Bridgewater House

Bridgewater House is a mansion in Westminster built from pale Bath limestone, rising three stories with smooth columns and an entrance supported by Tuscan pillars. The slate roof covers a symmetrical structure that now contains offices yet retains the original proportions and materials throughout.

Architect Charles Barry designed the building for Lord Ellesmere and completed it in 1854 on a site where an older property called Berkshire House had stood since the 1620s. The Ellesmere family filled the rooms with paintings from the French royal Orleans Collection, which had been assembled during the 18th century.

The mansion contains significant art collections, including paintings from the Orleans Collection, and serves as a representation of neoclassical architecture in London.

The house sits at 14 Cleveland Row in Westminster, a few steps from Green Park. Since the conversion to office use, the interior is not open to visitors, but the exterior facade continues to show the neoclassical design from the mid-19th century.

The facade appeared in the television series Downton Abbey as Grantham House and in Brideshead Revisited as Marchmain House. These appearances connected the historical architecture with popular productions depicting British aristocratic families during the 20th century.

Location: City of Westminster

Inception: 1854

Architects: Charles Barry

Official opening: 1854

Architectural style: neoclassicism

GPS coordinates: 51.50470,-0.14000

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:25