Blending beautifully into Barton Street, Cowley Street is lined with elegant early eighteenth century terraces. But the most eye-catching building dates from the early twentieth century. Designed by Horace Field, this palatial Edwardian house was actually purpose-built as the headquarters of the North Eastern Railway company, according to Country Life magazine. It has also been used as the London HQ of the Liberal Democrats, but is now in residential use.
Layman's London
....Places to go, places to eat and other stuff loosely-linked to London living...
Friday 23 February 2024
Barton Street, Central London
Tucked away in a hidden residential area near the Houses of Parliament, Barton Street is home to some fine early eighteenth century terraced town houses, many of which are grade II* listed. Dating from the 1720s, they are generally three-storey brown brick terraces with mansards and basements.
On Barton Street, you'll also find a blue plaque commemorating the fact that T.E. Lawrence (AKA Lawrence of Arabia) lived here. According to the Lawrence Society, the author and intelligence officer acquired the use of an attic room on Barton Street in 1919 and it became his London base for several years. "It was here that Lawrence wrote much of his second draft of Seven Pillars of Wisdom after his original manuscript was lost at Reading Station towards the end of 1919," the Society says.
Great College Street, Central London
Named in reference to Westminster School, Great College Street is home to a row of elegant grade-II* listed townhouses dating from the 1720s. They face a stretch of medieval wall.
The Offices of the Church Commissioners, Great College Street, Central London
A grade-II* listed and very grand block of offices occupies much of the land between Little College Street and Millbank. Built at the turn of the twentieth century from red brick with lavish Portland stone dressings and slate roofs, the block is described (in the listing) as "an eclectic yet sophisticated Free Style northern Renaissance design." Designed by W.D. Caroe, the Church Commissioners building has six stories and corner towers with pyramidal roofs.
Monday 19 February 2024
Magdalen College, Oxford
One of Oxford's largest and most beautiful colleges, Magdalen College's medieval tower and cloisters are an evocative landmark at the eastern edge of the city's historic heart.
Sunday 18 February 2024
Merton Street, Oxford
Although it is just a stone's throw from Oxford's busy High Street. cobbled Merton Street is a peaceful throwback to another era. It is lined by some of the city's oldest colleges, including Merton College, which dates from the thirteenth century. As you stroll past the ancient academic and ecclesiastical buildings, it is easy to imagine what this citadel of learning was like before the tourists arrived in force.
Port Meadow, Oxford
Saturday 27 January 2024
Kennington Road, South London
Some of the grand houses on Kennington Road, a wide boulevard aligned north-south, date from around 1800. It has a particularly long 18th century terrace topped with impressive mansard roofs and chimney pots. The large plane trees that line the road and the deep front gardens with York stone paths take the gritty edge off this busy thoroughfare. The road is also home to several longstanding boozers and Walcot Gardens, a handsome Edwardian mansion block built in red brick in the Queen Anne Style, as well as some less distinguished post-war blocks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)