128-735: South Molton Street is a street in Mayfair , London , that runs from Oxford Street to Brook Street . Bond Street Underground station is at the north end of the street. The street was built in the mid-18th century as part of the Conduit Mead Estate . It was extensively rebuilt around 1900, but many of the original Georgian houses remain. It is now pedestrianised and contains many shops selling items such as women's fashion and jewellery. 51°30′49″N 0°8′52″W / 51.51361°N 0.14778°W / 51.51361; -0.14778 This London road or road transport-related article
256-516: A frigidarium with two southern pools and an eastern swimming pool . Following the revolt, the Diocletian Reforms saw the British administration restructured. Londinium is universally supposed to have been the capital of one of them, but it remains unclear where the new provinces were, whether there were initially three or four in total, and whether Valentia represented a fifth province or
384-471: A temple of Isis was located there. Londinium grew up as a vicus and soon became an important port for trade between Roman Britain and the Roman provinces on the continent. Tacitus wrote that at the time of the uprising of Boudica , "Londinium... though undistinguished by the name of ' colony ', was much frequented by a number of merchants and trading vessels." Depending on the time of its creation,
512-411: A black border, 'with a tessellated floor, suggesting it may have had a higher status than normal, possibly acting as an antechamber for the aedes or shrine-room'. The alignment of the church is close to the lines of the basilica, being off by just two degrees, and it is feasible for the understructure to have utilized the dry solid 2nd century basilica wall fabric for support. If St Peter's was built in
640-435: A decade. During the later decades of the 1st century, Londinium expanded rapidly, becoming Britannia's largest city, and it was provided with large public buildings such as a forum and amphitheatre. By the 2nd century, Londinium had grown to perhaps 30,000 or 60,000 people, almost certainly replacing Camulodunum ( Colchester ) as the provincial capital, and by the mid-2nd century Londinium was at its height. Its forum basilica
768-577: A first-century flagon suggests that a temple of Isis had existed much earlier. The Egyptian goddess was believed to have influence over the sea and hence the safety of seafarers. In 286, the emperor Maximian issued a death sentence against Carausius , admiral of the Roman navy 's Britannic fleet ( Classis Britannica ), on charges of having abetted Frankish and Saxon piracy and of having embezzled recovered treasure. Carausius responded by consolidating his allies and territory and revolting. After fending off Maximian's first assault in 288, he declared
896-558: A fountain in its centre. In 1963, following the widening of Park Lane, it was rebuilt as the Joy of Life Fountain. Grosvenor Square was planned as the centrepiece of the Mayfair estate. It was laid out from 1725–31 with 51 individual plots for development. It is the second-largest square in London (after Lincoln's Inn Fields ) and housed numerous members of the aristocracy until the mid-20th century. By
1024-454: A grid skewed by major roads passing from the bridgehead and by changes in alignment produced by crossings over the local streams. It recovered after about a decade. The first forum was constructed in the 70s or 80s and has been excavated, showing it had an open courtyard with a basilica and several shops around it, altogether measuring about 100 m × 50 m (330 ft × 160 ft). The basilica would have functioned as
1152-557: A grid. The main streets were 9–10 m (30–33 ft) wide, while side streets were usually about 5 m (16 ft) wide. In 60 or 61 AD, a little more than ten years after Londinium was founded, the king of the Iceni died. He had possibly been installed by the Romans after the Iceni 's failed revolt against Publius Ostorius Scapula 's disarmament of the allied tribes in 47 or may have assisted
1280-503: A guesthouse. A marble slab with a dedication to the god Mars was discovered in the temple complex. The inscription mentions Londiniensi ('the Londoners'), the earliest known reference naming the people of London. By the second half of the 2nd century, Londinium had many large, well-equipped stone buildings, some of which were richly adorned with wall paintings and floor mosaics, and had subfloor hypocausts . The Roman house at Billingsgate
1408-509: A large-scale attack forced Emperor Julian to send troops to deal with the problem. Large efforts were made to improve Londinium's defences around the same time. At least 22 semi-circular towers were added to the city walls to provide platforms for ballistae and the present state of the river wall suggests hurried repair work around this time. In 367, the Great Conspiracy saw a coordinated invasion of Picts, Gaels, and Saxons joined with
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#17328914856441536-509: A massive pier base for such a bridge were found in 1981 close by the modern London Bridge . Some Claudian -era camp ditches have been discovered, but archaeological excavations undertaken since the 1970s by the Department of Urban Archaeology at the Museum of London (now MOLAS ) have suggested the early settlement was largely the product of private enterprise . A timber drain by the side of
1664-472: A new Britannic Empire and issued coins to that effect. Constantius Chlorus 's sack of his Gallic base at Gesoriacum ( Boulogne ), however, led his treasurer Allectus to assassinate and replace him. In 296, Chlorus mounted an invasion of Britain that prompted Allectus's Frankish mercenaries to sack Londinium. They were only stopped by the arrival of a flotilla of Roman warships on the Thames, which slaughtered
1792-411: A pagan shrine room (also known as an aedes ). Wheeler proposed that a Christian church might have been established on its site and that this accounted for the later medieval legends. The possible existence of the shrine room is supported by 19th-century excavations under Gracechurch Street , immediately adjacent to the church's eastern end. These unearthed an adjoining room covered in yellow panels with
1920-430: A renaming of an older one. In the 12th century, Gerald of Wales listed "Londonia" as the capital of Flavia , having had Britannia Prima ( Wales ) and Secunda ( Kent ) severed from the territory of Upper Britain. Modern scholars more often list Londinium as the capital of Maxima Caesariensis on the assumption that the presence of the diocesan vicar in London would have required its provincial governor to outrank
2048-492: A reputation retained to the present day. Gunter's Tea Shop was established in 1757 at Nos. 7–8 Berkeley Square by the Italian Domenico Negri. Robert Gunter took co-ownership of the shop in 1777, and full ownership in 1799. During the 19th century it became a fashionable place to buy cakes and ice cream, and was well-known for its range of multi-tiered wedding cakes . The shop moved to Curzon Street in 1936 when
