Historic buildings in the area
The Palace was built with an adjoining park by Henry VIII on the site of a female leper hospital. Today, the only remaining parts from the Chapel Royal are the Gate House and Old Presence Chamber.
After Whitehall Palace was destroyed by fire in 1698, St James's became the principle royal residence in London. George IV, who had been born at the palace, employed Nash to restore and redecorate it following the fire. The Chapel Royal, which has been used for a number of royal marriages, was enlarged in 1837 and some rooms have William Morris interiors.
The House was built in 1711 for the Duchess of Marlborough using only red bricks from Holland. In 1817 it came to the Crown and after being tenanted by various members of the royal family, it was, in 1852, provided by Queen Victoria to house a school of design.
When the school was removed to South Kensington, Marlborough House became the residence of the Prince of Wales (afterwards King Edward VII), who lived here from 1861 until his accession. It was in the garden of Marlborough House that he received the detachment of the Honourable Artillery Company of Boston that visited England in 1896. After the death of King Edward, Marlborough House was occupied by Queen Alexandra. It is now the residence of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
The construction of the Burlington House started in 1660s, but was completed later by the first Earl of Burlington. It has been re-modelled twice, first for the 3rd Earl in Palladian style and then again in 1815 for Lord Cavendish. In 1854 the Government bought the House for the Royal Academy. (A programme of changing exhibitions are held and free tours of the Fine Rooms are available at 1pm Tue-Fri. Tel.: 020 7300 8000).
The house was designed for the 1st Earl Spencer by John Vardy in 1756. It was later modified by Henry Holland and Philip Hardwick. After 1927 the Spencer family no longer used the house and it was rented to a number of tenants, but was leased in 1985 to the Rothschild Company which restored the house for £18 million. (Guided tours of the eight state rooms are available on Sundays (except Jan & Aug) Tel: 020 7499 8620).
The Church was built in 1674-86 by Christopher Wren for his friend Henry Jermyn. At the Restoration Jermyn had obtained permission from the King to develop the area known as St James's Fields. This new parish church was a rare instance in London when Wren worked on a new site. It has a lime wood reredos and a marble font, both carved by Grin ling Gibbons. The spire was added in 1686, but rebuilt in 1699-1700 and replaced with a fibreglass replica in 1968. The church had to be restored after bomb damage at which time the churchyard became a garden of remembrance. It now provides a location for a market Wed - Sat 10-6 (antiques & collectables on Tuesday 8-6).
