St James's is a central district in the City of Westminster, London, forming part of the West End. In the 17th century the area developed as a residential location for the

British aristocracy The British nobility is made up of the peerage and the (landed) gentry. The nobility of its four constituent home nations has played a major role in shaping the history of the country, although now they retain only the rights to stand for election ...

, and around the 19th century was the focus of the development of gentlemen's clubs. Once part of the parish of St Martin in the Fields, much of it formed the parish of St James from 1685 to 1922. Since the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

the area has transitioned from residential to commercial use. St James's is bounded to the north by Piccadilly and Mayfair, to the west by Green Park, to the south by The Mall bounding St. James's Park, and to the east by Haymarket.

History

Toponymy

The area's name is derived from the dedication of a 12th-century

leper Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damag ...

hospital to

Saint James the Less James the Less ( grc-gre, Ἰάκωβος ὁ μικρός ) is a figure of early Christianity, one of the Twelve chosen by Jesus. He is also called "the Minor", "the Little", "the Lesser", or "the Younger", according to translation. He is not to ...

. The hospital site is now occupied by St James's Palace. The area became known as "Clubland" because of the historic presence of gentlemen's clubs. The section of Regent Street (colloquially known as 'Lower Regent Street') that runs between Waterloo Place and Piccadilly Circus has been officially renamed 'Regent Street St James's’.

Urban development

St James's was once part of the same royal park as

Green Park Green Park, officially The Green Park, is one of the Royal Parks of London. It is in the southern part – the core part – of the City of Westminster, Central London, but before that zone was extended to the north, to take in Marylebo ...

and St. James's Park. In the 1660s, Charles II gave the right to develop the area to

Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of St Albans Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of Saint Albans, (25 March 1605 (baptised) – January 1684) was an English politician and courtier. He sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1625 and 1643 when he was raised to the peerage as Baron Jermyn. ...

who developed it as a predominantly aristocratic residential area around a grid of streets centred on

St James's Square St James's Square is the only square in the St James's district of the City of Westminster and is a garden square. It has predominantly Georgian and Neo-Georgian architecture. For its first two hundred or so years it was one of the three or f ...

. Until the

, St James's remained one of the most exclusive residential enclaves in London. Notable residences include St James's Palace,

Clarence House Clarence House is a royal residence on The Mall in the City of Westminster, London. It was built in 1825–1827, adjacent to St James's Palace, for the Duke of Clarence, the future king William IV. Over the years, it has undergone much exten ...

Marlborough House Marlborough House, a Grade I listed mansion in St James's, City of Westminster, London, is the headquarters of the Commonwealth of Nations and the seat of the Commonwealth Secretariat. It was built in 1711 for Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marl ...

Lancaster House Lancaster House (originally known as York House and then Stafford House) is a mansion in the St James's district in the West End of London. It is close to St James's Palace, and much of the site was once part of the palace complex. This Gr ...

Spencer House Spencer House may refer to: * Spencer House, Westminster, Greater London, England United States * Spencer House (Hartford, Connecticut), listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in Hartford County * Spencer House in Columbus, Ge ...

Schomberg House Schomberg House at 80–82 Pall Mall is a prominent house on the south side of Pall Mall in central London which has a colourful history. Only the street facade survives today. It was built for The 3rd Duke of Schomberg, a Huguenot general ...

Norfolk House Norfolk House, 31 St James's Square, Westminster, was built between 1748 and 1752 as his London townhouse by Edward Howard, 9th Duke of Norfolk (1686–1777) to the design of Matthew Brettingham (1699–1769), "the Elder", and was demolishe ...

and Bridgewater House. (See

Townhouse (Great Britain) In British usage, the term townhouse originally referred to the town or city residence, in practice normally in London, of a member of the nobility or gentry, as opposed to their country seat, generally known as a country house or, colloquially ...

for the aristocratic nature of the speculative buildings.)