2176-828: A shop in Conduit Street that was bombed during the Blitz. Grosvenor Chapel on South Audley Street was built by Benjamin Timbrell in 1730 for the Grosvenor Estate. It was used by American armed forces during the Second World War . The parents of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington , are buried in the churchyard. The Mayfair Chapel on Curzon Street was a popular place for illegal marriages, including over 700 in 1742. James Hamilton, 6th Duke of Hamilton , married Elizabeth Gunning here in 1752. The Marriage Act 1753 stopped
2304-480: A short-lived Roman military camp, but the evidence is limited and this topic remains a matter of debate. Archaeologist Lacey Wallace notes "Because no LPRIA settlements or significant domestic refuse have been found in London, despite extensive archaeological excavation, arguments for a purely Roman foundation of London are now common and uncontroversial." The city's Latin name seems to have derived from an originally Brittonic one and significant pre-Roman finds in
2432-469: A single large fire or a series of smaller conflagrations. Fire destroyed substantial areas of the city in the area north of the Thames but does not seem to have damaged many major public buildings. There is very little evidence to suggest similar burning in the adjacent Southwark settlement. The Hadrianic fire (or fires) has normally been assumed to be accidental, but it has also been suggested that it could relate to an episode of political turbulence. During
2560-476: A smaller but stable settlement population as archaeologists have found that much of the city after this date was covered in dark earth —the by-product of urban household waste, manure, ceramic tile, and non-farm debris of settlement occupation, which accumulated relatively undisturbed for centuries. Some time between 190 and 225, the Romans built a defensive wall around the landward side of the city. The London Wall survived for another 1,600 years and broadly defined
2688-477: A smaller shrine for Roman services somewhere within the basilica. The first forum in Londinium seems to have had a full temple, but placed outside just west of the forum. By the turn of the century, Londinium was perhaps as large as 60,000 people and had replaced Camulodunum (Colchester) as the provincial capital. A large building discovered near Cannon Street Station has had its foundation dated to this era and
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#17328914856442816-650: A structure of two suffixes: -in-jo- . However, the Roman Londinium was not the immediate source of English "London" ( Old English : Lunden ), as i -mutation would have caused the name to have been Lyndon . This suggests an alternative Brittonic form Londonion ; alternatively, the local pronunciation in British Latin may have changed the pronunciation of Londinium to Lundeiniu or Lundein , which would also have avoided i -mutation in Old English. The list of
2944-475: A supply depot and distribution centre like Ostia near Rome. Emperor Hadrian visited Londinium in 122. The impressive public buildings from around this period may have been initially constructed in preparation for his visit or during the rebuilding that followed the "Hadrianic Fire". The so-called fire is not mentioned in any historical sources but has been inferred by evidence of large-scale burning identified by archaeologists on several excavation sites around
3072-467: A visit to Brown's. Theodore Roosevelt enjoyed staying at the hotel and married his fiancée Edith Roosevelt with a reception there in 1886. Now part of Rocco Forte Hotels , the Hotel maintains its popular tea room and has expanded to occupy 11 townhouses. Claridge's was founded in 1812 as Mivart's Hotel on Brook Street . It was acquired by William Claridge in 1855, who gave it its current name. The hotel
3200-424: Is Marylebone , to the east Soho , and to the southwest Knightsbridge and Belgravia . Mayfair is surrounded by parkland; Hyde Park and Green Park run along its boundary. The 8-acre (3.2 ha) Grosvenor Square is roughly in the centre of Mayfair, and its centrepiece, containing numerous expensive and desirable properties. Following analysis of the alignment of Roman roads, it has been speculated that
3328-570: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Mayfair Mayfair is an area of London , England, in the City of Westminster . It is in Central London and part of the West End . It is between Oxford Street , Regent Street , Piccadilly and Park Lane and one of the most expensive districts in the world. The area was originally part of the manor of Eia and remained largely rural until
3456-488: Is a major shopping street in Mayfair running from north to south from Grosvenor Square to Curzon Street. Originally a residential street, it was redeveloped between 1875 and 1900. Retailers include china and silverware specialists Thomas Goode and gunsmiths James Purdey & Sons . Numerous galleries have given Mayfair a reputation as an international art hub. The Royal Academy of Arts , based in Burlington House,
3584-545: Is a timber drain of 47 AD. It sat at a key ford at the River Thames which turned the city into a road nexus and major port (which was built between 49 and 52 AD ), serving as a major commercial centre in Roman Britain until its abandonment during the 5th century. Following the foundation of the town in the mid-1st century, early Londinium occupied the relatively small area of 1.4 km (0.5 sq mi), roughly half
3712-510: Is assumed to have been the governor's palace. It boasted a garden, pools, and several large halls, some of which were decorated with mosaic floors . It stood on the east bank of the now-covered River Walbrook , near where it joins the Thames. The London Stone may originally have been part of the palace's main entrance. Another site dating to this era is the bathhouse ( thermae ) at Huggin Hill , which remained in use prior to its demolition around
3840-416: Is at No. 4 Grosvenor Square. The district has become increasingly commercial, with many offices in converted houses and new buildings, though the trend has been reversed in places. The United States embassy announced in 2008 it would move from its long-established location at Grosvenor Square to Nine Elms , Wandsworth , owing to security concerns, despite constructing an £8m security upgrading after
3968-446: Is named after Joseph Damer, 1st Earl of Dorchester . The first building here was erected by Joseph Damer in 1751, and renamed Dorchester House following the Earl's succession in 1792. The property was purchased by Sir Robert McAlpine and Sons and Gordon Hotels Ltd in 1928 to be converted into a hotel, which opened on 18 April 1931. It was General Dwight Eisenhower 's London headquarters in
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4096-439: Is now Mount Street was known as Oliver's Mount by the 18th century. The May Fair was held every year at Great Brookfield (which is now part of Curzon Street and Shepherd Market) from 1 to 14 May. It was established during the reign of Edward I in open fields beyond St. James. The fair was recorded as "Saint James's fayer by Westminster" in 1560. It was postponed in 1603 because of plague , but otherwise continued throughout
