Great Portland Street

Great Portland Street is a London Underground station near Regent’s Park.

Great Portland Street station was opened on 10 January 1863 as Portland Road, renamed Great Portland Street and Regents Park in 1923 and changed to its present name on 1 March 1917.

The station’s present structure, constructed in 1930, is situated on a traffic island at the intersection of Marylebone Road, Great Portland Street and Albany Street. This building features a steel-framed design with a cream terracotta exterior. The station’s perimeter also houses shops and, in the past, included a car showroom with office spaces above it. Notably, Great Portland Street was a significant sales location for the motor industry. The station’s architectural design, credited to C.W. Fowler, earned it a Grade II listing in January 1987.

The area around Great Portland Street station offers various points of interest. Regent’s Park and the iconic BT Tower are nearby attractions. Additionally, the station’s proximity to Regent’s Park station on the Bakerloo line is noteworthy.

Great Portland Street - the road - serves as the dividing line between Fitzrovia to the east and Marylebone to the west. Originally developed by the Dukes of Portland, who owned a substantial portion of the eastern half of Marylebone during the 18th and 19th centuries, the street has evolved into a mixed-use area. It features buildings ranging from five to eight stories, including offices and several blocks of mansion flats.

Licence: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence

Click here to explore another London street
We now have 656 completed street histories and 46844 partial histories
Find streets or residential blocks within the M25 by clicking STREETS

