Mayfair history

Mayfair takes its name from the fair which was held there every year for two weeks in May. The fair was stopped by the authorities in the mid-18th century because of its rowdiness and debauchery. Houses first started to be constructed there shortly after Charles II was restored to the throne, and the process continued throughout the 17th and early 18th century. Most of the area belonged to the Grosvenor family, and the Grosvenor estate still continues to be a major landowner. The Burlington, Berkeley and Curzon families also had land holdings in Mayfair which were developed at the same time. From the start tt was a fashionable area because it was close to St James’s Palace, which was the royal palace until Queen Victoria moved into Buckingham Palace in the 1830s. Because most of the houses were for grand noble families, and included a few palaces such as Burlington house and Devonshire house, mews and artisan cottages had to be constructive alongside them to provide the services for the noble occupiers of the grand houses. These mews still exist and are themselves highly valuable houses now. Shopkeepers were also attracted to the area because of the rich inhabitants, leading to the construction of Bond Street.