St James's Palace St James's Palace, Garden Walls, Marlborough Gate Etc

Details

TQ 2979 NW and CITY OF WESTMINSTER ST. JAMES'S STREET SW1 2980 SW 81/118 ; 90/3 St James's Palace,' 5.2.70 GV I Palace. Built c. 1533-35 for Henry VIII on the site of the hospital of St. James with extensive later additions and alterations. Tudor brickwork with diapering and stone dressings; slate, tile and lead roofs. Later buildings mostly in Tudor style with crenellated parapets. Built round 4 courts. North range (facing St. James's Street) irregular 3 storey ranges, forming north sides of Colour Court and Ambassadors' Court; Tudor gatehouse with polygonal corner turrets and 4 centred archway through to Colour Court. Square headed stone Tudor windows with 3 arched lights. Tudor north window of Chapel Royal remodelled with multiple lights. 4 centred stone archway to Ambassadors' Court. Later C17 and C18 alterations for recessed glazing bar sash windows with flat gauged arches and Tuscan porch to west end return. Colour Court has remains of Tudor ranges in north half of quadrangle with corner stair turrets, C16 building on east side. On west side, flanking lower part of the Chapel Royal, is a Tuscan colonnade of c. 1717-18. The Chapel Royal, between Colour Court and Ambassadors' Court, has a college chapel-like T plan and dates from the 1530s, largely redecorated c. 1836, but the panelled ceiling with painted Renaissance motifs dated 1540. Friary Court to the south has buildings of Tudor origin in the north west corner, including original stone mullioned-transomed oriel bay window to the Armoury Room on 1st floor. The Court was reduced in extent to the east after a fire in 1809 and rebuilt with 4 centred arcades in yellow brick, returned to Marlborough Road. Engine Court to the west has ranges of C17 and later buildings with the late C17 and Queen Anne State Apartments by the Office of Works under Sir Christopher Wren on the south and the Banqueting Room to the north. The South range of State Apartments facing St. James's Park are of c. 1703. 3 storey elevation with basements. 17 windows of which 2 westernmost bays are facsimile additions. Red brick with rubbed dressings. Ground floor flush framed glazing bar sash windows with flat gauged arches. Tall 1st floor windows,to main apartments,architraved and with cornices; 2nd floor level with blind window panels, crenellated parapet. Lead rainwater heads embossed with lions' heads. Ambassadors' Court to the west as originally 2 courts,thrown into one. Irregular 2 storey and 3 storey C17 ranges, 5 bay range to south with rainwater heads dated 1697 and west of it the former State Kitchen of c. 1716-19 probably by Vanbrugh (with vaulted interior) and western extension of similar date. The north side of Court to the West is of late C17 build with architraved sash windows and early C19 Tudor arcading across ground floor. State Apartments interiors: main access to the apartments is through the south west corner of the Colour Court by a grand scissors staircase, an enlargement of the Wren staircase in the early C18 with a Kentian arch between the two parts. The Banqueting Hall west of the staircase was redecorated 1821-23. The Guard Room to the east has Tudor walls and a Tudor fireplace. The Armoury and Tapestry Rooms retain their Tudor fireplaces and were redecorated by William Morris and the firm in 1866-67. Beyond are the Wren State Rooms with alterations,by William Kent,in 1821-23,and again for William IV. The Throne Room overmantel is carved by Grinling Gibbons. At the west end of the range is a fine secondary staircase with wrought iron balustrade by William Kent. NB. See also under Stable Yard. History of the King's Works London, Vol I; N Pevsner.

Listing NGR: TQ2935080041

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

426772

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: London I - The Cities of London and Westminster, (1973)

End of official list entry

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