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LOCALITY

The Underground Map Whitehall, SW1A Added: 8 Dec 2020 00:24 GMT	Othello takes a bow On 1 November 1604, William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello was presented for the first time, at The Palace of Whitehall. The palace was the main residence of the English monarchs in London from 1530 until 1698. Seven years to the day, Shakespeare’s romantic comedy The Tempest was also presented for the first time, and also at the Palace of Whitehall. Reply
Emma Seif Hill Street, London Added: 25 Jan 2022 19:06 GMT	Birth of the Bluestocking Society In about 1750, Elizabeth Montagu began hosting literary breakfasts in her home at 23 (now 31) Hill Street. These are considered the first meetings of the Bluestocking society. Reply
Fumblina Whitfield Street, W1T Added: 21 Feb 2023 11:39 GMT	Error on 1800 map numbering for John Street The 1800 map of Whitfield Street (17 zoom) has an error in the numbering shown on the map. The houses are numbered up the right hand side of John Street and Upper John Street to #47 and then are numbered down the left hand side until #81 BUT then continue from 52-61 instead of 82-91. Reply
TUM The Underground Map Added: 27 Aug 2022 10:22 GMT	The Underground Map Michael Faraday successfully demonstrated the first electrical transformer at the Royal Institute, London. Reply
Reg Carr Elstree Street, N1C Added: 10 Feb 2021 12:11 GMT	Campbellite Meeting In 1848 the Campbellites (Disciples of Christ) met in Elstree Street, where their congregation was presided over by a pastor named John Black. Their appointed evangelist at the time was called David King, who later became the Editor of the British Millennial Harbinger. The meeting room was visited in July 1848 by Dr John Thomas, who spoke there twice on his two-year ’mission’ to Britain. Reply
Admin Baker Street Added: 26 Aug 2022 12:41 GMT	Baker Street Baker Street station opened on the Metropolitan Railway - the world’s first underground line. Reply
Ray Ashby Enford Street, W1H Added: 14 Aug 2023 17:22 GMT	Greengrocers in Enford street Greengrocer under new ownership by Mr Stanley Ashby, married to Mrs Lily Ashby Reply
Scott Hatton Savile Row, W1S Added: 30 Jan 2023 11:28 GMT	The Beatles on a London rooftop The Beatles’ rooftop concert took place on the rooftop of the Apple Corps building in London. It was their final public performance as a band and was unannounced, attracting a crowd of onlookers. The concert lasted for 42 minutes and included nine songs. The concert is remembered as a seminal moment in the history of rock music and remains one of the most famous rock performances of all time. Reply
Julian Collingwood House, W1W Added: 23 Mar 2021 10:11 GMT	Dennis Potter Author Dennis Potter lived in Collingwood House in the 1970’s Reply
Jessie Doring Tisbury Court, W1D Added: 22 Feb 2021 04:33 GMT	Tisbury Court Jazz Bar Jazz Bar opened in Tisbury Court by 2 Australians. Situated in underground basement. Can not remember how long it opened for. Reply
Justin Russ Binney Street, W1K Added: 15 Feb 2021 20:25 GMT	Binney Street, W1K Binney St was previously named Thomas Street before the 1950’s. Before the 1840’s (approx.) it was named Bird St both above and below Oxford St. Reply
Jude Allen Orange Street, WC2H Added: 29 Jul 2021 07:53 GMT	Bra top I jave a jewelled item of clothong worn by a revie girl. It is red with diamante straps. Inside it jas a label Bermans Revue 16 Orange Street but I cannot find any info online about the revue only that 16 Orange Street used to be a theatre. Does any one know about the revue. I would be intesrested to imagine the wearer of the article and her London life. Reply
BG Lancing Street, NW1 Added: 20 Dec 2022 02:58 GMT	Lancing Street, NW1 LANCING STREET Reply
Linda WEBB Craven Street, WC2N Added: 8 Jun 2023 23:16 GMT	Craven Street, WC2N James webb lived in Craven Street Westminster. He died in 1758 and his states he was of Craven Street. FROM England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858 for James Webb PROB 11: Will Registers 1773-1776 Piece 1004: Alexander, Quire Numbers 1-45 (1775) Reply
P Cash Woburn Place, WC1H Added: 19 Feb 2023 08:03 GMT	Occupants of 19-29 Woburn Place The Industrial Tribunals (later changed to Employment Tribunals) moved (from its former location on Ebury Bridge Road to 19-29 Woburn Place sometime in the late 1980s (I believe). 19-29 Woburn Place had nine floors in total (one in the basement and two in its mansard roof and most of the building was occupied by the Tribunals The ’Head Office’ of the tribunals, occupied space on the 7th, 6th and 2nd floors, whilst one of the largest of the regional offices (London North but later called London Central) occupied space in the basement, ground and first floor. The expansive ground floor entrance had white marble flooring and a security desk. Behind (on evey floor) lay a square (& uncluttered) lobby space, which was flanked on either side by lifts. On the rear side was an elegant staircase, with white marble steps, brass inlays and a shiny brass handrail which spiralled around an open well. Both staircase, stairwell and lifts ran the full height of the building. On all floors from 1st upwards, staff toilets were tucked on either side of the staircase (behind the lifts). Basement Floor - Tribunal hearing rooms, dormant files store and secure basement space for Head Office. Public toilets. Geound Floor - The ’post’ roon sat next to the entrance in the northern side, the rest of which was occupied by the private offices of the full time Tribunal judiciary. Thw largest office belonged to the Regional Chair and was situated on the far corner (overlooking Tavistock Square) The secretary to the Regional Chair occupied a small office next door. The south side of this floor was occupied by the large open plan General Office for the administration, a staff kitchen & rest room and the private offices of the Regional Secretary (office manager) and their deputy. First Dloor - Tribunal hearing rooms; separate public waiting rooms for Applicants & Respondents; two small rooms used by Counsel (on a ’whoever arrives first’ bases) and a small private rest room for use by tribunal lay members. Second Floor - Tribunal Hearing Rooms; Tribunal Head Office - HR & Estate Depts & other tennants. Third Floor - other tennants Fourth Floor - other tennants Fifth Floor - Other Tennants except for a large non-smoking room for staff, (which overlooked Tavistock Sqaure). It was seldom used, as a result of lacking any facities aside from a meagre collection of unwanted’ tatty seating. Next to it, (overlooking Tavistock Place) was a staff canteen. Sixth Floor - Other tennants mostly except for a few offices on the northern side occupied by tribunal Head Office - IT Dept. Seventh Floor - Other tenants in the northern side. The southern (front) side held the private offices of several senior managers (Secretariat, IT & Finance), private office of the Chief Accuntant; an office for two private secretaries and a stationary cupboard. On the rear side was a small kitchen; the private office of the Chief Executive and the private office of the President of the Tribunals for England & Wales. (From 1995 onwards, this became a conference room as the President was based elsewhere. The far end of this side contained an open plan office for Head Office staff - Secretariat, Finance & HR (staff training team) depts. Eighth Floor - other tennants. The Employment Tribunals (Regional & Head Offices) relocated to Vitory House, Kingsway in April 2005. Reply

