Cambridge House
Encyclopedia
Cambridge House is a grade I listed mansion on the northern side of Piccadilly
(Number 94) in central London
, England
. It was built for Charles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont
, by architect
Matthew Brettingham
in 1756-1761. It was initially known as Egremont House. The house is in a late Palladian style. It has three main storeys plus basement and attics and is seven bays wide. As is usual in a London mansion of the period the first floor (second floor in American English) is the principal floor, containing a circuit of reception rooms. This floor has the highest ceilings and its status is emphasised externally by a Venetian window in the centre.
The house changed hands several times. For several years in the 1820s it was occupied by George Cholmondeley, 1st Marquess of Cholmondeley
and known as Cholmondeley House. From 1829 to 1850 it was the London residence of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
, and became known as Cambridge House. Due to his royal status, that name has persisted.
After the Duke died in 1850, the house was purchased by Lord Palmerston
, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
for most of the decade from 1855 to 1865. It was his London residence and the site of many splendid social and political gatherings. After Palmerston's death at Brocket Hall
in Hertfordshire
in 1865, his body was taken to Cambridge House from which his funeral procession departed to Westminster Abbey
.
Shortly after Palmerston's death, Cambridge House was purchased by the Naval and Military Club, which had outgrown its previous premises. The Club came to be known as the "In and Out", from the prominent signs on the entrance and exit gates of 94 Piccadilly.
In 1999, the Club moved to new premises, having sold Cambridge House in 1996 to entrepreneur Simon Halabi
for £50 million. Halabi planned to convert the property into a private members club and hotel, part of his Mentmore Towers
project. Halabi had intended to place a swimming pool and squash courts underneath the forecourt of the house.
The project was halted in 2009, when Halabi's companies went into bankruptcy.
Cambridge House and several adjacent buildings were offered for sale through property brokers Jones Lang Lasalle
. However, no purchaser had been found as of August 2011.
The building has been vacant since the Naval and Military Club left, and has fallen into a state of disrepair. Plaster is falling off the ceiling in the first floor rooms, while many floorboards have been pulled up.
Piccadilly
Piccadilly is a major street in central London, running from Hyde Park Corner in the west to Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is completely within the city of Westminster. The street is part of the A4 road, London's second most important western artery. St...
(Number 94) in central London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was built for Charles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont
Charles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont
Charles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont, PC and Catherine née Seymour, succeeded his uncle, Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset, as 2nd Earl of Egremont in 1750...
, by architect
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
Matthew Brettingham
Matthew Brettingham
Matthew Brettingham , sometimes called Matthew Brettingham the Elder, was an 18th-century Englishman who rose from humble origins to supervise the construction of Holkham Hall, and eventually became one of the country's better-known architects of his generation...
in 1756-1761. It was initially known as Egremont House. The house is in a late Palladian style. It has three main storeys plus basement and attics and is seven bays wide. As is usual in a London mansion of the period the first floor (second floor in American English) is the principal floor, containing a circuit of reception rooms. This floor has the highest ceilings and its status is emphasised externally by a Venetian window in the centre.
The house changed hands several times. For several years in the 1820s it was occupied by George Cholmondeley, 1st Marquess of Cholmondeley
George Cholmondeley, 1st Marquess of Cholmondeley
George James Cholmondeley, 1st Marquess of Cholmondeley KG, GCH, PC , styled Viscount Malpas between 1764 and 1770 and known as The Earl of Cholmondeley between 1770 and 1815, was a British peer and politician.-Background and education:...
and known as Cholmondeley House. From 1829 to 1850 it was the London residence of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
The Prince Adolphus, 1st Duke of Cambridge , was the tenth child and seventh son of George III and Queen Charlotte. He held the title of Duke of Cambridge from 1801 until his death. He also served as Viceroy of Hanover on behalf of his brothers George IV and William IV...
, and became known as Cambridge House. Due to his royal status, that name has persisted.
After the Duke died in 1850, the house was purchased by Lord Palmerston
Henry Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston
Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, KG, GCB, PC , known popularly as Lord Palmerston, was a British statesman who served twice as Prime Minister in the mid-19th century...
, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
for most of the decade from 1855 to 1865. It was his London residence and the site of many splendid social and political gatherings. After Palmerston's death at Brocket Hall
Brocket Hall
Brocket Hall is a country house in Hertfordshire, England, from London by road. It was built for Sir Matthew Lamb, 1st Baronet, in around 1760 to designs by the architect James Paine. It stands on the site of two predecessors, the first of which was built in 1239 and the second in about 1430. It...
in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
in 1865, his body was taken to Cambridge House from which his funeral procession departed to Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
.
Shortly after Palmerston's death, Cambridge House was purchased by the Naval and Military Club, which had outgrown its previous premises. The Club came to be known as the "In and Out", from the prominent signs on the entrance and exit gates of 94 Piccadilly.
In 1999, the Club moved to new premises, having sold Cambridge House in 1996 to entrepreneur Simon Halabi
Simon Halabi
Simon Halabi is a Syrian-born in Damascus Syria, he is a businessman formerly based in the United Kingdom. He is married to Lithuanian born Urte and has two sons, Samuel and Jacob. Samual died in August 2003 in a pool accident in France....
for £50 million. Halabi planned to convert the property into a private members club and hotel, part of his Mentmore Towers
Mentmore Towers
Mentmore Towers is a 19th century English country house in the village of Mentmore in Buckinghamshire. The house was designed by Joseph Paxton and his son-in-law, George Henry Stokes, in the revival Elizabethan and Jacobean style of the late 16th century called Jacobethan, for the banker and...
project. Halabi had intended to place a swimming pool and squash courts underneath the forecourt of the house.
The project was halted in 2009, when Halabi's companies went into bankruptcy.
Cambridge House and several adjacent buildings were offered for sale through property brokers Jones Lang Lasalle
Jones Lang LaSalle
Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc. is a multinational financial and professional services company specializing in real estate. Global headquarters are located in Chicago, with an operational remit covering the Americas regional market...
. However, no purchaser had been found as of August 2011.
The building has been vacant since the Naval and Military Club left, and has fallen into a state of disrepair. Plaster is falling off the ceiling in the first floor rooms, while many floorboards have been pulled up.