Clifford Street

Clifford Street is a street in central London, built in the early 18th century, on land that once formed part of the Burlington Estate.[1][2] It is named after the Clifford family, Earls of Cumberland. The daughter and heiress of the last holder of that title was the mother of the first Lord Burlington.[3]

Buck's clubhouse at number 18

Location

The immediate vicinity of Clifford Street

The street runs east-west from New Bond Street to Savile Row. It is crossed by Old Burlington Street, and Cork Street runs from its south side to Burlington Gardens.[4]

History

George Canning, British Prime Minister 1827, practiced his debating skills at the Clifford Street Coffee House.[5]

The Clifford Street Club, a debating society sometimes known humorously as the Clifford Street Senate,[5] met at the Clifford Street Coffee House at the corner of Bond Street around 1800.[6] Among the members were Charles Townshend, the future British Prime Minister George Canning, James Mackintosh, Richard Sharp (known as "Conversation" Sharp, doyen of British conversationalists), Ollyett Woodhouse and Charles Moore.[5] The discussion was of a political nature, usually from a Liberal perspective, and the staple drink was large jugs of porter. Topics included the consequences of the French Revolution.[3]

Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, British Prime Minister 1801–04, lived at number 7 (now demolished and replaced) between 1805 and 1808 and 1816-24.[2]

Admiral Sir Eliab Harvey, who had commanded the Téméraire at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, lived at number 8 until his death in 1830.[7]

Buck's clubhouse at number 18, the home of Buck's Club[8] established in 1919, was where the cocktail Bucks Fizz,[9][10] and possibly the Sidecar, were invented. It was one of the models for The Drones Club in the stories of P.G. Wodehouse.

Listed buildings

Clifford Street contains a number of listed buildings. Numbers 4,[11] 5[12] 9,[13] 16[14] and 17[15] are all listed with English Heritage.

Number 8 Clifford Street, graded class II*, has a staircase hall panelled and frescoed in monochrome trompe l'oeil that is attributed to Sir James Thornhill.[16]

Shops

3 Clifford Street is home to Drakes, the gentlemen's luxury accessories label, since 2011.[17]

Eskenazi, one of the world's leading dealers in Chinese art and artifacts, run by Giuseppe Eskenazi, has been based at 10 Clifford Street since 1993.[18]

The Maas Gallery, a commercial art gallery, is at 15A.[19]

15B is home to Morris's Cafe, a well established coffee shop and restaurant for well over 35 years. It is well known within the local community, and the likes of Rod Stewart and Bernie Ecclestone have been regulars.

Lutwyche, the gentleman's tailor and shoemaker are at number 15.[20]

W. & H. Gidden, established in 1806, are located at number 16 and hold a Royal Warrant as saddlers to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.[21]

Anderson & Sheppard, the gentlemen's tailor with a Royal Warrant from Prince Charles, have been at number 17 since 2012.[22]

References

1. Cork Street and Savile Row Area: Introduction, Survey of London, Volumes 31 and 32: St James Westminster, Part 2. 1963, pp. 442–455. Date accessed: 16 June 2014.
2. Hibbert, Christopher; Ben Weinreb; John Keay; Julia Keay. (2010). The London Encyclopaedia. London: Pan Macmillan. pp. 195–6. ISBN 978-0-230-73878-2.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
3. Piccadilly: Northern tributaries, Old and New London: Volume 4. 1878, pp. 291–314. Date accessed: 16 June 2014.
4. Way: Clifford Street (4370939) openstreetmap.org 25 June 2014.
5. Timbs, John. (1866). Club Life of London with Anecdotes of the Clubs, Coffee-Houses and Taverns of the Metropolis During the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries. I. London: Richard Bentley. p. 169.
6. Wheatley, Henry B. (1891). London past and present: Its history, associations, and traditions. I. London: John Murray. Cambridge University Press reprint, 2011. pp. 424–5. ISBN 9781108028066.
7. Cork Street and Savile Row Area: Clifford Street, North Side, Survey of London: Volumes 31 and 32: St James Westminster, Part 2. 1963, pp. 466–482. Date accessed: 16 June 2014.
8. Cork Street and Savile Row Area: Clifford Street, South Side, Survey of London: Volumes 31 and 32: St James Westminster, Part 2. 1963, pp. 482–488. Date accessed: 16 June 2014.
9. Brown, Jared. "The 12 drinks of Christmas - in pictures". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
10. "Buck's Fizz". CocktailHunter.com. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
11. Historic England. "4 CLIFFORD STREET W1 (1066981)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
12. Historic England. "5 CLIFFORD STREET W1 (1066982)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
13. Historic England. "9 CLIFFORD STREET W1 (1066984)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
14. Historic England. "16 CLIFFORD STREET W1 (1066985)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
15. Historic England. "17 CLIFFORD STREET W1 (1066986)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
16. Historic England. "8 CLIFFORD STREET W1 (1066983)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
17. "Drakes". TimeOut. 10 June 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
18. Norman, Geraldine. (30 May 1993). "An Italian orientalist in London: Leading dealer Giuseppe Eskenazi is defying recession by opening a dazzling new gallery in Mayfair - with three pieces priced over pounds 1m". The Independent. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
19. "Home". The Maas Gallery. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
20. "Home". Lutwyche. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
21. W & H Gidden Archived 14 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine Great British Attire, 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
22. Foulkes, Nick (6 March 2013). "Making strides". GQ. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2014.

External links

Media related to Clifford Street, London at Wikimedia Commons