A4202 road (Great Britain)
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Park Lane is a dual carriageway road in the
City of Westminster The City of Westminster is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and London boroughs, borough in Inner London. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government. It occupies a large area of cent ...
in
Central London Central London is the innermost part of London, in England, spanning several boroughs. Over time, a number of definitions have been used to define the scope of Central London for statistics, urban planning and local government. Its characteris ...
. It is part of the London Inner Ring Road and runs from Hyde Park Corner in the south to Marble Arch in the north. It separates
Hyde Park Hyde Park may refer to: Places England * Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London * Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds * Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield * Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester Austra ...
to the west from
Mayfair Mayfair is an affluent area in the West End of London towards the eastern edge of Hyde Park, in the City of Westminster, between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. It is one of the most expensive districts in the world. ...
to the east. The road has a number of historically important properties and hotels and has been one of the most sought after streets in London, despite being a major traffic thoroughfare. The road was originally a simple country lane on the boundary of Hyde Park, separated by a brick wall. Aristocratic properties appeared during the late 18th century, including Breadalbane House,
Somerset House Somerset House is a large Neoclassical complex situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The Georgian era quadrangle was built on the site of a Tudor palace ("O ...
, and
Londonderry House Londonderry House was an aristocratic townhouse situated on Park Lane in the Mayfair district of London, England. The mansion served as the London residence of the Marquesses of Londonderry. It remained their home until 1962. In that year London ...
. The road grew in popularity during the 19th century after improvements to Hyde Park Corner and more affordable views of the park, which attracted the nouveau riche to the street and led to it becoming one of the most fashionable roads to live on in London. Notable residents included the
1st Duke of Westminster Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster, (13 October 1825 – 22 December 1899), styled Viscount Belgrave between 1831 and 1845, Earl Grosvenor between 1845 and 1869, and known as The Marquess of Westminster between 1869 and 1874, was an ...
's residence at Grosvenor House, the Dukes of Somerset at Somerset House, and the British prime minister
Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creation o ...
at No. 93. Other historic properties include
Dorchester House Dorchester House was a mansion in Park Lane, Westminster, London, which has had many different forms over time. The last version used as a private residence was that built in 1853 by Robert Stayner Holford. It was demolished in 1929 to make way ...
, Brook House and Dudley House. In the 20th century, Park Lane became well known for its luxury hotels, particularly
The Dorchester The Dorchester is a five-star luxury hotel on Park Lane and Deanery Street in London, to the east of Hyde Park. It is one of the world's most prestigious and expensive hotels. The Dorchester opened on 18 April 1931, and it still retains its ...
, completed in 1931, which became closely associated with eminent writers and international film stars. Flats and shops began appearing on the road, including
penthouse flat A penthouse is an apartment or unit on the highest floor of an apartment building, condominium, hotel or tower. Penthouses are typically differentiated from other apartments by luxury features. The term 'penthouse' originally referred, and som ...
s. Several buildings suffered damage during World War II, yet the road still attracted significant development, including the
Park Lane Hotel The Sheraton Grand London Park Lane is a 5 Star hotel on Piccadilly, London. The hotel opened in 1927 as The Park Lane Hotel to designs by architects Adie, Button and Partners, in a grand Art Deco style, and was constructed by the developer ...
and the
London Hilton on Park Lane The London Hilton on Park Lane is a hotel situated on Park Lane, overlooking Hyde Park in the exclusive Mayfair district of London. It is tall, has 28 storeys and 453 rooms including 56 suites and a Michelin starred restaurant Galvin at Wind ...
, and several sports car garages. A number of properties on the road today are owned by some of the wealthiest businessmen from the Middle East and Asia. Current residents include business mogul
Mohamed Al-Fayed Mohamed Al-Fayed (; arz, محمد الفايد ; born 27 January 1929) is an Egyptian-born businessman whose residence and chief business interests have been in the United Kingdom since the late 1960s. His business interests include ownership of ...
and former council leader and Lord Mayor
Dame Shirley Porter Shirley, Lady Porter (''née'' Cohen; born 29 November 1930), styled between 1991 and 2003 as Dame Shirley Porter, is a British politician who led Westminster City Council in London, representing the Conservative Party. She is the daughter and ...
. The road has suffered from
traffic congestion Traffic congestion is a condition in transport that is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. Traffic congestion on urban road networks has increased substantially since the 1950s. When traffic de ...
since the mid-19th century. Various road enlargement schemes have taken place since then, including a major reconstruction programme in the early 1960s that transformed the road into a three-lane
dual carriageway A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...
by removing a section of Hyde Park. Improved crossings for cyclists appeared in the early 21st century. Despite the changes, property prices along the road are still among the highest in London. Its prestigious status has been commemorated by being the second-most expensive property square on the London Monopoly board.