4224-614: Is now the Indonesian Embassy . Berkeley House on Piccadilly was named after John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton , who had purchased its land, and that surrounding it, shortly after the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660. In 1696, the Berkeley family sold the house and grounds to William Cavendish , 1st Duke of Devonshire (who renamed it Devonshire House ), on condition that
4352-409: Is one of the most prestigious and best-known hotels in the world. Mayfair has had a range of exclusive shops, hotels, restaurants and clubs since the 19th century. The district—especially the vicinity of Bond Street—is also the home of numerous commercial art galleries and international auction houses such as Bonhams , Christie's and Sotheby's . From the early 19th century, tailors, attracted by
4480-454: Is uncertain. The present structure of St Peter upon Cornhill was designed by Christopher Wren following the Great Fire in 1666, but it stands upon the highest point in the area of old Londinium and medieval legends tied it to the city's earliest Christian community. However, the east end of St Peter's and its high altar, is also positioned above the area where some basilicas of the period had
4608-610: The 28 Cities of Britain included in the 9th-century History of the Britons precisely notes London in Old Welsh as Cair Lundem or Lundein . The pronunciation of Londinium in English is / l ʌ n ˈ d ɪ n i əm / lun- DIN -ee-əm , and its pronunciation in Classical Latin is [ɫɔnˈdɪniʊ̃ː] . The site guarded the Romans' bridgehead on the north bank of
4736-538: The City of London was destroyed during the Blitz, and many corporate headquarters were established in the area. Several historically important houses were demolished, including Aldford House , Londonderry House and Chesterfield House . In 1961, the old US embassy at No. 1 Grosvenor Square became the Canadian High Commission , and the building was named Macdonald House , after the first Canadian Prime Minister John A. Macdonald . The Italian Embassy
4864-620: The Maybourne Hotel Group . St George's, Hanover Square , constructed between 1721 and 1724 by John James , was one of 50 churches built following the Commission for Building Fifty New Churches Act in 1711. Emma, Lady Hamilton , in 1791, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1814, and Prime Ministers Benjamin Disraeli and H. H. Asquith in 1839 and 1894 respectively were all married in the church. The porch houses two cast-iron dogs rescued from
4992-523: The September 11 attacks including 6 ft (1.8 m) high blast walls. Since the 1990s residential properties have become available again, though the rents are among the highest in London. Mayfair remains one of the most expensive places to live in London and the world, and it possesses some exclusive shopping, London's largest concentration of luxury hotels and many restaurants, particularly around Park Lane and Grosvenor Square. The Al-Thani family,
5120-750: The Thames and a major road nexus shortly after the invasion. It was centred on Cornhill and the River Walbrook , but extended west to Ludgate Hill and east to Tower Hill . Just prior to the Roman conquest, the area had been contested by the Catuvellauni based to the west and the Trinovantes based to the east; it bordered the realm of the Cantiaci on the south bank of the Thames. The Roman city ultimately covered at least
5248-460: The " Procurator " or " Publican of the Province of Britain at Londinium", the remains of a governor 's palace and tombstones belonging to the governor's staff have been discovered, and the city was well defended and armed, with a new military camp erected at the beginning of the 2nd century in a fort on the north-western edge of the city, despite being far from any frontier. Despite some corruption to
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5376-465: The "village centre" of Mayfair. The current buildings date from around 1860, and house food and antique shops, pubs and restaurants. The market had a reputation for high-class prostitution. In the 1980s, Jeffrey Archer was alleged to frequent the area and was accused of visiting Monica Coghlan , a call girl in Shepherd Market, which eventually led to a libel trial and his imprisonment for perverting
5504-459: The 12th century, claiming the city's Christian community was founded in the 2nd century under the legendary King Lucius and his missionary saints Fagan , Deruvian , Elvanus, and Medwin. None of that is considered credible by modern historians but, although the surviving text is problematic, either Bishop Restitutus or Adelphius at the 314 Council of Arles seems to have come from Londinium. The location of Londinium's original cathedral
5632-502: The 17th century. In 1686, the fair moved to what is now Mayfair. By the 18th century, it had attracted showmen, jugglers and fencers and numerous fairground attractions. Popular attractions included bare-knuckle fighting, semolina -eating contests and women's foot racing . By the reign of George I , the May Fair had fallen into disrepute and was regarded as a public scandal. The 6th Earl of Coventry , who lived on Piccadilly, considered
5760-532: The 18th century. Part of its success was its proximity to the Court of St James and the parks, and the well-designed layout. This led to it sustaining its popularity into the 21st century. The requirements of the aristocracy led to stables, coach houses and servants' accommodation being established along the mews running parallel to the streets. Some of the stables have since been converted into garages and offices. The Rothschild family owned several Mayfair properties in
5888-509: The 19th century, Charles Roach Smith estimated its length from the Tower west to Ludgate at about one mile (1.6 km) and its breadth from the northern wall to the bank of the Thames at around half that. In addition to small pedestrian postern gates like the one by Tower Hill , it had four main gates: Bishopsgate and Aldgate in the northeast at the roads to Eboracum ( York ) and to Camulodunum ( Colchester ) and Newgate and Ludgate in
6016-486: The 19th century. Alfred de Rothschild lived at No. 1 Seamore Place and held numerous "adoration dinners" where the only guest was a female companion. The marriage of his brother Leopold to Marie Perugia took place here in 1881. The house was demolished after the First World War when Curzon Street was extended through the site to meet Park Lane. The future Prime Minister Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery ,
6144-468: The American Embassy. The Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane is on the former site of Grosvenor House , the home of Robert Grosvenor, 2nd Earl Grosvenor (who later became the 1st Marquess of Westminster). It was built by Arthur Octavius Edwards in the 1920s and has over 450 bedrooms, with 150 luxury flats in the south wing. It was the first London hotel to have a swimming pool. The Dorchester
