Place Name
A description of its shape. According to Camden History Society this was part of a small estate owned by the City of London Corporation between the 17th and 19th centuries, when it was developed by architect George Dance as part of an ambitious building project. Though despite its illustrious beginnings, it was obviously not as prestigious as its developers had hoped as evidenced by actor and theatre manager William Charles Macready’s description in his diary, on June 15, 1837: “Called on Mrs Reynolds, and went with her to look at a house, North Crescent, Alfred Place, which was very cheap but also very nasty”. On December 20, 1900, The Times reported on the Corporation’s plans to change the layout of the estate when most of its leases expired in 1902. Plans involved abolishing the two crescents North and South Crescent, which were described as “quite out of date,” extending Alfred Place, and widening Alfred Mews. While the plans were approved, for some reason, they were never carried out.