Grosvenor Square

Grosvenor Square is the centrepiece of the Mayfair property of the Dukes of Westminster, and takes its name from their surname, "Grosvenor". Sir Richard Grosvenor obtained a licence to develop Grosvenor Square and the surrounding streets in 1710 , and development commenced in around 1721. Grosvenor Square was one of the three or four most fashionable residential addresses in London from its construction until the Second World War, with numerous leading members of the aristocracy in residence. The early houses were generally of five or seven bays, with basement, three main stories and an attic. Nearly all of the houses were demolished during the 20th century and replaced with blocks of flats in a neo-Georgian style, hotels and embassies.