6272-486: The City of London. The best dating evidence for this event(s) comes from burnt stocks of unsold Terra Sigilatta pottery, which can be dated to c. 120–125. These were found in destroyed warehouse or shop buildings at Regis House and Bucklersbury. Hadrianic fire horizons tend to be dated to around the 120s to 130s, but it is difficult to prove that they are contemporary, and there remains some uncertainty as to whether they indicate
6400-537: The Grosvenor. Of the original properties constructed in Mayfair, only the Grosvenor estate survives intact and owned by the same family, who became the Dukes of Westminster in 1874. Chesterfield Street is one of the few streets that has 18th-century properties on both sides, with a single exception, and is probably the least altered road in the area. Hanover Square was the first of three great squares to be constructed. It
6528-596: The Queen, as well as supplying several high-profile restaurants. After accruing spiralling debts, it was sold to Rare Butchers of Distinction in 2006. The Mayfair premises closed in 2015, but the company retains an online presence. Scott's restaurant moved from Coventry Street to Nos. 20–22 Mount Street in 1967. In 1975, the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) bombed the restaurant twice, killing one and injuring 15 people. South Audley Street
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#17328914856446656-555: The Roman era, it would make the church contemporaneous to the potential Romano-British church at Silchester , similarly built adjacent to the Roman Basilica and most likely pre- Constantine in age. London certainly had a Christian community in 314 when Bishop Restitutus attended the Council of Arles. This community must have had some meeting place, and apart from St Peter's no other location has yet been proposed, either in antiquity or in
6784-481: The Romans against his tribesmen during that revolt. His will had divided his wealth and lands between Rome and his two daughters, but Roman law forbade female inheritance and it had become common practice to treat allied kingdoms as life estates that were annexed upon the ruler's death, as had occurred in Bithynia and Galatia . Roman financiers including Seneca called in all the king's outstanding loans at once and
6912-553: The Romans settled in the area before establishing Londinium . Whitaker's Almanack suggested that Aulus Plautius built a fort here during the Roman conquest of Britain in AD 43 while waiting for Claudius . The theory was developed in 1993, with a proposal that a town grew outside the fort but was later abandoned as it was too far from the River Thames. The proposal has been disputed because of lack of archaeological evidence. If there
7040-590: The Second World War. The Duke of Edinburgh held his stag night at the hotel prior to his marriage to Princess Elizabeth . The May Fair Hotel opened in 1927 on the site of Devonshire House in Stratton Street . It also accommodates the May Fair Theatre, which opened in 1963. The Ritz opened on Piccadilly on 24 May 1906. It was the first steel-framed building to be constructed in London, and it
7168-431: The Thames at a natural ford near Westminster before being diverted north to the new bridge at London. The Romans enabled the road to cross the marshy terrain without subsidence by laying down substrates of one to three layers of oak logs. This route, now known as Watling Street , passed through the town from the bridgehead in a straight line to reconnect with its northern extension towards Viroconium ( Wroxeter ) and
7296-523: The Thames, especially the Battersea Shield ( Chelsea Bridge , perhaps 4th-century BC) and the Wandsworth Shield (perhaps 1st-century BC), both assumed to be votive offerings deposited a couple of miles upstream of Londinium, suggest the general area was busy and significant. It has been suggested that the area was where several territories intersected. There was probably a ford in that part of
7424-474: The Walbrook at the centre of Londinium. Expansion of the flourishing port continued into the 3rd century. Scraps of armour , leather straps, and military stamps on building timbers suggest that the site was constructed by the city's legionaries . Major imports included fine pottery , jewellery and wine . Only two large warehouses are known, implying that Londinium functioned as a bustling trade centre rather than
7552-455: The Younger is sited at the southern end of the square. In 1725, Mayfair became part of the new parish of St George Hanover Square , which stretched as far east as Bond Street and to Regent Street north of Conduit Street . It ran as far north as Oxford Street and south near to Piccadilly. The parish continued into Hyde Park to the west and extended southwest to St George's Hospital . Most of
7680-400: The affluent and influential residents, began to take up premises on Savile Row in south-eastern Mayfair, beginning in 1803. The earliest extant tailor to move to Savile Row was Henry Poole & Co in 1846. The street's reputation steadily grew throughout the late 19th and early-20th centuries, under the patronage of monarchs, moguls and movie stars, into the global home of men's tailoring ;
7808-566: The area belonged to (and continues to be owned by) the Grosvenor family, though the freehold of some parts belongs to the Crown Estate . A water supply to the area was built by the Chelsea Water Works , and a royal warrant was issued in 1725 for a reservoir in Hyde Park that could supply water at what is now Grosvenor Gate. In 1835, the reservoir was decorated with an ornamental basin and
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#17328914856447936-497: The area of the City of London , whose boundaries are largely defined by its former wall . Londinium's waterfront on the Thames ran from around Ludgate Hill in the west to the present site of the Tower in the east, around 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi). The northern wall reached Bishopsgate and Cripplegate near the former site of the Museum of London , a course now marked by the street "London Wall". Cemeteries and suburbs existed outside
8064-441: The area of the modern City of London and equivalent to the size of present-day Hyde Park . In 60 or 61 AD, the rebellion of the Iceni under their queen, Boudica , compelled the Roman forces to abandon the settlement, which was then razed. Following the defeat of Boudica by the Roman governor Gaius Suetonius Paulinus a military installation was established, and the city was rebuilt. It had probably largely recovered within about
8192-485: The battle shortly thereafter at "a place with narrow jaws, backed by a forest", speaks against the tradition, and no supporting archaeological evidence has been yet discovered. After the sack of the city by Boudica and her defeat, a large military fort covering 15,000 m was built at Plantation Place on Cornhill , with 3m-high banks and enclosed by 3m deep double ditches. It was built as an emergency solution to protect Londinium's important trade and to help reconstruct
