The Piazza, Bedford Chambers
33, James Street WC2
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
TQ 3080 NW
72/10
CITY OF WESTMINSTER
COVENT GARDEN, WC2
Nos 1 to 8 The Piazza, Bedford Chambers (including No 33 James Street)
24.2.58
GV.
II
Terraced houses with arcade. 1877-79 by Henry Clutton; rebuilding on a larger scale and with modified detail of Inigo Jones's original north west "piazza" block. Red brick with stone dressings, slate roof.
The arcading faithful to the Jones-Isaac de Caus original but the upper floor and pilasters modified with attic storey added. Four storeys plus dormers. Regular eight window wide front with James Street return in rythm 1:3:1. Ground floor proper set back behind rusticated stone arcade (the "piazzas") carrying the facade, the arcade vaulted and shop fronts surmounted by mezzanines within the arches, doorways architraved with console bracketed cornices. First and second floors have stone architraved sashes separated by rhythm of the channelled stone pilasters; attic storey windows in stone panelled strip frames. String course with plinth at first floor level over arcade; projecting bracketed main cornice over second floor and frieze and cornice to attic. Oeil-de-boeuf dormers.
James Street return generally similar but with centre piece of three Gibbs surround doorways surmounted by mezzanine windows below first floor balcony; outer bays with big arched entrances, that on left the return end of arcade to Covent Garden. This Clutton block is the sole if remodelled reminder of the original "piazzas" of Jones's 1631 square.
There are nine gas lamps hung in the arches of the south arcade. These are cradle-mounted Rochester lanterns with external Horstmann control clocks supported by iron brackets. A 1921 photograph shows a single Grosvenor lantern hung in an archway; the Rochester lanterns were probably installed in the 1930s along with many of the nearby column-mounted examples.
Listing NGR: TQ3030580929
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1066948
- Date first listed:
- 24-Feb-1958
- List Entry Name:
- The Piazza, Bedford Chambers
- Statutory Address:
- 33, James Street WC2
Location
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- Reference:
- IOE01/05559/28
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- © Mr Stephen Hodgson. Source: Historic England Archive
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Official list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1066948
- Date first listed:
- 24-Feb-1958
- List Entry Name:
- The Piazza, Bedford Chambers
- Statutory Address 1:
- 33, James Street WC2
- Statutory Address 2:
- The Piazza, Bedford Chambers, 1-8, Covent Garden WC2
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- 33, James Street WC2
- Statutory Address:
- The Piazza, Bedford Chambers, 1-8, Covent Garden WC2
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Greater London Authority
- District:
- City of Westminster (London Borough)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ 30305 80929
Summary
This list entry was subject to a Minor Enhancement on 19 March 2025 to amend the description and reformat the text to current standards.
TQ 3080 NW
72/10
CITY OF WESTMINSTER
COVENT GARDEN, WC2
Nos 1 to 8 The Piazza, Bedford Chambers (including No 33 James Street)
24.2.58
GV.
II
Terraced houses with arcade. 1877-79 by Henry Clutton; rebuilding on a larger scale and with modified detail of Inigo Jones's original north west "piazza" block. Red brick with stone dressings, slate roof.
The arcading faithful to the Jones-Isaac de Caus original but the upper floor and pilasters modified with attic storey added. Four storeys plus dormers. Regular eight window wide front with James Street return in rythm 1:3:1. Ground floor proper set back behind rusticated stone arcade (the "piazzas") carrying the facade, the arcade vaulted and shop fronts surmounted by mezzanines within the arches, doorways architraved with console bracketed cornices. First and second floors have stone architraved sashes separated by rhythm of the channelled stone pilasters; attic storey windows in stone panelled strip frames. String course with plinth at first floor level over arcade; projecting bracketed main cornice over second floor and frieze and cornice to attic. Oeil-de-boeuf dormers.
James Street return generally similar but with centre piece of three Gibbs surround doorways surmounted by mezzanine windows below first floor balcony; outer bays with big arched entrances, that on left the return end of arcade to Covent Garden. This Clutton block is the sole if remodelled reminder of the original "piazzas" of Jones's 1631 square.
There are nine gas lamps hung in the arches of the south arcade. These are cradle-mounted Rochester lanterns with external Horstmann control clocks supported by iron brackets. A 1921 photograph shows a single Grosvenor lantern hung in an archway; the Rochester lanterns were probably installed in the 1930s along with many of the nearby column-mounted examples.
Listing NGR: TQ3030580929
Details
This list entry was subject to a Minor Enhancement on 19 March 2025 to amend the description and reformat the text to current standards.
TQ 3080 NW
72/10
CITY OF WESTMINSTER
COVENT GARDEN, WC2
Nos 1 to 8 The Piazza, Bedford Chambers (including No 33 James Street)
24.2.58
GV.
II
Terraced houses with arcade. 1877-79 by Henry Clutton; rebuilding on a larger scale and with modified detail of Inigo Jones's original north west "piazza" block. Red brick with stone dressings, slate roof.
The arcading faithful to the Jones-Isaac de Caus original but the upper floor and pilasters modified with attic storey added. Four storeys plus dormers. Regular eight window wide front with James Street return in rythm 1:3:1. Ground floor proper set back behind rusticated stone arcade (the "piazzas") carrying the facade, the arcade vaulted and shop fronts surmounted by mezzanines within the arches, doorways architraved with console bracketed cornices. First and second floors have stone architraved sashes separated by rhythm of the channelled stone pilasters; attic storey windows in stone panelled strip frames. String course with plinth at first floor level over arcade; projecting bracketed main cornice over second floor and frieze and cornice to attic. Oeil-de-boeuf dormers.
James Street return generally similar but with centre piece of three Gibbs surround doorways surmounted by mezzanine windows below first floor balcony; outer bays with big arched entrances, that on left the return end of arcade to Covent Garden. This Clutton block is the sole if remodelled reminder of the original "piazzas" of Jones's 1631 square.
There are nine gas lamps hung in the arches of the south arcade. These are cradle-mounted Rochester lanterns with external Horstmann control clocks supported by iron brackets. A 1921 photograph shows a single Grosvenor lantern hung in an archway; the Rochester lanterns were probably installed in the 1930s along with many of the nearby column-mounted examples.
Listing NGR: TQ3030580929
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 209333
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Thorne, R, Covent Garden Market, ()
Survey of London in The Parish of St Paul Covent Garden: Volume 36, Vol. 36, (1970)
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 27-Jun-2026 at 01:32:44.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.