Location

Park Lane is about long, and runs north from Hyde Park Corner to Marble Arch, along the eastern flank of
Hyde Park Hyde Park may refer to: Places England * Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London * Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds * Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield * Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester Austra ...
. To its east is
Mayfair Mayfair is an affluent area in the West End of London towards the eastern edge of Hyde Park, in the City of Westminster, between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. It is one of the most expensive districts in the world. ...
. The road is a primary route, classified A4202. The street is one of the key bus corridors in Central London. It is used by London bus routes 2, 6, 13, 16, 23, 36, 74,
137 137 may refer to: *137 (number) *137 BC *AD 137 *137 (album), an album by The Pineapple Thief *137 (MBTA bus) The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus division operates bus routes in the Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan area. All ro ...
,
148 148 may refer to: *148 (number), a natural number *AD 148, a year in the 2nd century AD *148 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC *148 (album), an album by C418 *148 (Meiktila) Battery Royal Artillery *148 (New Jersey bus) 148 may refer to: *148 (numb ...
,
390 __NOTOC__ Year 390 (Roman numerals, CCCXC) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Augustus and Neoterius (or, less frequen ...
,
414 __NOTOC__ Year 414 ( CDXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Constans (or, less frequently, year 1167 ...
and night bus routes N2, N16, N74 and N137. The nearest
tube Tube or tubes may refer to: * ''Tube'' (2003 film), a 2003 Korean film * ''The Tube'' (TV series), a music related TV series by Channel 4 in the United Kingdom * "Tubes" (Peter Dale), performer on the Soccer AM television show * Tube (band), a ...
stations are Hyde Park Corner on the
Piccadilly line The Piccadilly line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the north to the west of London. It has two branches, which split at Acton Town, and serves 53 stations. The line serves Heathrow Airport, and some of its stations are n ...
near the street's southern end and Marble Arch on the Central line near its northern end. At Brook Gate, partway along the road, there is a traffic signal controlled pedestrian and cycle crossing connecting Hyde Park to London Cycle Route 39, the recommended cycling route from the park to the West End.


History


18th century

What is now Park Lane was originally a track running along farm boundaries. When
Hyde Park Hyde Park may refer to: Places England * Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London * Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds * Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield * Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester Austra ...
was opened in the 16th century, the lane ran north–south along its eastern boundary from
Piccadilly Piccadilly () is a road in the City of Westminster, London, to the south of Mayfair, between Hyde Park Corner in the west and Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is part of the A4 road that connects central London to Hammersmith, Earl's Court, ...
to Marble Arch. In the 18th century, it was known as Tyburn Lane and was separated from the park by a high wall with few properties along it, aside from a short terrace of houses approximately where Nos. 93–99 are now. Tyburn Lane took its name from the former Tyburn, a village which had declined in the 14th century. At the end of what is now Park Lane was the
Tyburn gallows Tyburn was a manor (estate) in the county of Middlesex, one of two which were served by the parish of Marylebone. The parish, probably therefore also the manor, was bounded by Roman roads to the west (modern Edgware Road) and south (modern Ox ...
(also known as Tyburn Tree), London's primary public place of execution until 1783. Author Charles Knight wrote in 1843, that by 1738 "nearly the whole space between Piccadilly and Oxford Street was covered with buildings as far as Tyburn Lane, except in the south-western corner about Berkeley Square and Mayfair". In 1741, the Kensington Turnpike Trust took over its maintenance, as coach traffic caused wear on the road surface. Breadalbane House was built on the street in 1776. On the corner with Oxford Street,
Somerset House Somerset House is a large Neoclassical complex situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The Georgian era quadrangle was built on the site of a Tudor palace ("O ...
(No. 40), built in 1769–70, was successively the town house of
Warren Hastings Warren Hastings (6 December 1732 – 22 August 1818) was a British colonial administrator, who served as the first Governor of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal), the head of the Supreme Council of Bengal, and so the first Governor-Genera ...
, a former Governor-General of India, the third Earl of Rosebery, and the Dukes of Somerset. The politician and entrepreneur Richard Sharp, also known as "Conversation Sharp", lived at No. 28. In the 1760s,
Londonderry House Londonderry House was an aristocratic townhouse situated on Park Lane in the Mayfair district of London, England. The mansion served as the London residence of the Marquesses of Londonderry. It remained their home until 1962. In that year London ...
, on the corner of Park Lane and Hertford Street, was bought by the Sixth
Earl of Holdernesse The title Earl of Holderness also known as Holdernesse existed in the late 11th and early 12th centuries as a feudal lordship and was officially created three times in the Peerage of England namely in 1621, in 1644 as a subsidiary title to that of ...
. He purchased the adjacent property and converted the buildings into one mansion known for a period as Holdernesse House. In 1819, Londonderry House was bought by The Rt. Hon. The 1st Baron Stewart, a British aristocrat, and later, during World War I, the house was used as a military hospital. After the war, Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, and his wife, Edith Helen Chaplin, continued to use the house and entertained there extensively. After World War II, the house remained in the possession of the Londonderry family, until it was sold to make way for the 29-storey
London Hilton The London Hilton on Park Lane is a hotel situated on Park Lane, overlooking Hyde Park in the exclusive Mayfair district of London. It is tall, has 28 storeys and 453 rooms including 56 suites and a Michelin starred restaurant Galvin at Windows ...
, which opened on Park Lane in 1963.


