Leconfield House

Leconfield House is a building in Mayfair, London. It was the headquarters of the Security Service (MI5) from 1945 to 1976.

Leconfield House
General information
LocationCurzon Street, London
Coordinates
Completedc. 1939
Technical details
Floor count7

History

The site at the junction of South Audley Street and Curzon Street was occupied in the second half of the 18th century, all of the 19th century and the first part of the 20th century by Chesterfield House, which was built in 1749 for Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield.[1] In 1869 Chesterfield House was purchased by the City merchant Charles Magniac, who considerably curtailed the grounds in the rear, and erected a row of buildings overlooking Chesterfield Street, named Chesterfield Gardens; the first occupier at No. 9 Chesterfield Gardens was Lord Leconfield.[2]

After Chesterfield House was demolished in 1937, part of the site was used for the construction of Leconfield House, named after Lord Leconfield, who had died in 1901. The new building, completed in 1939, served as the operational headquarters of London District throughout the Second World War.[3] It went on become the home of the Security Service (MI5) in 1945 and by 1969, when Stella Rimington arrived, it was "dreadfully run down....the inside had not been painted in an age..."[4] The headquarters of MI5 remained at Leconfield House until 1976 when it moved to 140 Gower Street.[3]

The building, which has since been substantially rebuilt, is now occupied by various businesses including that of Robert and Vincent Tchenguiz.[5] In May 2020, Robert Tchenguiz submitted plans to Westminster City Council to convert the building into a 65-bedroom private members' hotel. Tchenguiz had bought the building for his Rotch property business in 2004 for about £140 million.[6]

References
  1. Walford, Edward (1878). 'Mayfair', in Old and New London. 4. London. pp. 345–359. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  2. Mitton, Geraldine Edith (2010). "Mayfair, Belgravia, and Bayswater – The Fascination of London". Nabu Press. ISBN 978-1141289455.
  3. "The Secret Architecture of London". Geocities. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
  4. Rimington, Stella (2002). "Open Secret: The Autobiography of the Former Director-General of MI5". Arrow. ISBN 978-0099436720.
  5. "How Kaupthing's dance of debt with Tchenguiz brothers ended in £2bn ruin". The Guardian. 4 February 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  6. Prynn, Jonathan (11 May 2020). "MI5's former headquarters in Mayfair to be high-end hotel". Evening Standard. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
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