Park Lane
Park Lane Hotel |
Park Lane is a dual carriageway road in the City of Westminster in Central London. It is part of the London Inner Ring Road and runs from Hyde Park Corner in the south to Marble Arch in the north. It separates Hyde Park to the west from Mayfair to the east. The road has a number of historically important properties and hotels and has been one of the most sought after streets in London, despite being a major traffic thoroughfare.
The road was originally a simple country lane on the boundary of Hyde Park, separated by a brick wall. Aristocratic properties appeared during the late 18th century, including Breadalbane House,
The road has suffered from
Location
Park Lane is about 0.7 miles (1.1 km) long, and runs north from Hyde Park Corner to Marble Arch, along the eastern flank of Hyde Park. To its east is Mayfair. The road is a primary route, classified A4202.[1][2]
The street is one of the key bus corridors in Central London. It is used by
History
18th century
What is now Park Lane was originally a track running along farm boundaries.[5] When Hyde Park was opened in the 16th century, the lane ran north–south along its eastern boundary from Piccadilly to Marble Arch.[6]
In the 18th century, it was known as Tyburn Lane and was separated from the park by a high wall with few properties along it, aside from a short terrace of houses approximately where Nos. 93–99 are now.
In 1741, the Kensington Turnpike Trust took over its maintenance, as coach traffic caused wear on the road surface.[9] Breadalbane House was built on the street in 1776.[6] On the corner with Oxford Street, Somerset House (No. 40), built in 1769–70, was successively the town house of Warren Hastings, a former Governor-General of India, the third Earl of Rosebery, and the Dukes of Somerset.[9] The politician and entrepreneur Richard Sharp, also known as "Conversation Sharp", lived at No. 28.[a][10]
In the 1760s,
19th century
The street was not particularly significant until 1820, when Decimus Burton constructed Hyde Park Corner at the lane's southern end, coinciding with Benjamin Dean Wyatt's reconstruction of Londonderry House and Apsley House.[6][9] At the same time, the entrances to Hyde Park at Stanhope, Grosvenor, and Cumberland Gates were refurbished, and the park's boundary wall was replaced with iron railings. Park Lane subsequently became an in-demand residential address, offering views across Hyde Park and a position at the most fashionable western edge of London.[6] No. 93, at the junction of Park Lane and Upper Grosvenor Street, was built between 1823 and 1825 by Samuel Baxter. The British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli lived at the house from 1839 to 1872. In 1845, a house on Park Lane was advertised as "one of the most recherché in London".[9]
Much of the land to the east of Park Lane was owned by the Grosvenor Estate, whose policy was to construct large family homes attracting the nouveau riche to the area.[16] The road became lined with some of the largest privately owned mansions in London, including the Duke of Westminster's Grosvenor House (replaced by the Grosvenor House Hotel) and the Holford family's Dorchester House (demolished in 1929 and replaced in 1931 with The Dorchester) and the Marquess of Londonderry's Londonderry House.[9] The philanthropist Moses Montefiore lived at No. 90 for over 60 years, and a blue plaque marks its location.[17]
Brook House, at No. 113 Park Lane, was built in 1870 by T. H. Wyatt.[16] It later became the residence of Lord Louis Mountbatten and his wife Edwina.[18] Aldford House was constructed in 1897 for the South African diamond millionaire Sir Alfred Beit.[16] Another diamond mining magnate, Sir Joseph Robinson owned and lived at Dudley House at No. 100.[19]
20th century
The character of Park Lane evolved from its prestigious reputation in the early 20th century, as residents began to complain about motor traffic and the noise from buses. The first
The
During World War II, several properties on Park Lane were hit by bombs. Dudley House, at No. 100, suffered major structural damage, including the destruction of the ballroom and gallery, though the building was partially restored.[9] However, the strength of construction of the Dorchester Hotel gave it the reputation of being one of London's safest buildings,[32] and it was a safe haven for numerous luminaries. General Dwight D. Eisenhower took a suite on the first floor in 1942, and later made it his headquarters.[33]
The
At the south end of Park Lane, on the west side, gates in honour of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (widow of George VI) were erected in 1993. The gates were designed by Giuseppe Lund and David Wynne and bear motifs in an interpretation of her coat of arms.[39]