19th century

The street was not particularly significant until 1820, when
Decimus Burton Decimus Burton (30 September 1800 – 14 December 1881) was one of the foremost English architects and landscapers of the 19th century. He was the foremost Victorian architect in the Roman revival, Greek revival, Georgian neoclassical and Reg ...
constructed Hyde Park Corner at the lane's southern end, coinciding with Benjamin Dean Wyatt's reconstruction of Londonderry House and Apsley House. At the same time, the entrances to Hyde Park at Stanhope, Grosvenor, and Cumberland Gates were refurbished, and the park's boundary wall was replaced with iron railings. Park Lane subsequently became an in-demand residential address, offering views across Hyde Park and a position at the most fashionable western edge of London. No. 93, at the junction of Park Lane and Upper Grosvenor Street, was built between 1823 and 1825 by
Samuel Baxter Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bibl ...
. The British prime minister
Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creation o ...
lived at the house from 1839 to 1872. In 1845, a house on Park Lane was advertised as "one of the most recherché in London". Much of the land to the east of Park Lane was owned by the Grosvenor Estate, whose policy was to construct large family homes attracting the nouveau riche to the area. The road became lined with some of the largest privately owned mansions in London, including the Duke of Westminster's Grosvenor House (replaced by the Grosvenor House Hotel) and the Holford family's
Dorchester House Dorchester House was a mansion in Park Lane, Westminster, London, which has had many different forms over time. The last version used as a private residence was that built in 1853 by Robert Stayner Holford. It was demolished in 1929 to make way ...
(demolished in 1929 and replaced in 1931 with
The Dorchester The Dorchester is a five-star luxury hotel on Park Lane and Deanery Street in London, to the east of Hyde Park. It is one of the world's most prestigious and expensive hotels. The Dorchester opened on 18 April 1931, and it still retains its ...
) and the
Marquess of Londonderry Marquess of Londonderry, of the County of County Londonderry, Londonderry ( ), is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. History The title was created in 1816 for Robert Stewart, 1st Marquess of Londonderry, Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Londonderry ...
's Londonderry House. The philanthropist Moses Montefiore lived at No. 90 for over 60 years, and a
blue plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving as a historical marker. The term i ...
marks its location. Brook House, at No. 113 Park Lane, was built in 1870 by T. H. Wyatt. It later became the residence of Lord Louis Mountbatten and his wife
Edwina The name Edwina is a feminine form of the male name Edwin, which derives from Old English and means "rich friend." Edwin was a popular name until the time of the Norman Conquest, then fell out of favour until Victorian times. People * Edwina Bart ...
.
Aldford House Aldford House was a grand mansion built on London's Park Lane in 1894–97 for the diamond magnate, Alfred Beit. The architects were the Scottish partnership of Eustace Balfour and Hugh Thackeray Turner. Its style was somewhat Jacobean but it ...
was constructed in 1897 for the South African diamond millionaire Sir Alfred Beit. Another diamond mining magnate, Sir Joseph Robinson owned and lived at Dudley House at No. 100.