Local government

St James's was in the ancient parish of St Martin in the Fields in the

Liberty of Westminster The City and Liberty of Westminster was a unit of local government in the county of Middlesex, England. It was located immediately to the west of the City of London. Originally under the control of Westminster Abbey, the local authority for the ...

. Attempts made in 1664, 1668 and 1670 to separate St James's from the parish were resisted by St Martin's

vestry A vestry was a committee for the local secular and ecclesiastical government for a parish in England, Wales and some English colonies which originally met in the vestry or sacristy of the parish church, and consequently became known colloquiall ...

. The building of

St James's Church, Piccadilly St James's Church, Piccadilly, also known as St James's Church, Westminster, and St James-in-the-Fields, is an Anglican church on Piccadilly in the centre of London, United Kingdom. The church was designed and built by Sir Christopher Wren. Th ...

in 1684 forced the issue, and a new parish of St James within the Liberty of Westminster was created in 1685. The parish stretched from

Oxford Street Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch via Oxford Circus. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, with around half a million daily visitors, and ...

in the north to Pall Mall in the south. It roughly corresponded to the contemporary St James's area, but extended into parts of

Soho Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was develo ...

and Mayfair. Land south of Pall Mall remained in St Martin in the Fields' parish, and St James's Park was split between the parishes of St Martin and St Margaret. St James's Palace was an

extra-parochial area In England and Wales, an extra-parochial area, extra-parochial place or extra-parochial district was a geographically defined area considered to be outside any ecclesiastical or civil parish. Anomalies in the parochial system meant they had no ch ...

and not part of any parish. A

select vestry A vestry was a committee for the local secular and ecclesiastical government for a parish in England, Wales and some English colonies which originally met in the vestry or sacristy of the parish church, and consequently became known colloquiall ...

was created for the new parish.

Governance

For elections to

Westminster City Council Westminster City Council is the local authority for the City of Westminster in Greater London, England. The city is divided into 20 wards, each electing three councillors. The council is currently composed of 31 Labour Party members and 23 Cons ...

, the area is part of the St James's ward. The ward includes Covent Garden,

Strand Strand may refer to: Topography *The flat area of land bordering a body of water, a: ** Beach ** Shoreline * Strand swamp, a type of swamp habitat in Florida Places Africa * Strand, Western Cape, a seaside town in South Africa * Strand Street ...

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...

and part of Mayfair. The ward elects three councillors.

Notable streets

Henry Jermyn, Earl of St Albans Green Plaque

Notable streets include: *

, which retains many of its original houses but is mostly in office use. The

London Library The London Library is an independent lending library in London, established in 1841. It was founded on the initiative of Thomas Carlyle, who was dissatisfied with some of the policies at the British Museum Library. It is located at 14 St James' ...

is located there. *

Jermyn Street Jermyn Street is a one-way street in the St James's area of the City of Westminster in London, England. It is to the south of, parallel, and adjacent to Piccadilly. Jermyn Street is known as a street for gentlemen's-clothing retailers. Hist ...

, an upmarket retail street best known for bespoke shirtmakers and shops offering the finest gentlemen's attire. * Pall Mall, which contains many of London's gentlemen's clubs. It is also home to

, the seat of the

Commonwealth Secretariat The Commonwealth Secretariat is the main intergovernmental agency and central institution of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is responsible for facilitating co-operation between members; organising meetings, including the Commonwealth Heads o ...

, and the Québec Government Office in London. * Crown Passage, a narrow street which splits off from Pall Mall opposite Marlborough House and is home to the Red Lion, one of the oldest

pubs A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

in London's West End to still be in business. * Haymarket was once the best-known centre of prostitution in London, but no trace remains of this part of its past. It contains two historic theatres: the Haymarket Theatre and

Her Majesty's Theatre Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established t ...

. *

Carlton House Terrace Carlton House Terrace is a street in the St James's district of the City of Westminster in London. Its principal architectural feature is a pair of terraces of white stucco-faced houses on the south side of the street overlooking St. James's Pa ...