8320-414: The bridges near modern Staines . A minor road led southwest to the city's main cemetery and the old routes to the ford at Westminster. Stane Street to Noviomagus ( Chichester ) did not reach Londinium proper but ran from the bridgehead in the southern suburb at Southwark . These roads varied from 12–20 m (39–66 ft) wide. After its reconstruction in the 60s AD, the streets largely adhered to
8448-415: The city at this date. Suetonius then returned to the legions' slower infantry, who met and defeated the Iceni army, slaughtering as many as 70,000 men and camp followers. There is a long-standing folklore belief that this battle took place at King's Cross , simply because as a mediaeval village it was known as Battle Bridge. Suetonius's flight back to his men, the razing of Verulamium ( St Albans ), and
8576-508: The city proper. A round temple has been located west of the city, although its dedication remains unclear. Substantial suburbs existed at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Westminster and around the southern end of the Thames bridge in Southwark , where excavations in 1988 and 2021 have revealed an elaborate building with fine mosaics and frescoed walls dating from 72 AD. Inscriptions suggest
8704-407: The city's administrative heart, hearing law cases and seating the town's local senate. It formed the north side of the forum, whose south entrance was located along the north side of the intersection of the present Gracechurch , Lombard , and Fenchurch Streets . Forums elsewhere typically had a civic temple constructed within the enclosed market area; British sites usually did not, instead placing
8832-465: The city's economy. Although Londinium remained important for the rest of the Roman period, no further expansion occurred. Londinium remained well populated, as archaeologists have found that much of the city after this date was covered in dark earth which accumulated relatively undisturbed over centuries. Some time between 190 and 225, the Romans built the London Wall, a defensive ragstone wall around
8960-422: The city. It dominated the town and lay over the main road into Londinium controlling traffic from London Bridge and on the river. Several major building projects at this time such as roads, a new quay and a water lifting machine indicate the army had a key role in reconstruction. The fort was in use for less than 10 years. The city was eventually rebuilt as a planned Roman town , its streets generally adhering to
9088-446: The construction of a riverside wall. It ran roughly along the course of present-day Thames street , which roughly formed the shoreline. Large collapsed sections of this wall were excavated at Blackfriars and the Tower in the 1970s. An inscription found on a third-century stone altar recorded the rebuilding of a temple of Isis by the governor of Britannia Superior – Marcus Martiannius Pulcher . An earlier inscription found on
9216-480: The corners and at points along each wall. Londinium's amphitheatre , constructed in 70, is situated at Guildhall . When the Romans left in the 4th century, the amphitheatre lay derelict for hundreds of years. In the 11th century, the area was reoccupied, and by the 12th century the first Guildhall was built next to it. A temple complex with two Romano-British temples was excavated at Empire Square, Long Lane, Southwark in 2002/2003. A large house there may have been
9344-523: The course of justice . Alongside Burlington House is one of London's most luxurious shopping areas, the Burlington Arcade . It was designed by Samuel Ware for George Cavendish, 1st Earl of Burlington , in 1819. The arcade was designed with tall walls on either side to prevent passers-by throwing litter into the Earl's garden. Ownership of the arcade passed to the Chesham family . In 1911, another storey
9472-544: The earlier one over a period of 30 years from around 90 to 120 into a square measuring 168 m × 167 m (551 ft × 548 ft). Its three-storey basilica was probably visible across the city and was the largest in the empire north of the Alps ; the marketplace rivalled those in Rome and was the largest in the north before Augusta Treverorum ( Trier , Germany) became an imperial capital. The city's temple of Jupiter
9600-563: The early 18th century. It became well-known for the annual May Fair that took place from 1686 to 1764 in what is now Shepherd Market . Over the years, the fair grew increasingly downmarket and unpleasant, and it became a public nuisance. The Grosvenor family (who became Dukes of Westminster ) acquired the land through marriage and began to develop it under the direction of Thomas Barlow. The work included Hanover Square , Berkeley Square and Grosvenor Square , which were surrounded by high-quality houses, and St George's Hanover Square Church . By
9728-415: The early 2nd century, Londinium was at its height, having recovered from the fire and again had between 45,000 and 60,000 inhabitants around 140, with many more stone houses and public buildings erected. Some areas were tightly packed with townhouses ( domus ). The town had piped water and a "fairly-sophisticated" drainage system. The governor's palace was rebuilt, and an expanded forum was built around
9856-423: The early 3rd century. The northwest fort was abandoned and dismantled but archaeological evidence points to renewed construction activity from this period. The London Mithraeum rediscovered in 1954 dates from around 240, when it was erected on the east bank at the head of navigation on the River Walbrook about 200 m (660 ft) from the Thames. From about 255 onwards, raiding by Saxon pirates led to
9984-473: The eastern side of Berkeley Square was demolished, until closing in 1956. The business as a whole survived until the late 1970s. Mount Street has been a popular shopping street since Mayfair was developed in the 18th century. It was largely rebuilt between 1880 and 1900 under the direction of the 1st Duke of Westminster, when the nearby workhouse was relocated to Pimlico. It now houses a number of shops dealing with luxury trades. Shepherd Market has been called
10112-644: The end of the 18th century, most of Mayfair had been rebuilt with high-value housing for the upper class; unlike some nearby areas of London, it has never lost its affluent status. The decline of the British aristocracy in the early 20th century led to the area becoming more commercial, with many houses converted into offices for corporate headquarters and various embassies . Mayfair retains a substantial quantity of high-end residential property, upmarket shops and restaurants, and luxury hotels along Piccadilly and Park Lane . Its prestigious status has been commemorated by being
10240-483: The end of the 19th century, the Grosvenor family were described as "the wealthiest family in Europe" and annual rents for their Mayfair properties reached around £135,000 (equivalent to £18,558,000 in 2023). The square has never declined in popularity and continues to be a prestigious London address into the 21st century. Only two original houses have survived; No. 9, once the home of John Adams , and No. 38 which
