Fitzrovia, to the north of Soho in central London, has an interesting history which is reflected in its buildings and street names. This article examines historical facts about the area.
The area takes its name from Charles FitzRoy, who began developing the northern part in the 1700s. He bought the Manor of Tottenhall and enlisted the help of top architect Robert Adam in building Fitzroy square. His influence can be seen in the north of the area with names such as Fitzroy street and Grafton Way - named for his grandfather the Duke of Grafton.
Another important landowner in the area's history is the second Duke of Portland, William Bentinck. Together with his wife Margaret Harley, he gives his name to Great Portland Street, Portland Place and Harley Street. Oxford and Mortimer Street are named for his father-in-law, the second Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer. William and Margaret's son William Cavendish-Bentinck was prime minister in 1783 and 1807. Prior to inheriting the title Duke of Portland in 1762, he held the courtesy title Marquess of Titchfield, which gives its name to Great Titchfield Street. His wife Dorothy Cavendish, and her father the fourth Duke of Devonshire, lend their names to Devonshire Street, New Cavendish Street and Cavendish Square.
The Duke of Newcastle was the first to develop the south-western part of Fitzrovia. He established Oxford market, around the area which is now known as Market Place. By the early19th Century, this part of London was heavily built on and one of the main thoroughfares, Marleybone Passage, was lost. A small remnant can be seen on Wells Street, near rubber clothing store Rob London.
In addition to the developers listed above, many of Fitzrovia's buildings were developed by small-time landowners. This has led to an irregular pattern of small streets, in contrast to nearby areas such as Bloomsbury, which have a stronger grid pattern with more squares, reflecting their more systematic development by a few large landowners.
Moving forward to the twentieth century, Fitzrovia became host to a number of prominent buildings. These include the BT tower, one of the tallest buildings in London, and the YMCA Indian Student Hostel, which is one of the last surviving examples of modern architect Ralph Tubbs's work.
Until recently, another prominent building, Middlesex hospital, covered a large part of the area. The hospital itself closed in 2005, and the site was acquired by developers Candy & Candy, who demolished it. Their planned housing and retail complex, NoHo Square, was unpopular with locals, who were relieved when the scheme failed in the 2008 credit crunch.
Following this, the site was taken over by Stanhope plc. After a plan for temporary allotments was quashed by majority shareholder Kaupthing, it was resold. New owners, Aviva Investments and Exemplar Properties, have been granted planning permission for a development known as Fitzroy Place. Works are under-way on the project and are scheduled to be completed in 2014.
The area takes its name from Charles FitzRoy, who began developing the northern part in the 1700s. He bought the Manor of Tottenhall and enlisted the help of top architect Robert Adam in building Fitzroy square. His influence can be seen in the north of the area with names such as Fitzroy street and Grafton Way - named for his grandfather the Duke of Grafton.
Another important landowner in the area's history is the second Duke of Portland, William Bentinck. Together with his wife Margaret Harley, he gives his name to Great Portland Street, Portland Place and Harley Street. Oxford and Mortimer Street are named for his father-in-law, the second Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer. William and Margaret's son William Cavendish-Bentinck was prime minister in 1783 and 1807. Prior to inheriting the title Duke of Portland in 1762, he held the courtesy title Marquess of Titchfield, which gives its name to Great Titchfield Street. His wife Dorothy Cavendish, and her father the fourth Duke of Devonshire, lend their names to Devonshire Street, New Cavendish Street and Cavendish Square.
The Duke of Newcastle was the first to develop the south-western part of Fitzrovia. He established Oxford market, around the area which is now known as Market Place. By the early19th Century, this part of London was heavily built on and one of the main thoroughfares, Marleybone Passage, was lost. A small remnant can be seen on Wells Street, near rubber clothing store Rob London.
In addition to the developers listed above, many of Fitzrovia's buildings were developed by small-time landowners. This has led to an irregular pattern of small streets, in contrast to nearby areas such as Bloomsbury, which have a stronger grid pattern with more squares, reflecting their more systematic development by a few large landowners.
Moving forward to the twentieth century, Fitzrovia became host to a number of prominent buildings. These include the BT tower, one of the tallest buildings in London, and the YMCA Indian Student Hostel, which is one of the last surviving examples of modern architect Ralph Tubbs's work.
Until recently, another prominent building, Middlesex hospital, covered a large part of the area. The hospital itself closed in 2005, and the site was acquired by developers Candy & Candy, who demolished it. Their planned housing and retail complex, NoHo Square, was unpopular with locals, who were relieved when the scheme failed in the 2008 credit crunch.
Following this, the site was taken over by Stanhope plc. After a plan for temporary allotments was quashed by majority shareholder Kaupthing, it was resold. New owners, Aviva Investments and Exemplar Properties, have been granted planning permission for a development known as Fitzroy Place. Works are under-way on the project and are scheduled to be completed in 2014.
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