21st century
The Animals in War Memorial was opened at the northeast edge of Park Lane in 2004 by Anne, Princess Royal. It commemorates animals that served in wars, and alongside servicemen.[40][41] In June 2007, a car bomb was successfully defused in an underground car park on Park Lane. The road was closed for most of the day for police investigation.[42]
The road still attracts notable residents. In 2002,
Property prices on Park Lane remain some of the highest in London. In 2006, former Conservative leader of Westminster City Council, Dame Shirley Porter moved into a new £1.5m development on Curzon Square after twelve years of exile in Israel.[46] In 2015, a report showed the average monthly rent for a 2-bedroom apartment on the road was £5,200.[47] Rough sleepers also made use of the road's surroundings from at least 2012, with large begging gangs or other homeless groups sleeping in subways or covered shopping parades despite occasionally being cleared or moved on by police.[48][49]
Many of the hotels and establishments on Park Lane are today owned by some of the wealthiest Middle Eastern and Asian businessmen, sheikhs and sultans. The Dorchester was purchased by the
Traffic
Owing to property on the road becoming more desirable, traffic began to increase on Park Lane during the 19th century. A short section of the lane was widened in 1851 as part of the redevelopment work on Marble Arch.
Park Lane Improvement Act 1958 | |
---|---|
Act of Parliament | |
Dates | |
Royal assent | 1 August 1958 |
By the 1950s, motor traffic levels along Park Lane had reached saturation point. A 1956 survey by the
The road forms part of the London Inner Ring Road and is part of the London congestion charge zone's boundary. When the zone was extended westward in February 2007, Park Lane was designated as one of the "free through routes", on which vehicles could cross the zone during its hours of operation without paying the charge.[62] The western extension was removed in January 2011.[63]
In November 2008, the
Cultural references
Park Lane is the second most valuable property in the London edition of the board game Monopoly. The street had a prestigious social status when the British version of the Monopoly board was first produced, in 1936. On the board, Park Lane forms a pair with Mayfair, the most expensive property in the game. The squares were designed to be equivalents of Park Place and Boardwalk, respectively, on the original board, which used streets in Atlantic City, New Jersey.[68] In 1988, the World Monopoly Championships were held at the Park Lane Hotel, sponsored by Waddingtons, manufacturers of the British version.[69] Since the game's original production, prices on the real Park Lane have held their value, though average rent costs have been overtaken by Bond Street.[70]
In
The street has several mentions in
In George Orwell's Coming Up for Air (1939) several conservative and imperialist politicians are derogatively referred to as "the Park Lane riff-raff".[76]
The
References
Notes
Citations
- ^ "Mayfair (District)". A-Z. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ a b c "Central London Bus Map" (PDF). Transport for London. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- ^ "Central London Night Bus Map" (PDF). Transport for London. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- ^ Route 30 Cabinet Member Report (Report). Westminster City Council. 23 March 2006. p. 4. Archived from the original on 14 February 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- ^ Moore 2003, p. 274.
- ^ a b c d e f Hibbert & Weinreb 2008, p. 624.
- ^ a b Knight 1843, p. 263.
- ^ Hyde Park, Residence (18 April 2023). "park lane's history: from narrow country lane to the height of luxury". Hyde Park Residence. Cultureshock. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i F H W Sheppard, ed. (1980). "Park Lane". 40. Survey of London: 264–289. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
{{cite journal}}
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(help) - ^ Knapman 2003, p. 270.
- ^ Fleming 2005, p. 8.
- ^ National Service. Military Training Publishing Corporation. 1920. p. 27.
- ^ Binder 2006, p. 9.
- ^ "Obituary : The Marquess of Londonderry". The Telegraph. 20 June 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ Hibbert & Weinreb 2008, p. 545.
- ^ a b c Sutcliffe 2006, p. 149.
- ^ "Moses Montefiore blue plaque". Open Plaques. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "Daughter of Empire by Pamela Hicks:review". The Daily Telegraph. 4 December 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ^ Colby 1967, p. 107.