, a pair of grand terraces of houses designed by John Nash overlooking St. James's Park. * St James's Street, which runs down from Piccadilly to St James's Palace.

Street name etymologies

The following utilises the generally accepted boundaries of St James’s, viz. Piccadilly to the north, Haymarket and

Cockspur Street Cockspur Street is a short street in the City of Westminster, London, within which a very short part of Trafalgar Square links Charing Cross to Pall Mall/Pall Mall East at the point where that road changes name, opposite the traffic exit from ...

to the east, The Mall to the south and Queen’s Walk to the west. * Angel Court – thought to be after a former inn of this name * Apple Tree Yard – thought to be after the apple trees formerly to be found here; formerly Angier Street * Arlington Street – after

Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington, KG, PC (1618 – 28 July 1685) was an English statesman. Background and early life He was the son of Sir John Bennet of Dawley, Middlesex, by Dorothy, daughter of Sir John Crofts of Little Saxham, Suf ...

, 17th century statesman and local landowner * Babmaes Street – named after Baptist May (or Mays), trustee to local landowner Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of Saint Albans; it was formerly known as Babmay’s Mews * Bennet Street – after

, 17th century statesman and local landowner * Blue Ball Yard – after the former 18th century Blew Ball tavern here *

Bury Street Bury Street is a one-way street in St James's, London SW1. It runs roughly north-to-south from Jermyn Street to King Street, and crosses Ryder Street. Street history Probably taking its name from Bury St Edmunds, Rushbrooke, the country seat ...

– after Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of Saint Albans and Baron Jermyn of St Edmundsbury ( Bury St Edmunds), 17th century politician and local landownerBebbington, G. (1972) ''London Street Names'', p184 * Carlton Gardens, Carlton Street and

– after the former Carlton House, built here in 1709 for Henry Boyle, 1st Baron Carleton * Catherine Wheel Yard – from the name of an inn that stood on this site until it burnt down in 1895 * Charing Cross – after the Eleanor cross at Charing, from the Old English word "cierring", referring to a bend in the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

Fairfield, S. ''The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins'', p65 *

Charles II Street Charles II Street is a street in St James's in the City of Westminster, London. It runs roughly west to east, starting from the middle of the east side of St James's Square, crossing Regent Street where it becomes Waterloo Place, and ending a ...

– named after Charles II, king when this street was builtBebbington, G. (1972) ''London Street Names'', p189 * Church Place – after the adjacent

; formerly Church Passage * Cleveland Place and Cleveland Row – after Cleveland House (now Bridgwater House), named for Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland who lived there in the late 17th century * Cockspur Court and

– unknown, though possibly after the

cock fighting A cockfight is a blood sport, held in a ring called a cockpit. The history of raising fowl for fighting goes back 6,000 years. The first documented use of the ''word'' gamecock, denoting use of the cock as to a "game", a sport, pastime or ente ...

that formerly occurred here, cocks often having spurs attached to their feet during fights * Crown Passage – thought to be after a former tavern of this name * Duke Street, St James's and Duke of York Street – named after James II, Duke of York when the street was built and brother to Charles II, king at the time * Eagle Place * Haymarket – site of a former market selling hay until the 1830s *

– after Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of Saint Albans, 17th century politician and local landownerFairfield, S. ''The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins'', p171 * King Street – named after

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

, king when this street was built in the 1600s * The Mall – built as a course for playing the game pall mall, fashionable in the 17th centuryBebbington, G. (1972) ''London Street Names'', p245-6 * Marlborough Road – after the adjacent

, built for

Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, Princess of Mindelheim, Countess of Nellenburg (née Jenyns, spelt Jennings in most modern references; 5 June 1660 (Old Style) – 18 October 1744), was an English courtier who rose to be one of th ...

