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Place    From 1768  To 1935

Adelphi Terrace

Categories: Architecture

Adelphi Terrace

The Adam brothers built a very large development including a run of houses with a terrace that overlooked the river, which was much closer before the Embankment was built. It was this terrace that caused the word "terrace" to take on the meaning of a row of houses. Torn down in 1935 and replaced with the art deco New Adelphi building. It was the demolition of the Adelphi that was, at least partially, responsible for the creation of the Georgian Society in 1937.

is a very useful page with excellent images.

While thinking of how London has changed the English language, in the field of architecture at least, let's examine "Mews". From the French, it used to mean a place where hawks (kept for hunting) were confined during their moulting seasons. From 1377 the King's Mews was at Charing Cross, about where Trafalgar Square now is. In 1537 Henry VIII had it converted to be the royal stables. And hence Mews became the term for all service streets in London built as stables, converted into garages and then converted into rather chic homes for fashionable Londoners, such as .

The image on this page shows a front elevation very different from that on our Garrick page. In 1872 the Victorians obliterated the Adams' neoclassical façades, adding heavy decorative features, around the windows and the bulky central attic pediment. The resultant houses would have been unrecognisable to their architects.

Drawings at the Rise and Fall make it clear that the houses at the two ends of the Terrace were detached from the main body of 10 houses.  No.11, the detached house at the eastern end, survived not just demolition in the '30s but also the attentions of the Victorians. Google Maps does not provide a good view of it but has a photo, from which one can imagine how impressive the whole Terrace must have been during its first 100 years.

For more information see ''. There is also from Hansard, a splendid speech made by , 16 March 1933. gives all the occupants.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Adelphi Terrace

Commemorated ati

Adam, Hood, Galsworthy, Barrie, etc.

Robert Adam, Thomas Hood, John Galsworthy, Sir James Barrie and other eminent...

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Garrick plaque - gone

Garrick died in this house. Erected April-May 1876.

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Robert and James Adam - WC2

This plaque was lost when No.4 and all but one of the other houses in the Ter...

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The Adelphi

The inscription was created by Sharpington. The photo on his page (27 Novembe...

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Other Subjects

Sir Patrick Abercrombie

Sir Patrick Abercrombie

Pioneer of town and country planning, Leslie Patrick Abercrombie was born near Manchester. Abercrombie was an academic during most of his career, and prepared one city plan and several regional st...

Person, Architecture, Transport

1 memorial
Sir John W. Simpson

Sir John W. Simpson

Architect. Born Brighton (though the picture source has him born in Scotland). His father and brother were also architects. Active member of RIBA and its president 1919-21. Architect to the Honoura...

Person, Architecture, Scotland

2 memorials
Josiah Gunton

Josiah Gunton

Architect. specialist in non-conformist churches. Born in Cambridgeshire. By 1881 he was living in Hackney. He was articled to Gordon and Lowther architects and became a partner in 1885. His son W...

Person, Architecture, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
William Edward Trent

William Edward Trent

Architect. Articled to Henry Poston. Later he specialised in cinema design.

Person, Architecture, Scotland

1 memorial
Terence C. Page

Terence C. Page

Architect, F.R.I.B.A. active in 1952.

Person, Architecture

1 memorial