Inauguration 1828 (1828) Major cities London | Inaugurated 1828 | |
 | ||
Maintained by Westminster City Council Location City of Westminster, London Known for The residence of former Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie. Namesake Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh | ||
Connaught square
Connaught Square, in the City of Westminster (a London Borough), was the first square of city houses to be built in the Bayswater area. It was named after the Duke of Gloucester (who was also the Earl of Connaught), who had a house nearby. The current appearance of the square dates from the 1820s. The square is just north of Hyde Park, and to the west of Edgware Road. It is also within 300 m (984 ft) of Marble Arch, and the western end of Oxford Street.
Contents
- Connaught square
- Map of Connaught Square London W2 2HL UK
- 14 12 81 connaught square car bomb
- Architecture
- Community
- Blair residence
- Famous residents
- Other residents
- Nearby places
- Nearest tube stations
- References
Map of Connaught Square, London W2 2HL, UK
Peter Ackroyd has suggested that the notorious gallows, Tyburn Tree, the site of public execution in London, was located within the square.
14 12 81 connaught square car bomb
Architecture
Connaught Square's architecture is primarily Georgian. Redevelopment was initially planned in the early 18th century and the first of its 45 brick houses was built in 1828 as part of the Hyde Park estate by Thomas Allason.
Community
Residents of Connaught Square hold an exclusive summer party in the central communal garden every year. The garden square is maintained by the owners of the adjoining properties who contribute to its upkeep, and in return are issued keys to the garden. Such gated gardens are a particular feature of this area of London. The horses of the Royal Artillery regularly do their early morning rides down Connaught Street.
Blair residence
In October 2004, the then Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie purchased a house on the West side of Connaught Square, for a reported £3.5million. In many ways Blair's house is similar to 10 Downing Street, having even been used as a replica for the official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury during the filming of the TV series "The Alan Clark Diaries". It has been speculated that part of the house is to be converted into offices for a future Blair Foundation. The houses on the west side back onto Archery Close, a very quiet, dead end picturesque mews street. Beyond Archery Close is St George's Field, built on the site of the burial ground of St George's, Hanover Square.
There is now a considerable police presence around the Blairs' residence, with at least four officers from the Metropolitan Police Service's Diplomatic Protection Group present at the house at any one time. With Blair's resignation in 2007, there has been controversy over security arrangements in the square, specifically over the cost of providing high-level security 24 hours a day.
Famous residents
Other residents
As well as houses, the square also contains other enterprises including a very small primary school and doctor’s surgery. There is also a garage specialising in classic cars on Connaught Street to the north of the square. To the west on Connaught Street are the shops of Connaught Village and the Chinese restaurant which was the location of dealings during the Bruce Grobbelaar football corruption scandal. [1]
In fiction, Lionel Holland lives at '242 Connaught Square' in the film "Kind Hearts and Coronets".