LATEST LONDON-WIDE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PROJECT

Matthew Proctor Blackheath Grove, SE3 Added: 7 Dec 2023 17:36 GMT	Blackheath Grove, SE3 Road was originally known as The Avenue, then became "The Grove" in 1942. From 1864 there was Blackheath Wesleyan Methodist Chapel on this street until it was destroyed by a V2 in 1944 Reply
Peter Gambia Street, SE1 Added: 4 Dec 2023 07:05 GMT	Gambia Street, SE1 Gambia Street was previously known as William Street. Reply
Eileen Brecknock Road, N7 Added: 10 Nov 2023 09:42 GMT	Brecknock Road Pleating Company My great grandparents ran the Brecknock Road pleating Company around 1910 to 1920 and my Grandmother worked there as a pleater until she was 16. I should like to know more about this. I know they had a beautiful Victorian house in Islington as I have photos of it & of them in their garden. Source: Family history Reply
Squirrel’s Lane, IG9 Added: 6 Nov 2023 16:59 GMT	061123 Why do Thames Water not collect the 15 . Three meter lengths of blue plastic fencing, and old pipes etc. They left here for the last TWO Years, these cause an obstruction,as they halfway lying in the road,as no footpath down this road, and the cars going and exiting the park are getting damaged, also the public are in Grave Danger when trying to avoid your rubbish and the danger of your fences. Source: Squirrels Lane. Buckhurst Hill, Essex. IG9. I want some action ,now, not Excuses.MK. Reply
Christian Cornwall Road, W11 Added: 31 Oct 2023 10:34 GMT	Cornwall Road, W11 Photo shows William Richard Hoare’s chemist shop at 121 Cornwall Road. Reply
Vik Oaks Road, TW6 Added: 30 Oct 2023 18:48 GMT	Old pub sign from the Rising Sun Hi I have no connection to the area except that for the last 30+ years we’ve had an old pub sign hanging on our kitchen wall from the Rising Sun, Stanwell, which I believe was / is on the Oaks Rd. Happy to upload a photo if anyone can tell me how or where to do that! Reply
Phillip Martin Ashburnham Place, SE10 Added: 16 Oct 2023 06:25 GMT	16 Ashburnham Road On 15 October 1874 George Frederick Martin was born in 16 Ashburnham Road Greenwich to George Henry Martin, a painter, and Mary Martin, formerly Southern. Reply
Christine Bithrey Holly Park, N4 Added: 15 Oct 2023 15:20 GMT	The Hollies (1860 - 1900) I lived in Holly Park Estate from 1969 I was 8 years old when we moved in until I left to get married, my mother still lives there now 84. I am wondering if there was ever a cemetery within The Hollies? And if so where? Was it near to the Blythwood Road end or much nearer to the old Methodist Church which is still standing although rather old looking. We spent most of our childhood playing along the old dis-used railway that run directly along Blythwood Road and opposite Holly Park Estate - top end which is where we live/ed. We now walk my mothers dog there twice a day. An elderly gentleman once told me when I was a child that there used to be a cemetery but I am not sure if he was trying to scare us children! I only thought about this recently when walking past the old Methodist Church and seeing the flag stone in the side of the wall with the inscription of when it was built late 1880 If anyone has any answers please email me [email protected] Reply

NEARBY LOCATIONS OF NOTE

Adam and Eve Tearooms The Adam and Eve Tearooms were a fashionable Georgian watering hole.

Adam and Eve Tearooms

Great Portland Street Great Portland Street is a London Underground station near Regent’s Park.

Great Portland Street

Regent’s Place Regent’s Place is a mixed use business, retail and residential quarter on the north side of Euston Road.

Regent’s Place

Regent’s Park Regent’s Park - not the park itself but the tube station.

Regent’s Park

THE STREETS OF GREAT PORTLAND STREET

Devon House, W1W Devon House is a block on Great Portland Street.

Devon House, W1W

Devonshire Street, W1W Devonshire Street is a road in the W1B postcode area

Devonshire Street, W1W

Goodwood Court, W1W Goodwood Court is a block on Devonshire Street.