20th century

The character of Park Lane changed from prestigious houses in the early 20th century, as residents began to complain about motor traffic and the noise from buses. The first
flats Flat or flats may refer to: Architecture * Flat (housing), an apartment in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and other Commonwealth countries Arts and entertainment * Flat (music), a symbol () which denotes a lower pitch * Flat (soldier), ...
were built at Nos. 139–140 in 1915 despite local opposition, with shops following soon afterwards. However, buildings were redeveloped to allow
penthouse flat A penthouse is an apartment or unit on the highest floor of an apartment building, condominium, hotel or tower. Penthouses are typically differentiated from other apartments by luxury features. The term 'penthouse' originally referred, and som ...
s, which became popular. The politician and art collector
Philip Sassoon Sir Philip Albert Gustave David Sassoon, 3rd Baronet, (4 December 1888 – 3 June 1939) was a British politician, art collector, and socialite, entertaining many celebrity guests at his homes, Port Lympne Mansion, Kent, and Trent Park, North Lond ...
lived at No. 25 in the 1920s and 1930s and held an extensive collection of objects at his house. Dancing partners Fred and Adele Astaire moved into a penthouse flat at No. 41 in 1923, and stayed there during their theatrical appearances at London's West End. The couple were courted by the social scene in London and enjoyed dancing at Grosvenor House. American film star
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr., (December 9, 1909 – May 7, 2000) was an American actor, producer and decorated naval officer of World War II. He is best known for starring in such films as ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1937), ''Gunga Din'' (1939) a ...
resided at No. 99 when working in England in the 1930s. The black market fraudster
Sidney Stanley Sidney Stanley (''né'' Solomon Wulkan, 1899/1905–1969) alias Solomon Koszyski,Wade Baron (1966) ''p.''161 alias Stanley Rechtand,Wade Baron (1966) ''p.''136 and alias Schlomo ben Chaim,Wade Baron (1966) ''p.''246 was a Polish ''émigré'' to ...
lived on Park Lane in the 1940s, and became known as "the Pole of Park Lane". The
Marriott London Park Lane London Marriott Hotel Park Lane is a hotel in London, England. It is located at 140 Park Lane and is run by the Marriott Hotels group. The site was once occupied by Somerset House and Camelford House. The hotel has 152 bedrooms all of which were ...
, at No. 140 Park Lane, opened in 1919. The site was once occupied by
Somerset House Somerset House is a large Neoclassical complex situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The Georgian era quadrangle was built on the site of a Tudor palace ("O ...
and Camelford House. The site also includes No. 138 Park Lane, which was featured as a Home Guard headquarters in the film '' The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp''. The
Park Lane Hotel The Sheraton Grand London Park Lane is a 5 Star hotel on Piccadilly, London. The hotel opened in 1927 as The Park Lane Hotel to designs by architects Adie, Button and Partners, in a grand Art Deco style, and was constructed by the developer ...
was built in 1927, designed by the architects Adie, Button and Partners. Despite its name, its postal address is on Piccadilly and it overlooks Green Park rather than Hyde Park.
The Dorchester The Dorchester is a five-star luxury hotel on Park Lane and Deanery Street in London, to the east of Hyde Park. It is one of the world's most prestigious and expensive hotels. The Dorchester opened on 18 April 1931, and it still retains its ...
, designed by Sir Owen Williams, opened on Park Lane in 1931. With the development of the hotel, concerns were raised that Park Lane would soon become New York City's
Fifth Avenue Fifth Avenue is a major and prominent thoroughfare in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It stretches north from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to West 143rd Street in Harlem. It is one of the most expensive shopping stre ...
. The Dorchester quickly gained a reputation as a luxury hotel and one of the most prestigious buildings on the road. During the 1930s it became known as a haunt of numerous writers and artists, such as poet
Cecil Day-Lewis Cecil Day-Lewis (or Day Lewis; 27 April 1904 – 22 May 1972), often written as C. Day-Lewis, was an Irish-born British poet and Poet Laureate from 1968 until his death in 1972. He also wrote mystery stories under the pseudonym of Nicholas Bla ...
, novelist Somerset Maugham, and painter Sir Alfred Munnings, and it became known for its distinguished literary gatherings, including "Foyles Literary Luncheons", an event the hotel still hosts. From World War II onwards, the hotel and Park Lane become renowned for accommodating numerous international film stars, and it was closely associated with
Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...
and Richard Burton in the 1960s and 1970s. During World War II, several properties on Park Lane were hit by bombs. Dudley House, at No. 100, suffered major structural damage, including the destruction of the ballroom and gallery, though the building was partially restored. However, the strength of construction of the Dorchester Hotel gave it the reputation of being one of London's safest buildings, and it was a safe haven for numerous luminaries. General Dwight D. Eisenhower took a suite on the first floor in 1942, and later made it his headquarters. The British Iron and Steel Research Association, an institution responsible for much of the automation of modern steelmaking, was originally established at No. 11 Park Lane in June 1944. It has since moved to No. 24 Buckingham Gate. The
contact lens Contact lenses, or simply contacts, are thin lenses placed directly on the surface of the eyes. Contact lenses are ocular prosthetic devices used by over 150 million people worldwide, and they can be worn to correct vision or for cosmetic ...
pioneer
Keith Clifford Hall Keith Clifford Hall (born 29 March 1910, Cambridge - d. 16 December 1964, Bergen) was a British ophthalmic optician and pioneer of contact lenses. Early life Keith Clifford Hall was born on 29 March 1910 in Cambridge and educated in Surrey. He ...
held a practice at No. 139, later expanding to No 140, from 1945 to 1964. The site of his practice is now commemorated by a green heritage plaque. The film and stage actress Anna Neagle lived at Alford House on Park Lane between 1950 and 1964 with her husband Herbert Wilcox; the location of which is now marked with a green heritage plaque. The hotel trade continued to prosper; construction of the
London Hilton on Park Lane The London Hilton on Park Lane is a hotel situated on Park Lane, overlooking Hyde Park in the exclusive Mayfair district of London. It is tall, has 28 storeys and 453 rooms including 56 suites and a Michelin starred restaurant Galvin at Wind ...
at 22 Park Lane began in 1960 and opened in 1963 at a construction cost of £8m (now £). On 5 September 1975, a Provisional IRA bomb exploded at the hotel, killing two people and injuring over 60. The blast also damaged neighbouring properties. At the south end of Park Lane, on the west side, gates in honour of
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was the l ...
(widow of George VI) were erected in 1993. The gates were designed by Giuseppe Lund and David Wynne and bear motifs in an interpretation of her coat of arms.