- ^ "Lot 15318 : A Mansion – A Private Collection" (PDF). Sothebys. 28 April 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ^ Riley 2012, pp. 80, 86.
- ^ "Property: Hollywood history meets Mayfair style as we tour Douglas Fairbanks Jr's former pad". Metro. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
- ^ Murphy 2003, p. 68.
- ^ Fodor's 2014, p. 403.
- ^ a b c Hibbert & Weinreb 2008, p. 625.
- ^ Weightman & Humphries 2007, p. 113.
- ^ Richardson 1997, pp. 41–42.
- ^ "History of The Dorchester". The Dorchester. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ The Bookseller. J. Whitaker. 1978. p. 3078. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ Rennison 2007, p. 37.
- TheFreeLibrary.
- ^ Russell 1988.
- ^ Stafford 2010, p. 25.
- ^ Hodgson 1962, p. 149.
- ^ "Pioneers map". College of Optometrists. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ Westminster Green Plaques Scheme – review of criteria and funding (PDF) (Report). City of Westminster Council. 12 January 2012. p. 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "50th Anniversary". London Hilton on Park Lane. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ^ "On this day – London hotel bombed". BBC News. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ISBN 978-1-742-20400-0.
- ^ "Animal war heroes statue unveiled". BBC News. 24 November 2004. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ^ Philips, Carol (24 November 2004). "New animal war memorial unveiled". Horse & Hound Magazine. Archived from the original on 4 June 2008. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
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(help) - ^ "Two car bombs found in West End". BBC News. 29 June 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ISBN 978-1-491-88365-5.
- ^ Blackhurst, Chris (24 November 1996). "Al Fayed firm faces tax inquiry". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "Diana inquiry: Inside the mind of al-Fayed". The Independent. 17 December 2006. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ Adams, Guy (8 August 2006). "After 12 years, Dame Shirley is back in Westminster". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ Brooks, Tony (11 June 2015). "Monopoly board charts the huge rise in property prices". Daily Express. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- London Evening Standard. p. 9.
- ^ Pettit, John (22 August 2014). "Rough sleepers return to Park Lane". London Evening Standard. p. 8.
- ^ O'Loughlin 1996, p. 26.
- ^ "The Beverly Hills Hotel Celebrity Boycott—Who Is It Really Hurting?". Vanity Fair. 16 July 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ Middle East Economic Digest 1978. 1978. p. 18.
- ISBN 9780904439175.
- ISBN 9781905068784.
- ^ "Where to get the best breakfasts in London". GQ. 25 June 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- ^ a b c d "Park Lane Improvement Bill". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 11 December 1957. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ^ a b Moore 2003, p. 275.
- ^ "Royal Parks". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 22 November 1962. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- ^ "Park Lane Improvement Scheme". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 11 June 1958. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ^ "Major Road Projects". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 8 June 1961. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ^ "Traffigh Lights (Hyde Park Corner)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 18 March 1983. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- ^ Central London Congestion Charging (PDF) (Report). Transport for London. July 2008. p. 9. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ^ "TfL announces initial results following removal of the Western Extension of the Congestion Charging Zone". Transport for London. 3 June 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ^ Greater London Authority (November 2008). "Way To Go!: Planning for better transport" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 July 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
- ^ "Motorists face £20 fines for leaving engines idle while stationary in West End". London Evening Standard. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ^ "We can't find work and want to go home, say Romanians back sleeping rough at Park Lane". London Evening Standard. 14 July 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ^ Knapman, Chris (15 October 2010). "BMW Classics on display at Park Lane". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ Wharton 2001, p. 92.
- ^ Watson 2008, p. 86.
- ^ "London house prices: As rents keep rising, here's how the Monopoly board looks in 2015". City AM. 11 June 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ^ Wheeler 2011, p. 161.
- ISBN 978-1-4456-1568-4.
- ^ "Competition Winners". Jasper Fforde. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "The Forsyte Saga". Masterpiece Theatre. CBS. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
- ^ "London Pride -Noël Coward – lyrics". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ Orwell, George (1939). Coming Up for Air. p. 45.
- ^ "MINI launches 4x4 Countryman Park Lane". Car Buyer. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ Lord, Walter (1955). "2". A Night to Remember.
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