Stratford House, The Oriental Club

TQ 2881 SE CITY OF WESTMINSTER STRATFORD PLACE W1 56/85 55/2 No 11 (Stratford House; 10.9.54 the Oriental Club) GV I Town mansion. 1771-73 by Richard Edwin for the Honourable Edward Stratford, later the second Earl of Aldborough. Portland stone ashlar, slate roof. A design very close in style to that of the Adam Brothers at this date. Three storeys, originally of 5 bays with 3 bay pedimented centre break and 2 bay single storey wings, the latter heightened to 3 storeys in 1890 and 1908. Rusticated ground floor with vermiculated rustication and voussoirs to semicircular arched windows and doorway linked by impost string. First floor has tall windows in shallow architraves with paterae friezes and shallow pediments segmental flanking centre. Square architraved second floor windows. Plinth, first floor plat band and moulded second floor string course. Moulded cornice, the original centre block with frieze and balustraded parapet with urns. The centre-piece of 3 bays has a giant engaged Ionic portico above ground floor supporting bucrania and festoon frieze surmounted by pediment with sculpted tympanum. All windows retain glazing bar sashes. Very fine interior; the hall stone and black marble paved, arcaded walls with Wedgwood plaques in frieze, Louis XVI style staircase inserted by Lord Derby after 1908; the bar (original dining room) with ceiling and frieze in Adam manner; the drawing room (Lord Aldborough's ballroom) with plaster ceiling of similar type but with painted panels by Biagio Rebecca; the small drawing room with barrel vaulted ceiling, the roundels also painted by Biagio Rebecca; the Library of 1902 in Adam style and the ladies drawing room with reset French Louis XV boiseries for Lord Derby; late C18 large room with apsidal end screened by Corinthian columns to rear first floor;exceptional quality original mahogany doors and door furniture and very fine statuary marble chimney pieces original to Lord Aldborough's occupation of the house etc. East wing with ballroom added 1909 by G H Jenkins and Sir Charles Allom. The Antique Collector; Geoffrey Evans; December 1971.

Listing NGR: TQ2850181234