21st century

The
Animals in War Memorial The Animals in War Memorial is a war memorial, in Hyde Park, London, commemorating the countless animals that have served and died under British military command throughout history. It was designed by English sculptor David Backhouse and unveiled ...
was opened at the northeast edge of Park Lane in 2004 by Anne, Princess Royal. It commemorates animals that served in wars, and alongside servicemen. In June 2007, a
car bomb A car bomb, bus bomb, lorry bomb, or truck bomb, also known as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), is an improvised explosive device designed to be detonated in an automobile or other vehicles. Car bombs can be roughly divided ...
was successfully defused in an underground car park on Park Lane. The road was closed for most of the day for police investigation. The road still attracts notable residents. In 2002, Robert B. Sherman, composer of the musicals ''
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' is a 1968 musical-fantasy film directed by Ken Hughes with a screenplay co-written by Roald Dahl and Hughes, loosely based on Ian Fleming's novel '' Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magical Car'' (1964). The film stars ...
'' and ''
Mary Poppins It may refer to: * ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fantasy novels that introduced the character. * Mary Poppins (character), the nanny with magical powers. * ''Mary Poppins'' (film), a 1964 Disney film sta ...
'', moved to an apartment on Park Lane following the death of his wife. He enjoyed the views of Hyde Park and in 2003 painted an eponymous portrait, ''Park Lane''. The business mogul
Mohamed Al-Fayed Mohamed Al-Fayed (; arz, محمد الفايد ; born 27 January 1929) is an Egyptian-born businessman whose residence and chief business interests have been in the United Kingdom since the late 1960s. His business interests include ownership of ...
has offices in 55 and 60 Park Lane. Trevor Rees-Jones, the only survivor of the car crash that killed al-Fayed's son Dodi Fayed and
Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...
in 1997, briefly recuperated in a flat on Park Lane following the accident. Property prices on Park Lane remain some of the highest in London. In 2006, former Conservative leader of Westminster City Council,
Dame Shirley Porter Shirley, Lady Porter (''née'' Cohen; born 29 November 1930), styled between 1991 and 2003 as Dame Shirley Porter, is a British politician who led Westminster City Council in London, representing the Conservative Party. She is the daughter and ...
moved into a new £1.5m development on Curzon Square after twelve years of exile in Israel. In 2015, a report showed the average monthly rent for a 2-bedroom apartment on the road was £5,200. Rough sleepers also made use of the road's surroundings from at least 2012, with large begging gangs or other homeless groups sleeping in subways or covered shopping parades despite occasionally being cleared or moved on by police. Many of the hotels and establishments on Park Lane are today owned by some of the wealthiest Middle Eastern and Asian businessmen, sheikhs and sultans. The Dorchester was purchased by the
Sultan of Brunei The sultan of Brunei is the monarchical head of state of Brunei and head of government in his capacity as prime minister of Brunei. Since independence from the British in 1984, only one sultan has reigned, though the royal institution dates bac ...
in 1985, and since 1996 has been part of the
Dorchester Collection Dorchester Collection is a luxury hotel operator owned by the Brunei Investment Agency (BIA), an arm of the Ministry of Finance of Brunei. Dorchester Collection owns and manages nine luxury five star hotels: The Dorchester (London), The Beverly H ...
, owned by the Brunei Investment Agency (BIA), an arm of the Ministry of Finance of Brunei. The Dorchester Collection connects The Dorchester on Park Lane to other luxury hotels internationally, including The Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air of Los Angeles, and the
Hôtel Meurice Le Meurice () is a Brunei-owned five-star luxury hotel in the 1st arrondissement of Paris opposite the Tuileries Garden, between Place de la Concorde and the Musée du Louvre on the Rue de Rivoli. From the Rue de Rivoli, it stretches to the Rue ...
of Paris. In 1978, a new branch of the
Allied Arab Bank An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
