Green Street: North Side
No. 1
No. 1 see page 109.
Nos. 2–11 (consec.)
Nos. 2–11 (consec.), a gabled range of four-storey
houses with basements and generous attics, were built by
Matthews, Rogers and Company in 1891–5 to the designs,
with one exception, of the firm's architect Maurice Charles
Hulbert (Plate 49e).
The houses were erected in two groups. Nos. 2–8 were
taken first as a speculation by the builders in 1891 and form
a nearly symmetrical grouping. Nos. 9–11 were begun in
1893 and Nos. 9 and 11 conform in all essentials to the
design of the earlier range. The plot for No. 10 was,
however, made directly available to the Hon. St. John
Brodrick (later first Earl of Midleton) who chose Balfour
and Turner as his architects, Eustace Balfour being the
estate surveyor. Before building began Brodrick decided
that he could not afford the house and assigned his contract
to Matthews, Rogers. Surprisingly they adhered to Balfour
and Turner's design. (ref. 42)
Balfour and Turner's red-brick, gabled house is
designed to link up with Hulbert's houses but it is at once a
simpler and immeasurably more accomplished work. To
harmonize with Hulbert's run of two-storey bay windows
resting on balconies carried on ponderous brackets, for
instance, they provided projecting oriels in stone, and
instead of the heavy entrance surrounds of the other
houses, No. 10 has a wide brick arch, itself framing a subtle
combination of arched openings in stone which is enriched
with intricate naturalistic carving, probably by Thackeray
Turner's brother Laurence (Plate 49d).
Occupants include: No. 2, Lord Edmond Fitzmaurice,
statesman and historian, 1894–5. Commander Sir Arthur
Dawson, 1st bt., 1905–20. No. 4, Alfred Lyttelton, later colonial
secretary, 1893–5. Frederick Leverton Harris, politician and
collector, 1896–1900. No. 6, Dow. Lady Ribblesdale, wid. of 3rd
Baron, 1893–1900. No. 7, Dow. Lady Nunburnholme, wid. of
2nd Baron, 1931–41. No. 8, Maj.-gen. Sir William Salmond,
K.C.B., 1893–1904. Col. Sir Theodore Brinckman, 3rd. bt.,
1917–20. No. 11, Reginald John Smith, barrister and publisher,
1908–16; his wid. to 1950.
No. 19
No. 19 see page 256.
Nos. 25–31 (consec.) Green Street and 105–115 (odd) Park Street
Nos. 25–31 (consec.) Green Street and 105–115
(odd) Park Street were built to the designs of (Sir) Robert
W. Edis in 1891–4, and are characterised by shaped gables,
deep porches and a lavish use of terracotta ornament (Plate
52d).
In 1891 the Grosvenor Board asked Edis, who had
already rebuilt Nos. 59 and 61 Brook Street and was on the
Estate's list of 'approved' architects, whether he had a
client prepared to take on this large plot which was shortly
to be available for rebuilding. (ref. 43) In the event Edis
undertook the speculation himself. The houses were built
in four stages and this is reflected in slight variations in
design. Nos. 26–30 Green Street were begun in 1891 and
Nos. 107–115 Park Street in 1892, but the corner site
between them was not yet vacant, and the erection of No.
25 Green Street and No. 105 Park Street did not begin
until late 1893. (ref. 44) At No. 31 Green Street the rebuilding
contract was originally made with James Purdey, the
gunsmith of South Audley Street, who was the leaseholder
of the old house on the site, but he was required to use Edis
as his architect, and in 1892 he assigned his contract to
Edis. (ref. 45) In all cases Edis used T. J. Messom of Twickenham as his builder. (ref. 46)
This large-scale speculation soured relations between
Edis and the Board. The latter considered that Edis had
'seriously departed from the specifications in building the
houses' and eventually decided that it was not 'expedient
that an architect should speculate on the estate'. (ref. 47) Edis was
not employed there again in any capacity.
Occupants include: No. 26 Green Street, Adm. Sir Edward
Sotheby, 1894–1902. No. 27, Sir Percy Daniels, K.B.E.,
1933–43. No. 28, 4th Baron Congleton, 1902–6: his son, 5th
Baron Congleton, 1906–14: the latter's brother, 6th Baron
Congleton, 1914–25 (later at No. 46): Dow. Lady Congleton,
wid. of 4th Baron, to 1931. No. 30, (Sir) James Augustus Grant,
M.P., later 1st bt., 1911–12. Dow. Lady Burghclere, wid. of 1st
Baron, 1924–33. No. 31, Viscount Chelsea, son of 5th Earl
Cadogan, 1895–1902. No. 109 Park Street, 2nd Baron Ampthill,
1896–1900. No. 111, Marquess of Hamilton, later 3rd Duke of
Abercorn, 1898–1901. Sir Patrick Hastings, Q.C., kt., playwright, 1927–31. No. 115, Dow. Duchess of Abercorn, wid. of 2nd
Duke, 1920–9.
No. 32 Green Street
No. 32 Green Street, a large neo-Georgian mansion on
a corner site, was built for the fourth Baron Ribblesdale in
1897–9 (Plate 36b in vol. XXXIX).
Shortly after this plot and those to the north in
Dunraven Street had been cleared in 1896–7, Lady
Ribblesdale applied to the Estate for sufficient ground to
build a house of some eighteen or nineteen rooms. The
Board was complaisant and left the choice of builder
(Bywaters) and later of architect (Sidney R. J. Smith) to
Lord Ribblesdale, Smith being apparently chosen on the
strength of his design for the Tate Gallery, then in course
of erection. (ref. 48)
The elevations, which were kept simple and restrained,
'at the request of Lord Ribblesdale', were executed in red
Fareham bricks with Portland-stone dressings and
Westmorland slates. Only in the entrance porch were
Smith's natural Baroque proclivities allowed some play
and here he was criticized for being too 'small in detail'.
The reception rooms, which included a forty-two-foot
drawing-room on the first floor, were decorated in a
Georgian style in white and gold with plasterwork by
Jackson and Sons, but have been much altered. The main
staircase is of white marble with a wrought-iron balustrade. (ref. 49) The general result is a dignified and worthy neoGeorgian house which, however, has little of the élan of
Fairfax Wade's contemporary work at No. 54 Mount
Street.
In 1931 Queen Mary expressed a desire to purchase the
freehold of the house, intending it as a residence for her
daughter, the future Princess Royal, and her husband the
sixth Earl of Harewood. The Duke of Westminster
consented, provided that if the house were no longer
required as a private residence, the Estate should have the
right to repurchase it. The royal couple lived there until
shortly after the outbreak of the war of 1939–45, and in
1946 the Grosvenor Estate bought back the freehold. (ref. 50)
The house is now occupied by the Brazilian Embassy.