Wentworth House
WENTWORTH HOUSE, 5, ST JAMES'S SQUARE SW1
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1264938
- Date first listed:
- 24-Feb-1958
- List Entry Name:
- Wentworth House
- Statutory Address:
- WENTWORTH HOUSE, 5, ST JAMES'S SQUARE SW1
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2001-09-05
- Reference:
- IOE01/05182/02
- Rights:
- © Mr John Fenton. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1264938
- Date first listed:
- 24-Feb-1958
- List Entry Name:
- Wentworth House
- Statutory Address 1:
- WENTWORTH HOUSE, 5, ST JAMES'S SQUARE SW1
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:
- WENTWORTH HOUSE, 5, ST JAMES'S SQUARE SW1
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 29521 80446
Details
TQ 2980 SE CITY OF WESTMINSTER ST. JAMES'S SQUARE, 82/13 SWI 24.2.58 No. 5 (Wentworth House) G.V. II* Terraced town mansion. 1748-49 by Mathew Brettingham the elder, refaced in 1854 by Messrs. Cubitt with extra storey. Portland stone with rusticated ground floor, slate roof. Astylar facade, Italianate details very probably reusing some of Brettingham's stone dressings. 4 storeys and basement. 5 windows wide. Central Roman Doric porch, subsequently enclosed, with paired columns and full entablature with balustraded parapet. Square headed recessed plate glass sashes to ground floor. 1st floor has sashes in probably original architraves with carved consoles to pediments over. Architraved windows to upper floors, those on 2nd floor with pulvinated friezes and cornices. Pseudo-pedestal to 1st floor with again probably original blind balustrading below windows; moulded 2nd floor sill band with sills proper on fluted brackets and sill band to 3rd floor; bold crowning modillion cornice and balustraded parapet. Cast iron area railings with spear heads and urn finials probably mid C.18. Rear elevation of yellow stocks unaltered, 7 windows wide with 3-window centre break having a central architraved and pedimented doorway and the outer bays on 1st floor taken up by Doric pilastered plain Venetian windows; parapet with coping. Brettingham's interior is largely intact and the double pile plan of 3 compartments north and south extends along side of No. 4; central hall with archway to east staircase compartment, flanked by the service stair, the main staircase of stone with Doric column balusters with swept handrail rises to 1st floor only and is top lit, the upper part of walls with plasterwork panelling in the Palladian idiom overlaid with Rococo ornament, medallion, swag and festoon mouldings at 2nd floor level, rich main cornice and cove to ceiling with rectangular light in unusual guilloche moulded frame; restrained Palladian decoration to ground floor rooms with a number of original marble chimneypieces, the 1st floor suite of state rooms in a richer but similar vein except for the addition of elaborate mid C.19 French Rococo plasterwork to the ceilings and upper part of the walls in the front rooms, etc. Survey of London; Vol. XXIX.
Listing NGR: TQ2952180446
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 426600
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Survey of London in The Parish of St James Westminster Part 1 South of Piccadilly: Volumes 29 and 30, Vol. 29, (1960)
Other
Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, Part 17 Greater London
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 09-Jun-2026 at 01:58:24.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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