opened at 131–2 Park Lane, facilitating the interests of both Arab world and western clients. ''Mamasino'' restaurant at 102 Park Lane serves African cuisine and is African-owned. Wolfgang Puck's restaurant at No. 45 has been described by '' GQ Magazine'' as serving one of the best breakfasts in London, with a mixture of American, European and Asian food.


Traffic

Owing to property on the road becoming more desirable, traffic began to increase on Park Lane during the 19th century. A short section of the lane was widened in 1851 as part of the redevelopment work on Marble Arch. In July 1866, following the destruction of the boundary railings after a demonstration supporting the
Second Reform Bill The Representation of the People Act 1867, 30 & 31 Vict. c. 102 (known as the Reform Act 1867 or the Second Reform Act) was a piece of British legislation that enfranchised part of the urban male working class in England and Wales for the first ...
, the road was widened as far as Stanhope Gate. In 1871, Hamilton Place was widened to allow an alternative traffic flow to Piccadilly. By the 1950s, motor traffic levels along Park Lane had reached saturation point. A 1956 survey by the
Metropolitan Police The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...
reported "at peak hours it is overloaded", with traffic surveys showing 91,000 and 65,000 vehicles travelling around Hyde Park Corner and Marble Arch respectively in a twelve-hour period, making Park Lane the link between the busiest and third busiest road junctions in London. Between 1960 and 1963, the road was widened to three lanes each way either side of a central reservation. This required the demolition of Nos. 145–148 Piccadilly, near Hyde Park Corner, which had previously formed a line east of Apsley House. The work also re-appropriated East Carriage Drive inside Hyde Park as the northbound carriageway, moving the park's boundary westwards. Additionally, a car park was installed under the road, which became the largest underground parking area in London. Despite the claims to preserve as much of the park as possible during the widening works; around of park was removed and around 95 trees were felled. At the time of opening, the project was the largest road widening scheme in Central London since the construction of Kingsway in 1905. The total estimated cost was £1,152,000 (now £). Further traffic signals were installed at the junction of Park Lane and Hyde Park corner in 1983. The road forms part of the London Inner Ring Road and is part of the
London congestion charge The London congestion charge is a fee charged on most cars and motor vehicles being driven within the Congestion Charge Zone (CCZ) in Central London between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm Monday to Friday, and between 12:00 noon and 6:00 pm Saturday an ...
zone's boundary. When the zone was extended westward in February 2007, Park Lane was designated as one of the "free through routes", on which vehicles could cross the zone during its hours of operation without paying the charge. The western extension was removed in January 2011. In November 2008, the mayor of London, Boris Johnson announced plans to build a tunnel beneath the street, allowing land to be released for development and green spaces. The traffic improvements and remodelling have diminished the appeal of Park Lane as a residential address since it became one of the busiest and noisiest roads in central London. In 2011, Johnson introduced spot fines for coaches idling on Park Lane. The widening of the road distanced the houses on the east side of Park Lane from Hyde Park itself, access to which is now by underpass. Despite the traffic noise the road is still upmarket, featuring five-star hotels (such as The Dorchester, the Grosvenor House Hotel and the
InterContinental London Park Lane Hotel InterContinental London Park Lane is a luxury five-star hotel in London, England operated by the InterContinental Hotels Group. It is located at 1 Hamilton Place on Hyde Park Corner with Park Lane, close to the shopping center of Knightsbr ...
) and showrooms for several sports car models, including BMW,
Aston Martin Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC is an English manufacturer of luxury sports cars and grand tourers. Its predecessor was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Steered from 1947 by David Brown, it became associated with ...
and Mercedes-Benz.


