Place    From 1768  To 1935

Adelphi Terrace

Categories: Architecture

The Adam brothers built a very large development including a run of houses with a terrace that overlooked the river, which was much closer before the Embankment was built. It was this terrace that caused the word "terrace" to take on the meaning of a row of houses. Torn down in 1935 and replaced with the art deco New Adelphi building. It was the demolition of the Adelphi that was, at least partially, responsible for the creation of the Georgian Society in 1937.

The Rise and Fall of the Adelphi is a very useful page with excellent images.

While thinking of how London has changed the English language, in the field of architecture at least, let's examine "Mews". From the French, it used to mean a place where hawks (kept for hunting) were confined during their moulting seasons. From 1377 the King's Mews was at Charing Cross, about where Trafalgar Square now is. In 1537 Henry VIII had it converted to be the royal stables. And hence Mews became the term for all service streets in London built as stables, converted into garages and then converted into rather chic homes for fashionable Londoners, such as John Steed.

The image on this page shows a front elevation very different from that on our Garrick page. In 1872 the Victorians obliterated the Adams' neoclassical façades, adding heavy decorative features, around the windows and the bulky central attic pediment. The resultant houses would have been unrecognisable to their architects.

Drawings at the Rise and Fall make it clear that the houses at the two ends of the Terrace were detached from the main body of 10 houses.  No.11, the detached house at the eastern end, survived not just demolition in the '30s but also the attentions of the Victorians. Google Maps does not provide a good view of it but Wikipedia has a photo, from which one can imagine how impressive the whole Terrace must have been during its first 100 years.

For more information see 'The Rise and Fall of The Adelphi'. There is also this gem from Hansard, a splendid speech made by Lord Newton, 16 March 1933. British History Online gives all the occupants.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Adelphi Terrace

Commemorated ati

Adam, Hood, Galsworthy, Barrie, etc.

Robert Adam, Thomas Hood, John Galsworthy, Sir James Barrie and other eminent...

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Garrick plaque - gone

Garrick died in this house. Erected April-May 1876.

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The Adelphi

The Adelphi This building stands on the site of Adelphi Terrace built by the...

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Other Subjects

Civic Trust

Civic Trust

From the picture source website: " founded in 1957 by Duncan Sandys, a British politician, and the former son-in-law of Sir Winston Churchill. It campaigned to make better places for people to live...

Group, Architecture, Community / Clubs

4 memorials
William Wilkins

William Wilkins

Architect. Born in St Giles, Norwich. His first architectural work, was improvements to Thoresby Park, Nottinghamshire. He travelled throughout Europe and published his researches into both classic...

Person, Architecture

2 memorials
George Hornblower

George Hornblower

Architect. "George Hornblower was born in 1858, the son of Lewis Hornblower and younger brother of Frederic W Hornblower. He was educated at Birkenhead School and articled to his father and brother...

Person, Architecture

1 memorial
Sir Herbert Baker and Scott

Sir Herbert Baker and Scott

Architects.  Later Vernon Helbing joined the firm. Sir Herbert Baker was one of the four principal architects of the Imperial War Graves Commission, See Blomfield for the others.

Group, Architecture

1 memorial
Sir Ebenezer Howard

Sir Ebenezer Howard

Founder of the garden city movement. Born 62 Fore Street. Travelled to America in 1871 where he tried farming and was in Chicago at the time that it was being rebuilt after a great fire. The new su...

Person, Architecture, Property, Social Welfare, USA

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Desiderius Erasmus

Desiderius Erasmus

Catholic priest, social critic, teacher, and theologian. Born Rotterdam, date approximate. First visited London in 1499 and often stayed with Thomas More in Chelsea, a friend for over 30 years.

Person, Religion, Seriously Famous, Netherlands

3 memorials
Judy Garland

Judy Garland

born Frances Ethel Gumm in Minnesota, USA. She came to London in 1951, and in 1957 for a season at the Dominion, and again in 1960. Her last visit was in 1968 to appear at the Talk of the Town (now...

Person, Cinema, Music / songs, Seriously Famous, USA

1 memorial
Christopher Inn

Christopher Inn

Former Inn. Probably named after the patron saint of travellers. It appears on a plan of 1542 in the location which until the beginning of the 19th century, was known as Christopher Alley, and was ...

Building, Community / Clubs, Food & Drink

1 memorial
Barnabas Steel

Barnabas Steel

Possible original owner of what was to become Palingswick House.

Person, Property

1 memorial
Cyclist deaths

Cyclist deaths

Much of the street research for LondonRemembers is done by bike. 820 cyclists were killed or seriously injured in 2009 on roads in Britain. Many of these deaths are avoidable. Many of the drivers o...

Event, Tragedy

49 memorials