10368-544: The fair to be a nuisance and, with local residents, led a public campaign against it. It was abolished in 1764. One reason for Mayfair's subsequent boom in property development was that it was able to keep out lower-class activities. Building on Mayfair began in the 1660s on the corner of Piccadilly, and progressed along the north side of that street. Burlington House was started between 1664 and 1665 by John Denham and sold two years later to Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Burlington , who asked Hugh May to complete it. The house
10496-413: The former associations of the sites had probably died down. There is more evidence that early English Christian churches met in private homes and that some Roman villas also converted rooms to dedicated places of Christian worship. In 1995 a large and ornate 4th-century building on Tower Hill was discovered: built sometime between 350 and 400, it seems to have mimicked St Ambrose 's cathedral in
10624-490: The garrison at Londinium. The Iceni and their allies overwhelmed them and razed the city. The 9th Legion under Quintus Petillius Cerialis , coming south from the Fosse Way , was ambushed and annihilated . The procurator Catus Decianus , meanwhile, escaped with his treasure to Gaul , probably via Londinium. Gaius Suetonius Paulinus had been leading the 14th and 20th Legions in the Roman conquest of Anglesey ; hearing of
10752-424: The imperial capital at Milan on a still-larger scale. It was about 100 m (330 ft) long by about 50 m (160 ft) wide. Excavations by David Sankey of MOLAS established it was constructed out of stone taken from other buildings, including a veneer of black marble. It was probably dedicated to St Paul. From 340 onwards, northern Britain was repeatedly attacked by Picts and Gaels . In 360,
10880-556: The lack of written and inscribed sources. (It was customary elsewhere to name roads after the emperor during whose principate they were completed, but the number and vicinity of routes completed during the time of Claudius would seem to have made this impractical in Britain's case.) The road from the Kentish ports of Rutupiae ( Richborough ), Dubris ( Dover ), and Lemanis ( Lympne ) via Durovernum ( Canterbury ) seems to have first crossed
11008-416: The landward side of the city. Along with Hadrian's Wall and the road network, the London Wall was one of the largest construction projects carried out in Roman Britain. The wall was originally about 5 km (3 mi) long, 6 m (20 ft) high, and 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) thick. Its dry moat ( fossa ) was about 2 m (6 ft 7 in) deep and 3–5 m (9.8–16.4 ft) wide. In
11136-404: The legionary base at Deva Victrix ( Chester ). The Great Road ran northeast across Old Ford to Camulodunum ( Colchester ) and thence northeast along Pye Road to Venta Icenorum ( Caistor St Edmund ). Ermine Street ran north from the city to Lindum ( Lincoln ) and Eboracum ( York ). The Devil's Highway connected Londinium to Calleva ( Silchester ) and its roads to points west over
11264-469: The main Roman road excavated at No 1 Poultry has been dated by dendrochronology to 47 AD. Following its foundation in the mid-1st century, early Roman London occupied a relatively small area, about 350 acres (1.4 km ) or roughly the area of present-day Hyde Park . Archaeologists have uncovered numerous goods imported from across the Roman Empire in this period, suggesting that early Roman London
11392-444: The modern era. There is, however, some conflicting evidence to the theory that St Peter's was deliberately cited above a pagan shrine room. Current research suggests it was very rare for early English Christian churches to be founded in pagan temples and that when temples were turned into churches, this occurred later, in the late 6th century and onwards. This was also true elsewhere in the Roman Empire; for example in Rome. By this time
11520-401: The modesty of Londinium's first forum may have reflected its early elevation to city ( municipium ) status or may have reflected an administrative concession to a low-ranking but major Romano-British settlement. It had almost certainly been granted colony ( colonia ) status prior to the complete replanning of the city's street plan attending the erection of the great second forum around
11648-513: The most expensive property square on the London Monopoly board. Mayfair is in the City of Westminster , and mainly consists of the historical Grosvenor estate and the Albemarle , Berkeley , Burlington , and Curzon estates. It is bordered on the west by Park Lane , north by Oxford Street , east by Regent Street , and the south by Piccadilly . Beyond the bounding roads, to the north
11776-410: The names of former American residents in and visitors to Mayfair. The death of Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster in 1899 was a pivotal point in the development of Mayfair, following which all redevelopment schemes not already in operation were cancelled. In the following years, Government budget proposals such as David Lloyd George 's establishment of the welfare state in 1909 greatly reduced
11904-403: The north and another to the west – but these were not along major roads. Aldersgate was eventually added, perhaps to replace the west gate of the fort. (The names of all these gates are medieval, as they continued to be occasionally refurbished and replaced until their demolition in the 17th and 18th centuries to permit widening the roads.) The wall initially left the riverbank undefended: this
12032-435: The others. The governor's palace and old large forum seem to have fallen out of use around 300, but in general the first half of the 4th century appears to have been a prosperous time for Britain, for the villa estates surrounding London appear to have flourished during this period. The London Mithraeum was rededicated, probably to Bacchus . A list of the 16 "archbishops" of London was recorded by Jocelyne of Furness in
12160-562: The perimeter of the old City of London. The etymology of the name Londinium is unknown. Following Geoffrey of Monmouth 's pseudohistorical History of the Kings of Britain , it was long published as derived from an eponymous founder named Lud , son of Heli . There is no evidence such a figure existed. Instead, the Latin name was probably based on a native Brittonic place name reconstructed as * Londinion . Morphologically, this points to
12288-591: The power of the Lords. Land value fell around Mayfair, and some leases were not renewed. Following World War I , the British upper class was in decline, for the reduced workforce meant servants were less readily available and demanded higher salaries. The grandest houses in Mayfair became more expensive to service; consequently, many were converted into foreign embassies. The 2nd Duke of Westminster decided to demolish Grosvenor House and move his residence to Bourdon House . Mayfair attracted commercial development after much of