Cultural references

Park Lane is the second most valuable property in the London edition of the board game '' Monopoly''. The street had a prestigious social status when the British version of the ''Monopoly'' board was first produced, in 1936. On the board, Park Lane forms a pair with
Mayfair Mayfair is an affluent area in the West End of London towards the eastern edge of Hyde Park, in the City of Westminster, between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. It is one of the most expensive districts in the world. ...
, the most expensive property in the game. The squares were designed to be equivalents of Park Place and Boardwalk, respectively, on the original board, which used streets in
Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.
. In 1988, the World Monopoly Championships were held at the Park Lane Hotel, sponsored by Waddingtons, manufacturers of the British version. Since the game's original production, prices on the real Park Lane have held their value, though average rent costs have been overtaken by
Bond Street Bond Street in the West End of London links Piccadilly in the south to Oxford Street in the north. Since the 18th century the street has housed many prestigious and upmarket fashion retailers. The southern section is Old Bond Street and the l ...
. In
Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...
's short story "
The Adventure of the Empty House "The Adventure of the Empty House", one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of 13 stories in the cycle collected as ''The Return of Sherlock Holmes''. It was first published in ''Collier's'' in the ...
" (1903),
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
investigates and solves a
locked-room murder The "locked-room" or "impossible crime" mystery is a type of crime seen in crime and detective fiction. The crime in question, typically murder ("locked-room murder"), is committed in circumstances under which it appeared impossible for the perpetr ...
which took place at No. 427 Park Lane (the old numbering), and which is referred to as the "Park Lane Mystery". The story is set in 1894. The writer Jasper Fforde refers to the street and its ''Monopoly'' square in his novel '' The Eyre Affair'' (2001), via the character
Landen Parke-Laine The Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde currently consists of the novels ''The Eyre Affair'', ''Lost in a Good Book'', ''The Well of Lost Plots'', ''Something Rotten'', '' First Among Sequels'', '' One of Our Thursdays Is Missing'' and '' The Wo ...
. The street has several mentions in
John Galsworthy John Galsworthy (; 14 August 1867 – 31 January 1933) was an English novelist and playwright. Notable works include ''The Forsyte Saga'' (1906–1921) and its sequels, ''A Modern Comedy'' and ''End of the Chapter''. He won the Nobel Prize i ...
's 1922 trilogy, The Forsyte Saga. The 1967 BBC television adaptation used Croxteth Hall in Liverpool for footage of James and Emily's house on Park Lane. The road is mentioned in the second stanza of
Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...
's patriotic song " London Pride". In
George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalitar ...
's '' Coming Up for Air'' (1939) several conservative and imperialist politicians are derogatively referred to as "the Park Lane riff-raff" The Mini Countryman Park Lane is a high-end four wheel drive sport utility vehicle named after the road, where the company has a showroom. In Walter Lord's book '' A Night to Remember'', which documents the fate of the '' RMS Titanic'', a broad, lower-deck working corridor on E Deck, which ran the length of the ship, was referred to by officers as "Park Lane" (and by crew as "
Scotland Road Scotland Road, known locally as Scottie Road, is the section of the A59 road situated near the docks in the Vauxhall district of north Liverpool, England. History Scotland Road was created in the 1770s as a turnpike road to Preston, Lancashir ...
").


References

Notes Citations Sources * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Park Lane, London Mayfair Streets in the City of Westminster