Goodwood Court, W1W

GPS House, W1W GPS House is a block on Great Portland Street.

GPS House, W1W

Great Portland Street, W1W Great Portland Street forms the boundary between Fitzrovia to the east and, to the west, Marylebone.

Great Portland Street, W1W

Hallam Street, W1W Hallam Street was formerly named both Charlotte Street and Duke Street but renamed in 1905 after Henry Hallam, a noted historian and local resident.

Hallam Street, W1W

Northumberland House, W1W Northumberland House is a block on Great Portland Street.

Northumberland House, W1W

Tennyson House, W1W Tennyson House is a block on Great Portland Street.

Tennyson House, W1W

Weymouth Court, W1W Weymouth Court is a block on Weymouth Street.

Weymouth Court, W1W

THE PUBS OF GREAT PORTLAND STREET

Pub location

Click here to explore another London street
We now have 653 completed street histories and 46847 partial histories

Regent’s Park

Regent’s Park - not the park itself but the tube station.

Regent’s Park tube station is a London Underground station near to Regent’s Park, located on Marylebone Road between the two arms of Park Crescent.

The station was opened on 10 March 1906 by the Baker Street & Waterloo Railway (BS&WR); In the original parliamentary authority for the construction of the BS&WR no station was allowed at Regent’s Park. Permission was granted to add it to the already partially constructed line in 1904.

Because of this same rule and unlike most of the BS&WR’s other stations, Regent’s Park has no surface buildings and is accessed from a subway.

The station is served by lifts - there is also a staircase which can be used and which has 96 steps.

Great Portland Street station is within easy walking distance for interchanges to the Circle and Metropolitan lines.

LOCAL PHOTOS

Click here to see map view of nearby Creative Commons images
Click here to see Creative Commons images near to this postcode

BT Tower The Post Office Tower - now known as the BT Tower - opened in the Fitzrovia area of central London in 1965. The tower’s main structure was 177 metres high. A further section of aerial rigging brought the total height to 191m. It was the tallest building in the UK until London’s NatWest Tower opened in 1980. Credit: Wiki Commons TUM image id: 1481989234 Licence:	The Prince of Wales Theatre in 1903 shortly before its demolition for the building of the Scala Theatre in 1904. Credit: Caroline Blomfield TUM image id: 1492875482 Licence:	Fairyland, 92 Tottenham Court Road (1905) Fairyland was an amusement arcade with a shooting range, owned and run by Henry Stanton Morley (1875-1916) during the period leading up to and during the First World War. It was closed after (unintentionally according to its owners), it was used to practice political assassinations. Notably, attempts on the life of Prime Minister Herbert Asquith (planned but not carried out) and Sir William Hutt Curzon Wyllie (carried out). TUM image id: 1490541720 Licence:	High level shot of Regents Place as seen from Great Portland Street. The photograph shows the Holy Trinity Church and Great Portland Street underground station in the foreground. Credit: Wiki Commons/PortlandVillage TUM image id: 1674220898 Licence: CC BY 2.0	The Carreras Cigarette factory, Mornington Crescent area This started life at the Acadia Works on City Road in the 19th century. It was a small business owned by Don Jose Carreras Ferrer who sold cigarettes, cigars and snuff out of small shops. A black cat began to curl up and sleep in the window of the shop near Leicester Square in Prince’s Street and the shop became known locally as "The Black Cat Shop". After the cigarette making machine was invented, the business required a large factory and moved to Hampstead Road between 1926 and 1928. It was designed by architect brothers, Marcus and Owen Collins with George Porri as their consultant. The black cat became the company’s logo. In 1959 the company merged with Rothmans and moved to Basildon, Essex. In the early 1960s the building became offices. The Egyptian décor was stripped away and the two cat statues removed. When the building got new owners in 1996, its former grandeur was restored. The building was later called “Greater London House” having become an office building. TUM image id: 1660650534 Licence: CC BY 2.0
Block of flats on the Regent’s Park Estate (2009) A large housing estate in the London Borough of Camden built after 1951, most of the estate is named after places in the Lake District such as Windermere, Cartmel and Rydal Water. Credit: Wiki Commons/Sheila Madhvani TUM image id: 1656943297 Licence: CC BY 2.0	Beaumont Street (2014) Credit: Philafrenzy/Wiki Commons TUM image id: 1596551507 Licence: CC BY 2.0	Taste of India restaurant, Drummond Street, NW1 (2022) Credit: The Underground Map TUM image id: 1658497652 Licence: CC BY 2.0	Cobden Statue, corner of Eversholt Street and Camden High Street (1905) Richard Cobden (1804 - 1865) was a Radical and Liberal politician, manufacturer, and a campaigner for free trade and peace. He was associated with the Anti-Corn Law League and the Cobden–Chevalier Treaty. In 1866, the Cobden Club was founded to promote "Peace, Free Trade and Goodwill Among Nations". Old London postcard TUM image id: 1627144387 Licence:	View South of Hallam Street, near Weymouth House (2008) Credit: Wiki Commons/Portlandvillage TUM image id: 1658789918 Licence: CC BY 2.0
Camden Town, from the Hampstead Road, Marylebone (1780) This shows the fields of Rhodes Farm. later to become the site of Euston station. Credit: Old and New London: Volume 5 (1878) TUM image id: 1529948529 Licence:	Jason Court W1 Credit: The Underground Map TUM image id: 1526076132 Licence: CC BY 2.0	Amy Street Art Trail - Lidlington Place, NW1 Credit: Mr Cenz TUM image id: 1672405075 Licence: CC BY 2.0	Mornington Crescent, northwest quadrant (1904). The view includes no.31 where Spencer Gore rented a room between 1909–12. Credit: Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre TUM image id: 1543348539 Licence: CC BY 2.0	Picton Place, W1 was formerly Gray Street as can be seen on a ’ghost sign’ on the corner Credit: Simon Gunzinger TUM image id: 1653863025 Licence:

In the neighbourhood...

Click an image below for a better view...

BT Tower The Post Office Tower - now known as the BT Tower - opened in the Fitzrovia area of central London in 1965. The tower’s main structure was 177 metres high. A further section of aerial rigging brought the total height to 191m. It was the tallest building in the UK until London’s NatWest Tower opened in 1980.
Credit: Wiki Commons
Licence:

High level shot of Regents Place as seen from Great Portland Street. The photograph shows the Holy Trinity Church and Great Portland Street underground station in the foreground.
Credit: Wiki Commons/PortlandVillage
Licence: CC BY 2.0

Block of flats on the Regent’s Park Estate (2009) A large housing estate in the London Borough of Camden built after 1951, most of the estate is named after places in the Lake District such as Windermere, Cartmel and Rydal Water.
Credit: Wiki Commons/Sheila Madhvani
Licence: CC BY 2.0

Beaumont Street (2014)
Credit: Philafrenzy/Wiki Commons
Licence: CC BY 2.0

Taste of India restaurant, Drummond Street, NW1 (2022)
Credit: The Underground Map
Licence: CC BY 2.0

View South of Hallam Street, near Weymouth House (2008)
Credit: Wiki Commons/Portlandvillage
Licence: CC BY 2.0

Camden Town, from the Hampstead Road, Marylebone (1780) This shows the fields of Rhodes Farm. later to become the site of Euston station.
Credit: Old and New London: Volume 5 (1878)
Licence:

A 2500 pound German bomb, buried opposite University College Hospital, is about to be removed by Army sappers as people in the area are evacuated to a safe distance (1948) Metropolitan "C’ Division covered the West End. Note the ’on duty’ striped armbands and the black helmet plates (now silver). The bomb fell in 1941 near to the corner of Stanhope Street and Euston Road.
Credit: Creative Commons image from New Times Paris Bureau Collection
Licence:

Warren Mews (2022) It is a cobbled cul-de-sac approached through an entrance under a building on Warren Street, in line with Fitzroy Mews.
Credit: @sarah.tuckman
Licence:

The March Of The Guards To Finchley - outside the Adam and Eve Tea Rooms.
Credit: William Hogarth
Licence: CC BY 2.0

MAP YEAR:	1750	1800	1810	1820	1830	1860	1900	1950	2023	Show map without markers
ZOOM:	14 15 16 17	14 15 16 17	14 15 16 17	14 15 16 17	14 15 16 17	14 15 16 17	14 15 16 17 18	14 15 16 17	14 15 16 17 18
	TIP: To create your own sharable map, right click on the map