12416-566: The practice of unlicensed marriages. The chapel was demolished in 1899. Having opened in 1837, Brown's Hotel is considered one of London's oldest hotels. Straddling Albemarle and Dover streets, it is thought to have been a popular tea location for Queen Victoria , and it was from the hotel that in 1876 Alexander Graham Bell made the first successful telephone call in Britain. Certain writers were known to stay there frequently; Rudyard Kipling 's The Jungle Book and Agatha Christie 's At Bertram's Hotel were each partly written during
12544-452: The properties being rebuilt. Barlow proposed a grid of wide, straight streets, with a large park (now Grosvenor Square) as a centrepiece. Buildings were constructed in quick succession, and by the mid-18th century the area was covered in houses. Much of the land was owned by seven estates: Burlington , Millfield, Conduit Mead , Albemarle Ground, the Berkeley, the Curzon and, most importantly,
12672-413: The provincial procurator confiscated the property of both the king and his nobles. Tacitus records that when the king's wife Boudica objected, the Romans flogged her, raped her two daughters, and enslaved their nobles and kinsmen. Boudica then led a failed revolt against Roman rule. Two hundred ill-equipped men were sent to defend the provincial capital and Roman colony at Camulodunum, probably from
12800-485: The rising, he immediately returned along Watling Street with the legions' cavalry. An early historical record of London appears in Tacitus's account of his actions upon arriving and finding the state of the 9th Legion: At first, [Paulinus] hesitated as to whether to stand and fight there. Eventually, his numerical inferiority—and the price only too clearly paid by the divisional commander 's rashness—decided him to sacrifice
12928-463: The river; other Roman and Celtic finds suggest this was perhaps where the opposed crossing Julius Caesar describes in 54 BC took place. Londinium expanded around the point on the River Thames narrow enough for the construction of a Roman bridge but still deep enough to handle the era's seagoing ships. Its placement on the Tideway permitted easier access for ships sailing upstream. The remains of
13056-482: The ruling family of Qatar , and their relatives and associates owned a quarter of the 279 acres of Mayfair by 2006. The north-western part of Mayfair has subsequently been nicknamed " Little Doha ". The area has also been called a "Qatari quarter" and 'Qataropolis'. Prominent properties owned in Mayfair by Qataris include Dudley House on Park Lane and Lombard House on Curzon Street. Family members also own The Connaught and Claridge's hotels in Mayfair through
13184-406: The single city of Londinium to save the province as a whole. Unmoved by lamentations and appeals, Suetonius gave the signal for departure. The inhabitants were allowed to accompany him. But those who stayed because they were women, or old, or attached to the place, were slaughtered by the enemy. Excavation has revealed extensive evidence of destruction by fire in the form of a layer of red ash beneath
13312-474: The survivors. The event was commemorated by the golden Arras Medallion , Chlorus on one side and on the other a woman kneeling at the city wall welcoming a mounted Roman soldier. Another memorial to the return of Londinium to Roman control was the construction of a new set of forum baths around 300. The structures were modest enough that they were previously identified as parts of the forum and market but are now recognised as elaborate and luxurious baths including
13440-404: The text, the list of bishops for the 314 Council of Arles indicates that either Restitutus or Adelphius came from Londinium. The city seems to have been the seat of the diocesan vicar and one of the provincial governors following the Diocletian Reforms around 300; it had been renamed Augusta —a common epithet of provincial capitals—by 368. Unlike many cities of Roman Britain, Londinium
13568-485: The view from the rear of the house should not be spoiled. Berkeley Square was laid out to the rear of the house in the 1730s; because of the conditions of sale, houses were only built on the east and west sides. The west side still has various mid-18th-century buildings, and the east side now contains offices including Berkeley Square House. The expansion of Mayfair moved upper-class Londoners away from areas such as Covent Garden and Soho, which were already in decline by
13696-598: The wall at the City Wall at Vine Street Museum opened to the public. Septimius Severus defeated Albinus in 197 and shortly afterwards divided the province of Britain into Upper and Lower halves, with the former controlled by a new governor in Eboracum ( York ). Despite the smaller administrative area, the economic stimulus provided by the wall and by Septimius Severus's campaigns in Caledonia somewhat revived London's fortunes in
13824-421: The west along at the road that divided for travel to Viroconium ( Wroxeter ) and to Calleva ( Silchester ) and at another road that ran along the Thames to the city's main cemetery and the old ford at Westminster . The wall partially utilised the army's existing fort, strengthening its outer wall with a second course of stone to match the rest of the course. The fort had two gates of its own – Cripplegate to
13952-455: The year 120. By this time, Britain's provincial administration had also almost certainly been moved to Londinium from Camulodunum (now Colchester in Essex ). The precise date of this change is unknown, and no surviving source explicitly states that Londinium was "the capital of Britain," but there are several strong indications of this status: 2nd-century roofing tiles have been found marked by
14080-478: The year 200. Brothels were legal but taxed. A large port complex on both banks near London Bridge was discovered during the 1980s. The bulk of the Roman port was quickly rebuilt after Boudicca's rebellion when the waterfront was extended with gravel to permit a sturdy wharf to be built perpendicular to the shore. The port was built in four sections, starting upstream of the London Bridge and working down towards
14208-601: Was a fort, it is believed the perimeter would have been where the modern Green Street , North Audley Street, Upper Grosvenor Street and Park Lane now are, and that Park Street would have been the main road through the centre. This area was the manor of Eia in the Domesday Book , and owned by Geoffrey de Mandeville after the Norman Conquest . It was subsequently given to the Abbey of Westminster, who owned it until 1536 when it
14336-444: Was a highly cosmopolitan community of merchants from across the empire and that local markets existed for such objects. Of the fifteen British routes recorded in the 2nd- or 3rd-century Antonine Itinerary , seven ran to or from Londinium. Most of these were constructed near the time of the city's foundation around 47 AD. The roads are now known by Welsh or Old English names, as their original Roman names have been lost because of
