Manchester Street
Manchester Street runs north to south from Manchester Square to Wigmore Street, forming a direct spine through the western side of the Portman Estate. Postcoded W1U, it was developed around 1790 as an integral part of the same estate planning that produced the square at its northern end, and its terraced houses share the characteristic Georgian vocabulary of the district: stock brick, channelled stucco ground floors, semicircular arched doorways with Coade stone imposts and keystones, and concealed slate roofs.
The street's most historically significant building is Hertford House on adjacent Manchester Square, formerly known as Manchester House, which was built for the 4th Duke of Manchester. The street itself served as a prestigious address for professional and medical occupants during the nineteenth century, consistent with the broader Marylebone pattern of physicians and specialists drawn to the neighbourhood's proximity to Harley Street and the Welbeck Street corridor.
Several terraced properties on the street carry Grade II listing, recognising the consistency and quality of their Georgian detailing. The 2nd Marquess of Hertford held the Allied Sovereigns' Ball at nearby Hertford House in 1814 following Napoleon's defeat, and the association with the Hertford family lent the street added social cachet for much of the nineteenth century. Today Manchester Street is predominantly residential and professional, with a measured, unfussy character that reflects the Portman Estate's continuing stewardship of its stock.
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