London’s garden squares are one of its many attractions. They can be refuges from the hustle and bustle of city life, places to sit under the trees and contemplate that life. Berkeley Square, in London’s wealthy Mayfair district, is one of them, but be warned: this is not your ordinary green oasis.
This is a place where the past and the present collide, and where the secrets and the stories of the square’s inhabitants haunt its corners.
Here are some of the ghosts that you might encounter on your visit to Berkeley Square
A Nightingale’s Song
As you enter the square, you might hear a faint melody in the air. It is the song of a nightingale, a bird that inspired two songwriters to immortalise it over 80 years ago.
Their song, “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square”, was first sung by Judy Campbell at the Comedy Theatre, now the Harold Pinter Theatre, in April 1940. It proved so popular that by the end of that year 11 versions had been recorded by artists including Vera Lynn and Glenn Miller.
The Ghosts of Lost Fortunes
In Berkeley Square there are also ghosts of the fortunes lost by high society gamblers at the Clermont Club, a private gambling club founded in 1962 by John Aspinall.
Its wealthy and aristocratic members were known as ‘The Clermont Set’ and included actor Peter Sellers, author Ian Fleming as well as five dukes, five marquesses, and almost twenty earls! One of these earls was Lord Lucan, the 7th Earl of Lucan, who disappeared in 1974 following the murder of his children’s nanny and the attempted murder of his wife.
The Clermont Club now occupies number 44 which stands on the west side of the square and is one of the few original houses that remain. This house was built in the 1740s for Lady Isabella Finch, daughter of the 7th Earl of Winchilsea. It has been called the finest terrace house of London and contains a magnificent staircase designed by William Kent. It is not open to the public, unfortunately.
The Ghosts of Swinging London
Number 44 also hosts happier ghosts – memories of the Swinging 60’s, the decade when London was the youth capital of the world. Here at Annabel’s night club the titled gamblers would have mixed with rock stars, actors, models, playwrights and film directors, the new aristocracy of a meritocratic age.
Annabel’s club now occupies number 46 and was recently declared London’s most stylish nightclub by Hello! Magazine. The interiors are sumptuous with the ladies’ Powder Room being described as Elizabeth Taylor meets Marie Antoinette.
The courtyard garden can be covered by a retractable glass roof so that revels can continue whatever the weather. Some hint about the glories within can be gathered from the decorated frontage. Here are two recent examples:
London’s Most Haunted House
But what better place to look for “real” ghosts than in what has been called ‘’London’s most haunted house’’: number 50 Berkeley Square.
The ghosts were variously said to be:
- a young woman who threw herself from an upper window to escape the attentions of her uncle,
- a young man who was locked into an attic room, and
- a little girl murdered by a servant.
It was said to be dangerous even to stay in the house, as spending the night would send you mad if you hadn’t already died from fright.
The good news is that you’ll soon be able to investigate for yourself in safety as the house is being converted into a private members club with a health/wellness facility. But it’s likely that the only spirits that you’ll encounter will be sold over the adjoining bar.
The Garden
As a relief from the ghosts you can turn to the garden. It was laid out in the 1770s after an Act of Parliament was passed to appoint trustees to look after it.
Did you know?
Berkeley Square is famous for its trees. Those tall and graceful London Plane trees (Platanus × acerifolia) have a distinctive bark that flakes off, shedding pollutants and allowing them to thrive in urban environments.
The London plane trees in Berkeley Square were planted in the 1780s and may be the oldest trees in central London
The Pump House
At the centre of the square is a former pump house which dates from around 1800 and replaces a statue of King George III on horseback that stood in the square until 1827.
Unfortunately the weight of the King was too much for the horses’ legs and it collapsed. The purpose of the pump house is not certain but it may relate to the River Tyburn which used to run nearby and was an important source of drinking water.
Famous Residents
Fictional residents include Harry Flashman, anti hero of GeorgeMacdonald Fraser’s Flashman novels, Bertie Wooster and his invaluable valet Jeeves, and the numerous ghosts of number 50 which is supposedly London’s most haunted house.
Former residents of the area include several Prime Ministers, including Sir Winston Churchill who lived at number 48 as a child. Admiral Byng of the Royal Navy, who was later executed for cowardice, lived here, as did Charles Rolls, the co-founder of Rolls Royce.
Rolls Royce moved from Berkeley Square to Berkeley Street, opening a new spectacular showroom in the heart of Mayfair:
And what better way to finish this blog about the ghosts of Berkeley square than a Rolls Royce phantom?
Tony H.
