South Kensington Living
Thurloe Square
Thurloe Square is a large square with a lovely view to the Victoria and Albert Museum. It is one of the most attractive garden squares in South Kensington.
There is a central communal private garden with many mature trees and much greenery.
The houses are mainly large five-storey family houses with elegant porticoed entrances and have large balconies at first floor level.
On the south side there is a very large rather unusual 4 storey red-brick building consisting of large studio style windows on the northern front but unfortunately the underground runs immediately behind it.
Thurloe Square is part of the Alexander Estate.
In the 1820s the Alexander Estate land was leased by John Harrison and William Bristow, for extensive market nursery for greenhouse plants and exotic fruit trees. In 1826 John Alexander had the right to repossess part of the land for redevelopment, which allowed him to construct Alexander Square and parts of North and South Terrace. The rest of the land was due to fall into possession in 1842. But in 1832 Harrison, the remaining lessee, was declared bankrupt and the estate was able to bring forward its development plans.
Under the guidance of George Basevi, the estate’s surveyor, H.B Alexander entered into agreements with various builders for different parts of the estate. Thurloe Square was designed by Basevi. The Square was built in a period of years beginning in 1840. The south side, comprising Nos. 1-12 (consecutive) was built in 1840-42.
The west side of the Square is divided by Thurloe Street. The terrace north of Thurloe Street (Nos. 34-44) was constructed between 1843 and 1846 and the terrace at the south (Nos. 45-56) between 1843 and 1845. The east side of the Square is similarly divided by Alexander Place. The northern terrace (Nos. 20-33) were built between 1842 and 1844 and the terrace to the south (Nos. 13-19) was built between 1843 and 1846.
The south side of the Square was the work of James Bonnin Senior. Nos. 1-5 were later demolished as part of the underground railway development. The east side of the Square was built by James Bonnin Jnr. Thomas Holmes built most, if not all, of the houses on the west side of the Square north of Thurloe Street. No. 43 at the southern end may have been built by Evan Jones, a Chelsea builder, and No. 44 was built by H.W. Atkinson. On the west side south of Thurloe Street, John Gooch, Jnr, a local builder constructed Nos. 45-48, 50 & 51. H.W. Atkinson built Nos. 49 & 52-56. Nos. 52-56 were demolished for the underground railway in 1867.
Basevi designed the communal gardens which cover nearly two acres in the centre of the square. The iron railings were taken away to make guns in the second world war, but were later replaced in the 1970s by Mr Anstruther, who then owned the estate.
