Portman Estate
| Portman Estate | |
 Seymour Place, one of the major streets within the Estate |
|
  Portman Estate Portman Estate shown within Greater London | |
| OS grid reference | TQ285815 |
|---|---|
| London borough | Westminster |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | London |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | W1/NW1 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament | Cities of London and Westminster |
| London Assembly | West Central |
The Portman Estate is a property estate in Marylebone, Central London in the United Kingdom. It lies between Oxford Street and Edgware Road, covering about 110 acres (0.45 km2).[1] The estate has been the property of the aristocratic Portman Family since the 16th Century. The present grid layout of streets was established when the Estate was developed in the 18th Century and it is characterised by Georgian architecture, similar to Edinburgh's New Town.
Area
The southern extent of the Estate includes part of Oxford Street from Marble Arch to Orchard Street (on the western side of Selfridges). It extends west to Edgware Road, east to Manchester Square and north to Crawford Street. The area includes Portman Square, Manchester Square, and some parts of Baker Street and Gloucester Place.
History
The Portman Estate in London was originally an area of 270 acres (1.1 km2) and was acquired in 1532 by Sir William Portman of Somerset (1498–1557), who later became Lord Chief Justice to King Henry VIII.[2] Initially, Sir William took assignment of a lease in respect of 11 fields and the manor of Lilleston, Middlesex. The lease had 30 years left to run and was purchased for £70 subject to an annual rental of £8. He subsequently bought the freehold of the property in June 1554 under the reign of Queen Mary. Reputedly, Sir William needed the land as a source of goat’s milk for his ailing wife and to rest cattle en route to market from his vast Dorset and Somerset Estates.
Development of the Estate was started some time later by Henry William Portman (1738–96). Orchard & Portman Streets were the first to be developed in the 1750s and Portman Square followed in 1764. The Square became very fashionable and was to owe its popularity to buildings by Robert Adam - Home House, 19/20 Portman Square, built for the Countess of Home, survives today as a private club - and James "Athenian" Stuart, the architect of Montagu House, built in the northwest corner of Portman Square for Mrs Elizabeth Montagu, which was demolished following bomb damage during The Blitz in 1941. [3]
The Estate also includes Manchester Square dating from the 1770s, and Bryanston and Montagu Squares - both established around 1810. The actual building was not undertaken directly by the Estate, though the architect responsible for the design and characteristics of the residential squares of Montagu & Bryanston was James Thompson Parkinson, who was no doubt instructed by the Estate.
The development of London through this period relied on the Estate owners who would draw up plans for street layouts and open spaces, and then lease the land to developers who were responsible for building houses. The Estate would typically specify the design and the subsequent use and would collect a ground rent.
Construction timeline
- 1764 - Portman Square
- c.1770 - Manchester Square
- 1810 - Bryanston Square and Montagu Square
Notable buildings
| Building | Location | Architect | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home House | 20 Portman Sq. | Robert Adam | 1773-77 |
| Montagu House (destroyed 1941) | 22 Portman Sq. | James Stuart | 1777-1781 |
| Churchill Hotel | 30 Portman Sq. | ||
| Church of the Annunciation | Bryanston St. | Walter Tapper | 1912-13 |
| Wallace Collection (Hertford House) | Manchester Square | 1776-88 | |
| Selfridges | Oxford Street | Daniel Burnham | 1909 |
Management
Today the estate continues to be managed by the Portman Estate management company,[4] owned by Christopher Portman, 10th Viscount Portman.[5]
The estate is either the freeholder of or directly manages 633 properties which include some 800 flats and houses, 215 offices, 130 shops and restaurants, 32 hotels and 8 pubs: in all some 2,000,000-square-foot (190,000 m2) of space. The company promotes a particular area of its estate (Seymour Place and New Quebec Street) which is occupied by boutiques and restaurants as the Portman Village,[6] and publishes its own magazine for tenants on the estate.[7]
In addition to its core landlord operation, the Portman Estate runs The Portman Foundation, a charitable trust which supports charities and other causes which are located in or benefit the Marylebone area.[8]
See also
Other large privately owned historic estates in London include:
- Grosvenor Estate
- Cadogan Estates
- Bedford Estate
- Smith's Charity Estate (South Kensington, SW7)
- Pettiward Estate (West Brompton, SW10)
External links
- A History Of The Portman Estate
- Independent Resident Community and Research Forum for Past and Current Residents and concerned with topical and historical issues
- Portman Estate Marylebone’s Glorious Past – Death Sentence For Servant Girl
References
- ↑ "Location Map". Portman Estate. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
- ↑ "A History of The Portman Estate". Portman Estate official website. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
- ↑ Porter, Roy (2000). London: A Social History. Penguin UK. ISBN 0141939273.
- ↑ "Welcome to The Portman Estate". Portman Estate official website. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
- ↑ Duncan, Andrew (2006). Secret London (New edition. ed.). London: New Holland. p. 68. ISBN 9781845373054.
- ↑ "How to find us". Portman Village website. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
- ↑ "The Portman Magazine". Portman Estate official website. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
- ↑ "The Portman Foundation". Portman Estate official website. Retrieved 14 September 2012.