in 1711 * Mason's Yard – after the local 18th century victualler Henry Mason; it was formerly known as West Stable Yard * Norris Street – after Godfrye Norris, local leaseholder in the 17th century * Ormond Yard – after James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde, who owned a house next to this yard in the 17th century * Pall Mall and Pall Mall Place – laid out as a grounds for playing pall mall in the 17th century * Park Place – after the nearby

* Piccadilly, Piccadilly Arcade and Piccadilly Circus – after Piccadilly Hall, home of local tailor Robert Baker in the 17th century, believed to be named after the pickadils (collars/hem trimmings) which made his fortune. Circus is a British term for a road junction; it was laid out by John Nash in 1819 * Pickering Place – after William Pickering, local painter stainer and grocer, who leased property here in the 1730s * Princes Arcade – built 1929–33, named after the former Prince’s Hotel, which stood here * Princes Place * Queen’s Walk – after Caroline of Ansbach, wife of

George II George II or 2 may refer to: People * George II of Antioch (seventh century AD) * George II of Armenia (late ninth century) * George II of Abkhazia (916–960) * Patriarch George II of Alexandria (1021–1051) * George II of Georgia (1072–1089) ...

, who took a strong interest in the Royal Parks * Regent Street – made in the 1810s by John Nash and named after the Prince Regent, later

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

* Rose and Crown Yard – unknown, probably after a former inn of this name * Royal Opera Arcade – originally part of an opera house theatre, built by John Nash * Russell Court – after the Russell family, who lived here in the 1600s * Ryder Court, Ryder Street and Ryder Yard – after Richard Rider, Master Carpenter to Charles II * St Alban's Street – after Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of Saint Albans, 17th century politician and local landowner * St James’s Market, St James's Place,

, St James’s Street and Little St James’s Street – the site of St James's Palace was originally the site of St James’s leper hospital in the Middle Ages, named after

James, son of Zebedee James the Great, also known as James, son of Zebedee, Saint James the Great, Saint James the Greater, Saint James the Elder, or Saint Jacob (Aramaic ܝܥܩܘܒ ܒܪ ܙܒܕܝ, Arabic يعقوب, Hebrew בן זבדי , '' Yaʿăqōḇ'', Latin '' ...

Spring Gardens Spring Gardens is a dead-end street at the south east extreme of St. James's, London, England, that crosses the east end of The Mall between Admiralty Arch and Trafalgar Square. Part of the old liberty of Westminster and the current City of W ...

– after the 17th century pleasure grounds of this name which formerly lay on this site; they were closed in 1660 * Stable Yard and Stable Yard Road – as they leads to the stables of St James's Palace * Warwick House Street – formerly approached Warwick House, built in the 17th century for Sir

Philip Warwick Sir Philip Warwick (24 December 160915 January 1683), English writer and politician, born in Westminster, was the son of Thomas Warwick, or Warrick, a musician. Life He was educated at Eton, he travelled abroad for some time and in 1636 became ...

* Waterloo Place – after the

Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (at that time in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium). A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two of the armie ...

which ended the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

Economy

St James's is a predominantly commercial area with some of the highest rents in London and, consequently, the world. The auction house Christie's is based in King Street, and the surrounding streets contain many upmarket art and antique dealers including

Colnaghi Colnaghi is an art dealership in St James's, central London, England, which is the oldest commercial art gallery in the world, having been established in 1760. Foundation The business that became the Colnaghi gallery was established by Itali ...

, Agnew’s Gallery, Moretti Fine Art,

Hazlitt, Gooden & Fox Hazlitt, Gooden & Fox, based at 38 Bury Street, London, is a firm of British art dealers, specialising in Old Master In art history, "Old Master" (or "old master")The Sladmore Gallery and S Franses Ltd. BP is headquartered in St James's. The area is home to fine wine merchants including Berry Brothers and Rudd, at number 3 St James's Street. Adjoining St James's Street is Jermyn Street, famous for tailoring. Some famous cigar retailers are at 35 St James's Street, occupied by Davidoff of London; J.J. Fox at 19 St James's Street and Dunhill at 50 Jermyn St. Shoemaker, Wildsmith, designers of the first

loafer Slip-ons are typically low, lace-less shoes. The style which is most commonly seen, known as a loafer or slippers in American culture, has a moccasin construction. One of the first designs was introduced in London by Wildsmith Shoes, called the W ...

