Property Description

Frederick Close is a cul-de-sac approached through an entrance under a building on Stanhope Place. The Mews has 14 properties used for residential and commercial purposes and is oriented in an east-west direction.

In World War II, a high explosive bomb fell directly onto Frederick Close and presumably the properties had to be rebuilt as a result. When the London Poverty Maps were published, the area was described as being comfortable with normal household earnings.

Frederick Close is part of Westminster City Council’s Bayswater Conservation Area. Developed over the space of about 70 years, the townscape is uniform despite being composed of several distinct areas and is made up of a regular composition of streets and squares in an Italianate style. An important aspect of the street pattern are the several mews, some quite intimate and others so large that they appear to be a development of their own. The contrast of scale provided by these mews is a crucial aspect of the overall area’s character.

The two and three storey properties have a mixture of mansard and parapet roofs and painted or rendered brickwork facades. The garages are intact and parking is restricted on the cobbled road.

Everchanging Nature

The original purpose of the Mews was to provide stabling for the surrounding properties but nowadays they are mainly used for residential purposes though some commercial activity still remains. There have been a few planning applications made prior to and since 2003. Conservation Area controls now apply to any new development in the Mews.