Shepherd's Place
Shepherd's Place is now the name given to the passage between Lees Place and Upper Brook Street which was originally called Shepherd's Court, after John Shepherd, plasterer, who was responsible for much of the building that took place here in the 1730's and early 1740's.
Seferis' Office
Across the street was the historic "Seferis' Office", where the Greek Nobel laureate and diplomat lived and worked during his tenure as Ambassador of Greece to the United Kingdom (1957-1962).
Situated in one of the most central parts of London, in Mayfair, the building was built in 1731 by the architect R. G. Hammond, who was responsible for a number of other buildings in the area, owned by the Duke of Westminster. During the period 1731-1920 it had served as the residence of members of the House of Lords and distinguished judges. It was fully renovated in 1905. From 1920 it is the Official Residence of the Greek Ambassador. The original design has been preserved, including the office used by George Seferis. In 2000, on the occasion of the poet’s 100th anniversary, a commemorative Blue Plaque was erected by the English Heritage.
During the years 1920 to 1975 the Chancery was also housed at 51 Upper Brook Street, W1. In 1975, it was transferred to 1a Holland Park, W11, where it still operates in the property purchased by the Greek State in 1973. The building was designed in 1962 by architects Playne & Lacey. Until its bombardment during the 1940 blitz, a large Victorian villa stood on the same plot of land. It was built in 1860 as the residence of banker Alexander C. Ionides (1810-1890), who was a great benefactor of Greece and had served as Greek Consul General in London from 1854 to 1856. He was an art collector and patron of the Pre-Raphaelite painters. After his death, his art collection was bequeathed to the Victoria & Albert Museum where it still has pride of place.
Former U.S. Embassy
Housed in the iconic former U.S. Embassy on Grosvenor Square, the Grade II listed building is currently being reimagined as a new retail destination and hotel called The Chancery Rosewood.
The American Embassy in London moved to 1 Grosvenor Square, in 1938 and in 1960 moved to the site at 24 Grosvenor Square.
The former Embassy, occupying the whole west side of Grosvenor Square, was designed by American architect Eero Saarinen and completed in 1960. The design brief was for a building which would house all the major sections of the Embassy under one roof in a style which would blend with the existing architecture of Grosvenor Square.
During the Second World War when the Chancery was on one side and General Eisenhower’s headquarters on another, Grosvenor Square became popularly known as “Little America.”
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