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MAYFAIR
PLACES
Here are just a few suggested places to see and go in
Mayfair:
 Visit Savile Row, the major centre of traditional bespoke tailoring, primarily for men.
Savile Row has been creating unique bespoke suits for exceptional men for over 200 years, with today’s customers ranging from princes William and Harry to Mick Jagger.
In January 2007 at the Pitti Uomo show in Florence Italy (Italy’s annual showcase for menswear) for the first time in its 70 year history, the show featured clothing by Savile Row tailors, together with an exhibition entitled The London Cut: Savile Row Bespoke Tailoring.
Savile Row's Bespoke Tailoring reputation is even stornger this year!
As the Times says "Savile Row gets Italy hot under the collar. The normally discreet world of men’s tailoring has been shaken by a dispute over who has the best tailors: Britain or Italy?"
 Burlington
Arcade runs down the side of Burlington
House, now home of the Royal Academy of Arts.
The most celebrated of three 19th century arcades along
Piccadilly, the others, Princes and Piccadilly Arcades,
are on the south side of the street.
These indoor arcades represent a haven away from the
traffic of Piccadilly and are noted for their selection
of luxury goods.
Burlington Arcade was built in 1819 by Lord George Cavendish,
to prevent passers by throwing rubbish into his garden.
Uniformed beadles were employed to patrol the arcade,
to discourage unruly behaviour.
Beadles are still employed today and have the authority
to eject anyone who runs, carries large packages, opens
an umbrella, whistles, hums or sings.
 Bond
Street is a major shopping street in the West
End of London. It is more upmarket than nearby
Regent Street and Oxford Street and has been a fashionable
shopping street since the 18th century. Technically
"Bond Street" does not exist: The southern
section is known as Old
Bond Street, and the northern section, which is
rather more than half the total length, is known as
New
Bond Street. This distinction, however, is not generally
made in everyday usage.
At one time Bond Street was best known for top end art
dealers and antique shops, clustered around the London
office of Sotheby's auction house, which has been in
Bond Street for over a hundred years. A few of these
remain, but most of the shops are now occupied by fashion
boutiques, including branches of most of the leading
premium priced designer brands in the world. There are
also a few miscellaneous upmarket shops such as jewellers.
Bond Street is also a square on the British Monopoly
board, the same colour as Regent and Oxford Streets.
 Grosvenor
Square is the centrepiece of the Mayfair
property of the Dukes of Westminster, and takes its
name from their surname, "Grosvenor". Duke
Street forms the east side of the square.
Sir Richard Grosvenor obtained a licence to develop
Grosvenor Square and the surrounding streets in 1710
, and development is believed to have 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. Some attempt
was made to produce impressive groupings of houses,
and Colen Campbell produced a design for a palatial
east side to the square featuring thirty corinthian
columns but this was not carried out and in the end
most of the houses were built to individual designs.
There were mews behind all four sides.
Many of the houses were rebuilt later in the 18th century
or during the 19th century , generally acquiring an
extra storey when this happened. Number 26 was rebuilt
in 1773-74 for the 11th Earl of Derby by Robert Adam
, and is regarded as one of the architect's finest works
and as a seminal example of how grandeur of effect and
sophisticated planning might be achieved on a confined
site. It was demolished and rebuilt again in the 1860s.
The central garden, which was originally reserved for
the use of the occupants of the houses as was standard
in a London square, is now a public park. 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. Access to the western side
of the square is severely restricted by the very obvious
security measures around the U.S. Embassy.
 Visit Shepherds
Market, between Piccadilly and Curzon Street,
was named after Edward Shepherd, who built it in the
mid-18th century. Today, Shepherd Market is a
pedestrianized enclave of small shops, pubs, restaurants
and out-door cafés.
Shepherd Market has long held the reputation as the
haunt of high-class prostitutes. Whether the
World's oldest profession still flourishes here is a
matter of dispute!
www.ShepherdMarket.co.uk
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