The History and Antiquities of London, Westminster, Southwark, and Parts Adjacent, vol. 4
Allen, Thomas
1827
Lansdown House,
And belongs to the present marquis of that name. The front is of white stone, and is ornamented with Ionic attached columns and a pediment, which is just observed peeping above the rich foliage by which it is surrounded; giving the whole a very pleasing effect, and making a beautiful termination of the square. It was built by Adams, and is an excellent piece of architecture. The interior is enriched with whatever is requisite to the mansion of such an enlightened nobleman as the present proprietor. It contains a fine gallery of statues and ancient marbles, and the celebrated Venus of Canova, of the most esteemed productions of modern art. The late lord collected a rich library of books and valuable manuscripts, | |
359 | the latter of which have been purchased by parliament, and are now lodged in the . |
In the centre of the square, which contains acres of ground, was a most magnificent equestrian statue of his late majesty, by Wilmot. It stood on a clumsy pedestal, and was taken down in . | |
On the east side of the square is a handsome street called . On this side are , and , both handsome, with stately houses. In the former is the residence of sir John Fleming Leicester, bart. whose splendid gallery of the works of British artists, has made many a worshiper of the old masters blush for his inattention to the merits of his countrymen. | |
At the south-east corner of is , commencing about houses from the square. It is very steep, and has several large houses on the summit; but their size is the only external recommendation they possess. | |
was granted to the speaker of the house of commons by queen Anne, but is not hereditary in that office. This grant occasioned great alarms amongst that species of politicians who see bribery and corruption in every royal act; and they exclaimed against the parties so vehemently, that the speaker sold the gift, and gave the amount of the purchase money to the poor. Since that period it has been possessed by the Pomfret family, and sold previous to , for Previous to the completion of the houses between and , they were called Grosvenor buildings; but, in the month of , sir Richard Grosvenor, bart. (who was in right of the manor of Wimondham, Herts, grand cup-bearer at the coronation of George II. and died ,) assembled his tenants, and the persons employed in the buildings, to a splendid entertainment, when he named the various streets. At the same period he erected a gate in , now called by his name. Sir Richard, says Mr. Malcolm, was as great a builder as the duke of Bedford; and to him | |
Footnotes: [] Annual Register, 1769. [] Malcolm iv. 301. |