14464-529: Was added by Beresford Pite , who also added the Chesham arms. The family sold the arcade to the Prudential Assurance Company for £333,000 (now £24,413,000) in 1926. It was bombed during the Second World War and subsequently restored. Allens of Mayfair , one of the best-known butchers in London, was founded in a shop on Mount Street in 1830. It held a Royal warrant of appointment to supply meat to
14592-790: Was born in Charles Street in 1847, and grew up in the area. Mayfair has had a long association with the United States. Pocahontas is believed to have visited in the early 17th century. In 1786, John Adams established the US Embassy on Grosvenor Square. Theodore Roosevelt was married in Hanover Square, and Franklin D. Roosevelt honeymooned in Berkeley Square. A small memorial park in Mount Street Gardens has benches engraved with
14720-548: Was bought by the Savoy Company in 1895 and rebuilt in red brick. It was extended again in 1931. Several European royal families in exile stayed at the hotel during the Second World War. Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia , was born there on 17 July 1945; the Prime Minister Winston Churchill is said to have declared the suite he was born in to be Yugoslav territory. Flemings Mayfair on Half Moon Street
14848-477: Was built next to the waterfront and had its own bath. Londinium seems to have shrunk in both size and population in the second half of the 2nd century. The cause is uncertain, but plague is considered likely, as the Antonine Plague is recorded decimating other areas of Western Europe between 165 and 190. The end of imperial expansion in Britain after Hadrian's decision to build his wall may have also damaged
14976-457: Was corrected in the 3rd century. Although the reason for the wall's construction is unknown, some historians have connected it with the Pictish invasion of the 180s. Others link it with Clodius Albinus , the British governor who attempted to usurp Septimius Severus in the 190s. The wall survived another 1,600 years and still roughly defines the City of London's perimeter. In 2023 a section of
15104-794: Was established at No. 148 New Bond Street in 1876. Other galleries in Mayfair include the Maddox Gallery on Maddox Street , and the Halcyon Gallery . The Handel House Museum at No. 25 Brook Street opened in 2001. George Frideric Handel was the first resident from 1723 until his death in 1759. Most of his major works, including Messiah , and Music for the Royal Fireworks were composed here. The museum held an exhibition of Jimi Hendrix , who lived in an upper-floor flat in neighbouring No. 23 Brook Street in 1968–69. Londinium Londinium , also known as Roman London ,
15232-480: Was extensively modified through the 18th century, and is the only one of this era to survive into the 21st century. The origins of major development began when Sir Thomas Grosvenor, 3rd Baronet , married Mary Davies, heiress to part of the Manor of Ebury , in 1677. The Grosvenor family gained 500 acres (200 ha) of land, of which around 100 acres (40 ha) lay south of Oxford Street and east of Park Lane. The land
15360-606: Was founded in 1768 by George III and is the oldest fine arts society in the world. Its founding president was Sir Joshua Reynolds . The academy holds classes and exhibitions, and students have included John Constable and J. M. W. Turner . It moved from Somerset House to Trafalgar Square in 1837, sharing with the National Gallery , before moving to Burlington House in 1868. The academy hosts an annual Summer Exhibition , showing over 1,000 contemporary works of art that can be submitted by anyone. The Fine Art Society gallery
15488-529: Was named after King George I, the Elector of Hanover, soon after his ascension to the throne in 1714. The original houses were inhabited by "persons of distinction" such as retired generals. Although most have been demolished, a small number have survived to the present day. The Hanover Square Rooms became a popular place for classical music concerts, including Johann Christian Bach , Joseph Haydn , Niccolò Paganini and Franz Liszt . A large statue of William Pitt
15616-409: Was not placed on the site of a native settlement or oppidum . Prior to the arrival of the Roman legions , the area was almost certainly lightly rolling open countryside traversed by numerous streams now underground . Ptolemy lists it as one of the cities of the Cantiaci , but Durovernum (Roman Canterbury ) was their tribal capital ( civitas ). It is possible that the town was preceded by
15744-466: Was one of the largest structures north of the Alps when Emperor Hadrian visited Londinium in 122. Excavations have discovered evidence of a major fire that destroyed much of the city shortly thereafter, but the city was again rebuilt. By the second half of the 2nd century, Londinium appears to have shrunk in both size and population. Although Londinium remained important for the rest of the Roman period, no further expansion resulted. Londinium supported
15872-455: Was opened in 1851 by Robert Fleming, who worked for Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey . It is the second-oldest independent hotel in London. The London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square on the corner of Grosvenor Square and Duke Street was the first Marriott Hotel in Britain. It opened as the Europa Hotel in 1961 and was bought by Marriott in 1985. It was a popular place for visitors to
16000-472: Was referred to as "The Hundred Acres" in early deeds. In 1721, the London Journal reported "the ground upon which the May Fair formerly was held is marked out for a large square, and several fine streets and houses are to be built upon it". Sir Richard Grosvenor, 4th Baronet , asked the surveyor Thomas Barlow to design the street layout, which has survived mostly intact to the present day despite most of
16128-402: Was renovated, public and private bathhouses were erected, and a fort ( arx ) was erected around 120 that maintained the city garrison northwest of town. The fort was square (with rounded corners) measuring more than 200 m × 200 m (660 ft × 660 ft) and covering more than 12 acres (4.9 ha). Each side had a central gatehouse, and stone towers were erected at
16256-655: Was taken over by King Henry VIII during the dissolution of the monasteries . Mayfair consisted mainly of open fields until development began in the Shepherd Market area around 1686–88 to accommodate the May Fair, which had moved from Haymarket in St James's because of overcrowding. There were some buildings before 1686. A cottage in Stanhope Row, dating from 1618, was destroyed in the Blitz in late 1940. A 17th-century English Civil War fortification established in what
16384-551: Was the capital of Roman Britain during most of the period of Roman rule. Most twenty-first century historians think that it was originally a settlement established shortly after the Claudian invasion of Britain , on the current site of the City of London around 47–50 AD, but some defend an older view that the city originated in a defensive enclosure constructed during the Claudian invasion in 43 AD. Its earliest securely-dated structure
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