St George Hanover Square occupies a plot
on the south-east corner of St George Street and Maddox Street, a
short way to the west of Regent Street. The church was built in the
early eighteenth century, to a design by John James (c.1673-1746),
and was constructed under a project to build fifty new churches
around London (the Queen Anne Churches). In 1724, the church gained
a parish from St Martin-in-the-Fields which covered Mayfair,
Belgravia, and Pimlico.
The church's burial ground was located between
Connaught Street and Bayswater Road, on the other side of Marble
Arch. Due to its Mayfair location, it has been a frequent venue
of high-society weddings. In the musical 'My Fair Lady', Eliza's
father (Stanley Holloway in the film version), having just been
provided with an inheritance, invites her (Audrey Hepburn) to his
wedding at St George's, Hanover Square, before singing 'Get Me to
the Church on Time'.
Salvation Army Regent Hall bridges the divide
between Princes Street and Oxford Street, close to Hanover Square
on its southern side. This is one of the oldest Army centres in London,
and was founded by William Booth in 1882. It is known colloquially as
'The Rink' because it was formerly a skating rink. The hall is known for
its music, both for its own brass band which tours internationally, and
as a venue for visiting artists. It was extensively refurbished in the
early 2000s.
St Anselm Davies Street formerly lay
on, or very near, this south-east corner of Davies Street and
St Anselm's Place, close to Grosvenor Square. A church was opened
in 1823, and named Hanover Church Regent Street. It became
a district church, but was later replaced by St Anselm, serving
Berkeley Square. It gained its own parish in 1899, but was closed
in 1938 and later demolished. The parish was united to Hanover
Square (above) and St Mark North Audley Street (below).
The Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the
Holy Family in Exile is at the north-east corner of Duke
Street and Weighhouse Street (formerly Robert Street). Queen
Matilda founded the Free Chapel in 1148 near the Tower
of London. In 1662, its congregation moved to Cornhill and a
chapel at Monument, remaining until 1889. Merging with Robert
Street Congregational Chapel, they opened the King's Weigh
House Chapel in 1891. Later empty, it was taken over in 1968.
St Mark North Audley Street stands
on the eastern side of North Audley Street, opposite Green
Street. This Regency church was opened in 1828 to serve the
northern area of Berkley Square. Its parish was united to that
of St George Hanover Square in 1968 (see above). St Mark closed
about 1980 and was initially leased to the Commonwealth Church
in 1995. More recently, it has been the subject of a campaign
to save it for church use rather than business use.
Grosvenor Chapel stands on the
eastern side of South Audley Street, opposite Aldford Street.
This chapel was built between 1730-1731 in the Classical style,
with two tiers of arched windows and a portico over the pavement.
Sir Richard Grosvenor, owner of the land, leased the site for
ninety-nine years to a local builder, a member of a group of
'undertakers' who erected the church. The foundation stone was
laid on 7 April 1730 and the work was finished in a year.
The small tower contains a single bell
and a clock, beneath a short spire. The architect was probably
Benjamin Timbrell, and his work apparently inspired much church
building in the English colonies of New England. The lease ran
out in 1829, and the chapel was quickly made a chapel of ease
to St George Hanover Square (see above). American serviceman and
women frequented the chapel during the Second World War, and a
tablet on the west wall commemorates that today.
The Church of the Immaculate Conception
is on the northern side of Farm Street, midway between Chesterfield
Hill and the western corner of Farm Street before it turns
southwards. The church, which is also known as Farm Street
Church, was opened in 1849 as the first to be run by the
Society of Jesus, otherwise known as the Jesuits, a religious
order within the Roman Catholic Church. Originally a simple
Jesuit church, it became a parish church in 1966.
Third Church of Christ Scientist, London
lies on the northern side of Curzon Street, opposite Half Moon Street.
Built by Lanchester & Rickards, who are best known for their design
of Methodist Central Hall, the corner stone at the lower lefthand side
of the door was laid on 9 July 1910. An extra floor was added in 1930,
along with the tower. The original auditorium at the rear of the site
was redeveloped as offices and apartments surrounding a courtyard.
