Chesham Place is a street in Belgravia, London UK, running between Belgrave Square and Pont Street.[1] It is home to several embassies and has had many distinguished residents.
It was first laid out in 1831, and includes a number of listed buildings.
Chesham Place and nearby Chesham Street take their name from the town of Chesham in Buckinghamshire, and were named by William Lowndes who owned the leases on this and nearby land.
17 Chesham Place was converted to the Chesham Court apartments in the 1930s. Its residents have included Robin and Angela Fox, Peter Yates, Kenneth Hurren, Greta van Rantwyk, and Michael Wilding.[2]
20 Chesham Place is the Thomson Belgravia Hotel, including the Hix Belgravia restaurant, operated by Mark Hix.
21 Chesham Place is a former British Telecom telephone exchange, converted into luxury flats by Foster + Partners for the Candy brothers.[3]
36 Chesham Place, site of Mrs Thatcher's office after leaving Downing Street. London home of Earl Dalhousie from 1842, prior to his tenure as Viceroy of India. [6]
37 Chesham Place, former home of the Duke of Bedford. A blue plaque marks it as the former home of the first Earl Russell 1792–1878.
38 Chesham Place is the Embassy of Finland. A Grade II listed building, it was previously known as Belgrave House and Herbert House. Former residents include:
Irwin Boyle Laughlin (1871–1941) secretary of the American Embassy in London (1912–1917) and Counselor (1916–1919).
Gustavus William Hamilton-Russell, 9th Viscount Boyne.
The British Red Cross and St John's War Organisation used the house during World War 2 (1939–1945) and then the Victoria League for Commonwealth Friendship leased 38 Chesham Place until 1975 when it became the Embassy of Finland.[8]
^The Drawing-room Portrait Gallery of Eminent Personages, Volume 2 (London, 1859): "Baron Brunnow had completed the house occupied by the Russian Embassy, since 1853, in Chesham-place."