The Steeple Times

Tag: W1

  • A Monopolistic mansion

    A Monopolistic mansion

    Could 100 Park Lane become the property that achieves the accolade of being Britain’s highest priced private residence?

     

    Occupied by property giants Hammerson since 1969 as their corporate headquarters, the 44,000 square foot Grade II* listed Dudley House is one of Park Lane’s finest landmark properties. It is supposedly about to come to the market as a single-family residence and a price of up to £250,000,000 could be achieved.

     

    The Park Lane façade of Dudley House, 100 Park Lane, Mayfair, London, W1Y 4AR

     

    Dudley House, the only remaining example of an early Park Lane mansion, is named after the Dudley Ward family and built on the site of an earlier house with stabling. The site was acquired by John, 6th Baron Ward, in 1742 but it wasn’t until 1759 that the 3rd Viscount Dudley and Ward began “judicious alterations” to the house. Having paid £6,510 at auction for his late half-brother’s interests in Dudley House, he added an entrance portico and stained glass windows whilst his successor, an ”eccentric intellectual and politician,” set about turning the building into “the most pleasing object in the vicinity.”

     

    Works by the architect William Atkinson, carried out between 1827 and 1829, included a screen of Ionic columns, fine ceilings and gilded plasterwork. They remain to this day but it is the 1855 alterations of Samuel Whitfield Daukes that are truly impressive. Carried out on the instructions of the 1st Earl of Dudley, these included a magnificent 80ft picture gallery designed to showcase a collection of Italian and Flemish paintings and a vast 50ft ballroom.

     

    The picture gallery at Dudley House

     

    In 1895, Dudley House, which is situated at 100 Park Lane, briefly passed out of the Dudley Ward family and into the ownership of a “hard-headed South African mining magnate” named Sir Joseph Benjamin Robinson. Sir John Hubert Ward bought the building back in 1912 for £10,000 and remained there until his death in 1938.

     

    Wartime bombing caused significant damage and this was not repaired until Hammerson took over Dudley House. Having hired Sir Robert McAlpine and Sons as contractors, designs by Sir Basil Spence and Anthony Blee were executed to restore the building.  Hammerson remained there until 2006 when they jointly sold the leasehold interest on the house with freeholders Grosvenor for £37.4 million to Bristol Isles Ltd., a private investment company controlled by Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thana, the emir of Qatar.

     

    His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (1952 – )

     

    The ensuing renovation, directed by the designer Alberto Pinto, has been described as “tasteful” and is said to have cost some £75 million. The resulting air-conditioned home features some 17 bedrooms and 14 reception rooms.

     

    It’ll be fascinating to see who “Doesn’t pass go!” and purchases this mammoth mansion (if indeed His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani decides not to move in himself).

     

    For more details on Alberto Pinto, go to: http://www.albertopinto.com

     

    For more information about His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani: http://www.qatarembassy.net/emir.asp

  • The Hon. Imogen Lloyd Webber

    The Hon. Imogen Lloyd Webber

    The daughter of the composer Andrew Lloyd Webber lives in New York and is a contributor to MSNBC. Her Single Girl’s Guide was published in both the UK and America and her debut show Touched… For The Very First Time was a mighty success in the West End in 2009. Described as a “petite polymath,” Imogen Lloyd Webber digitally published The Twitter Diaries in May 2012. Turning tweets into a novel, this co-written e-book has been lauded as: “Bridget Jones tries social networking.”

     

  • The Rt. Hon. Gregory Barker (AKA “Greg Barker”)

    The Rt. Hon. Gregory Barker (AKA “Greg Barker”)

    Gregory BarkerGregory Barker worked for Roman Abramovich at the Sibneft Oil Group and as Energy Minister, took his daschund, Otto, to work at the Houses of Parliament. A Conservative Member of Parliament between 2001 and 2015, Barker lives between Notting Hill and Sussex and is widely cited as the architect of David Cameron’s “green conservatism”.

     

  • Peregrine Heathcote

    Peregrine Heathcote

    Peregrine HeathcoteThe youngest ever student at the Heatherly College of Arts, Peregrine Heathcote has morphed from portrait painting to a focus on something a little more Gatsby-esque. He grew up on Cheyne Walk and now lives in the country with his charming wife, Louise. This Old Harrovian’s stunning paintings hang in some of the finest collections and when he’s not with his easel, Heathcote is either turning his hand to redeveloping properties or collecting clocks.

     

  • Benjamin Boateng

    Benjamin Boateng

    A club promoter who thought he was above the law. Found guilty in October 2011 of a pre-planned sexual assault, this former actor was previously accused of a similar crime in South Africa whilst his father was High Commissioner there. That time the case was dropped but this time he’s been jailed for nearly four years.

  • Peter Wetherell

    Peter Wetherell

    He’s the gent who successfully led the campaign against Westminster Council’s ludicrous attempt to expand parking charges in the West End. He’s also Mayfair’s leading estate agent and the man credited with bringing residential life back to the area. He’s well known for wearing red socks and for his love of cigars.

  • Nicky Haslam (Nicholas Haslam)

    Nicky Haslam (Nicholas Haslam)

    “Britain’s ultimate interior designer” is a man of many talents and guises. Haslam flits from party to party by night, but by day writes, edits and designs. He’s performed cabaret at The Savoy and Bellamy’s and interior watercolour renderings by him are held by the Victoria & Albert Museum. This trendsetter’s life is indeed summed up by the title of one of his books: Sheer Opulence.

  • Hugh Warrender

    Hugh Warrender

    This Old Etonian describes himself on Twitter as an optimist, libertarian and cyclist. Warrender co-founded the Knightsbridge School and has been involved in wealth management and investment banking for several decades. He claims the new club he raised funds for in Mayfair will “put the heart” back into Hertford Street. With him and Robin Birley at the helm, no one is doubting it.

  • Terry Venables

    Terry Venables

    “El Tel” is best known as a footballer manager but he’s a man of many talents. Few know that this national team manager of England (1994 to 1996) also co-authored four novels with Gordon Williams and was the co-creator of the ITV detective series Hazell. A Chelsea resident, he’s often to be found at Motcomb’s, the Rib Room Bar & Restaurant and Sette in Sydney Street.

  • Christian Huhnt

    Christian Huhnt

    Co-founder of Artition, a social network and marketplace for artists, dealers, collectors and institutions. This Chelsea resident is often to be found in the V&A library by day but at night he’s most likely to be rocking the club circuit at The Cuckoo Club.