Clifford Street

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Buck's clubhouse at number 18

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]

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'œil 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.[citation needed] It is well known within the local community, and the likes of Rod Stewart and Bernie Ecclestone have been regulars.[citation needed]

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. ^ Jump up to: a b Hibbert, Christopher; Ben Weinreb; John Keay; Julia Keay (2010). The London Encyclopaedia. London: Pan Macmillan. pp. 195–6. ISBN 978-0-230-73878-2.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b 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. ^ Jump up to: a b c 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

Coordinates: 51°30′39.87″N 0°8′28.68″W / 51.5110750°N 0.1413000°W / 51.5110750; -0.1413000

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