South Kensington Living
Alexander Place
Alexander Place runs between Thurloe Square and Alexander Square. It is a one way street with parking allowed on only one side of the road. The street has a good view of Thurloe Square at its western end.
The houses are mainly four-storey (plus basement) with brick above ground floor level. The houses at the eastern end are slightly smaller but have attractive ground floor bay windows. There is an unusual modern window on the side of No. 21.
Alexander Place is part of the Alexander Estate.
It runs west from the centre of Alexander Square to Thurloe Square. In 1828, its name was Eton Street. It was called York Street in the earliest leases. But in 1831 it was called Alfred Place. Only in 1920 did it become Alexander Place.
In 1826 John Alexander entered into an agreement with James Bonnin for the construction of Alexander Square. The agreement also included the land for Alexander Place. But when the leases were granted of the finished houses, they were all to John Gibson from Reading. It is likely he was the financier and this was his security. Bonnin was the main builder. Nos. 1, 3, 4 & 10 were leased back to him in 1830 so he surely built those. James Bonnin, Junior, took No. 6. William Jarman, a paper stainer from Knightsbridge, took the lease of No. 8 and some other investors took Nos. 5 & 7. Four houses were built on either side (because the rest of the land west to Thurloe Square was still owned by a commercial nursery and not yet released for building). So Nos. 4-10 (even) were built on the west side and Nos. 1-7 (odd) on the east side. They have a moulded cornice and the two end houses project slightly.
