Description
Lancaster House was built in 1825-29, the grandest and only free-standing of the mansions in St James's, set in a large garden. It was designed as York House by Benjamin Wyatt for the Duke of York, who died in 1827 before it was finished. It was taken over and completed by the 2nd Marquess of Stafford, later 1st Duke of Sutherland, and became the focus of the family's social and political life. In 1913 the lease was purchased for the nation by Sir William Lever, who renamed it Lancaster House. From 1924 it was used by the London Museum, but in 1952-3 it was restored by the Ministry of Works for conferences and government hospitability, a use that continues today. The gardens are surrounded by wall and railings of 1833, behind which is a thick yew hedge and shrubbery, the garden front giving onto a broad terrace from which steps descend to the lawn. Flanking the carriage entrance against the east garden wall are 2 huge stone statues of Sculpture and Architecture by E H Baily of 1828, which came from the east front of Buckingham Palace.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Stafford House, York House |
|---|---|
| Site location | Stable Yard, off Cleveland Row, St James's |
| Postcode | SW1A 1BB |
| What3Words | ///horns.middle.remind |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Westminster |
| Open to Public | Occasionally |
| Opening Times | private, has opened for Open House London |
| Public Transport | Tube: Green Park (Victoria, Piccadilly, Jubilee). Bus: 9, 14, 19, 22, 38 |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
In the ownership of the Dukes of Sutherland, Stafford House was sumptuously decorated and contained the family's fine art collection. The attic storey was added in 1833-38, designed by Sir Robert Smirke, who had in fact presented a first design for York House in c.1820, rejected in favour of Wyatt's design of 1825. The grand staircase was the work of Sir Charles Barry. This palatial building became the fashionable venue for the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland's many visitors from the world of liberal politics and the arts, who included reformer Lord Shaftesbury, anti-slavery author Harriet Beecher Stowe and Italian nationalist leader Garibaldi as well as Queen Victoria. After Sir William Lever, Lord Leverhume, presented the house to the nation, Lancaster House was used for some years as the London Museum, but this ceased after WWII. As a government building under the remit of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Lancaster House has been the venue for many important occasions including the European Advisory Committee in 1944, the signing of Malaya's agreement of independence in 1956, the Lancaster House Agreement in 1979 when Zimbabwe gained independence from the UK, the 10th G7 summit in 1984 and the 17th G7 summit in 1991. It has also been used as a filming location on many occasions.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ292799 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Foreign and Commonwealth Office |
| Site Management | Foreign and Commonwealth Office |
| Dates | 1825-29 |
| Listed Structures | LBI: Lancaster House. LBII: Boundary wall, railings and gate to Lancaster House |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Westminster |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | St James's |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
The royal residences of Clarence House and St James's Palace share this large garden, which is on the site of the late C17th royal pleasure grounds. It is hidden behind an C18th (?) brick wall with a stone coping on top of which is a lofty wooden fence and behind this a high hedge of laurels. A number of fine old plane trees are visible over the wall. An area of formal planting at the front of Clarence House was designed in 2004-5 by The Prince of Wales in memory of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. The scheme was laid out by members of The Prince's School of Traditional Arts.
In 1755 the first Earl Spencer purchased land for his new town house here, a fashionable area with uninterrupted views of the Green Park. Spencer House was built in 1756-60 and survives intact as a palatial private mansion. The first Earl was succeeded by his son, and the garden dates from his time, becoming one of the largest in Piccadilly. It was planted by July 1798, designed by Henry Holland possibly in collaboration with Lavinia, Countess Spencer, wife of the second Earl. The family remained at Spencer House until 1895, and again briefly in the C20th, but it was let continuously from 1927. Now leased to RIT Capital Partners the house and garden have been restored under the chairmanship of Lord Rothschild. The paths, lawn and perimeter beds have been reinstated using plants and shrubs appropriate to the late C18th/early C19th.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
The marshy site was acquired in 1532 and drained for a deer park by Henry VIII, who built St James's Palace as a hunting lodge. In the C17th St James's Park was remodelled for James I and later for Charles II who opened it to the public. Its formal layout had avenues of trees, lawns and a rectangular canal extending for c.900m. In 1828/9 it was drastically re-landscaped by John Nash, and his undulating landscape essentially remains, the lake the central feature with an island at each end, belts of trees along boundaries, extensive lawns and winding paths. Pulham & Co constructed various works in 1895 and 1899, including rockwork on the lake edge, 'Cormorant & Pelican islands' for the park's birdlife and a small rocky pool along the inner bank of the island. The western end of the park and lake were remodelled in 1901-11 to accommodate the rond-point of the Queen Victoria Memorial Gardens. Between c.1894 and at least 1914 a historic bomb disposal facility was located on Duck Island.
The marshy site was acquired in 1532 and drained for a deer park by Henry VIII, who built St James's Palace as a hunting lodge. In the C17th St James's Park was remodelled for James I and later for Charles II who opened it to the public. Its formal layout had avenues of trees, lawns and a rectangular canal extending for c.900m. In 1828/9 it was drastically re-landscaped by John Nash, and his undulating landscape essentially remains, the lake the central feature with an island at each end, belts of trees along boundaries, extensive lawns and winding paths. Pulham & Co constructed various works in 1895 and 1899, including rockwork on the lake edge, 'Cormorant & Pelican islands' for the park's birdlife and a small rocky pool along the inner bank of the island. The western end of the park and lake were remodelled in 1901-11 to accommodate the rond-point of the Queen Victoria Memorial Gardens. Between c.1894 and at least 1914 a historic bomb disposal facility was located on Duck Island.
