Belgravia’s Literary Connections

Several well-known writers have lived in this “posh” district of London, including W S Gilbert and Noel Coward

Belgravia is a district of West London that is generally regarded as “well to do”, lying between Westminster and Kensington. It is composed mainly of elegant garden squares and connecting streets that were largely developed by the Grosvenor family (Dukes of Westminster) in the 19th century. This is “Upstairs Downstairs” land, where a typical town house would have its kitchen in the basement, servants’ quarters on the top floor and at least three floors of spacious rooms in between.

Its literary connections have tended to be people who were either born into comfortable circumstances or who made enough money from their literary successes to be able to become “Belgravians”.

Among the former was the poet Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837–1909) who was born at an address in Chester Street in 1837. Although he grew up on the Isle of Wight he returned to Belgravia (Grosvenor Place) in 1860 and also lived for a time in Wilton Crescent, although he spent more of his life in other parts of London.

The essayist and journalist Walter Bagehot (1826–77) began and ended his life in Somerset, but spent a number of years in Upper Belgrave St while…