Adrian Alexander". Who's Who. A & C Black. 2007. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Raffles: The Gentleman Burglar, by Mary Reed".