, was located at 41 Duke Street but is now at 13

Savile Row Savile Row (pronounced ) is a street in Mayfair, central London. Known principally for its traditional bespoke tailoring for men, the street has had a varied history that has included accommodating the headquarters of the Royal Geographical ...

Culture

The Institute of Contemporary Arts, London entrance

Art galleries catering for a spectrum of tastes occupy premises in the area. The White Cube gallery, which represents

Damien Hirst Damien Steven Hirst (; né Brennan; born 7 June 1965) is an English artist, entrepreneur, and art collector. He is one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who dominated the art scene in the UK during the 1990s. He is reportedly the United Kingd ...

and

Tracey Emin Tracey Karima Emin, CBE, RA (; born 3 July 1963) is a British artist known for her autobiographical and confessional artwork. Emin produces work in a variety of media including drawing, painting, sculpture, film, photography, neon text and ...

, opened in Duke Street before moving to

Hoxton Square Hoxton Square is a public garden square in the Hoxton area of Shoreditch in the London Borough of Hackney. Laid out in 1683, it is thought to be one of the oldest in London. Since the 1990s it has been at the heart of the Hoxton national (digit ...

. In September 2006, it opened a second gallery at 25–26 Mason's Yard, off Duke Street, on a plot previously occupied by an electricity substation. The gallery is the first free-standing building to be built in the area for more than 30 years. Other notable modern and contemporary art dealers in the St James's area include Helly Nahmad Gallery,

Paisnel Gallery The Nine British Art is a private art gallery in St James's, central London, England. The gallery specializes in British art, with a focus on works from the St Ives group and the post-war period. Overview The gallery covers 20th and 21st centu ...

, Bernard Jacobson Gallery, Thomas Dane, Whitford Fine Art and Panter & Hall. On the southernmost border of St James's is The Mall where The

Institute of Contemporary Arts The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. Located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch, the ICA c ...

and the

Mall Galleries Mall commonly refers to a: * Shopping mall * Strip mall * Pedestrian street * Esplanade Mall or MALL may also refer to: Places Shopping complexes * The Mall (Sofia) (Tsarigradsko Mall), Sofia, Bulgaria * The Mall, Patna, Patna, Bihar, India * ...

are located.

Clubland

St James's is home to many of the best known gentlemen's clubs in London, and sometimes, though not as often as formerly, referred to as "Clubland". The clubs are organisations of English high society. A variety of groups congregate here, such as royals, military officers, motoring enthusiasts, and other groups. In 1990, the

Carlton Club The Carlton Club is a private members' club in St James's, London. It was the original home of the Conservative Party before the creation of Conservative Central Office. Membership of the club is by nomination and election only. History The ...

, traditional meeting place for members of the

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

, was struck by an

IRA Ira or IRA may refer to: *Ira (name), a Hebrew, Sanskrit, Russian or Finnish language personal name *Ira (surname), a rare Estonian and some other language family name *Iran, UNDP code IRA Law *Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, US, on status of ...

bomb.

References

External links

St James's Westminster, Part 1
– a volume of the ''

Survey of London The Survey of London is a research project to produce a comprehensive architectural survey of central London and its suburbs, or the area formerly administered by the London County Council. It was founded in 1894 by Charles Robert Ashbee, an A ...

'' which provides a very detailed architectural history of most of St James's. However a few sections of the parish of St James's fall outside the district, so they are omitted
map
.
Map of St James's and surrounding areas

Clubland at Virtual LondonArea website for St James's with profiles on shops, restaurants and galleries in the area and a full events calendar
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint James's Districts of the City of Westminster Areas of London City of Westminster