Appendix: The Charing Cross Street improvements

APPENDIX: THE CHARING CROSS STREET IMPROVEMENTS

The old throughfare from Charing Cross to Westminster was in parts very narrow. At its northern end it was not much more than 30 feet across, but it widened out considerably opposite the site of the Banqueting House, where it surrounded an open grass space on which stood a Cross (the White Cross). From this point it probably narrowed gradually to the northern end of King Street, but on the building of Whitehall Palace a great portion of it was taken by Henry VIII, (fn. n1) and the road was reduced to a width of 40 feet between the two gates erected by that monarch. King Street itself was not more than about 30 feet wide. The inconveniences resulting from this narrowness in the only thoroughfare between the City and Westminster, where the Law Courts and the Houses of Parliament were situated, were many and great. The first step taken to remedy this state of affairs was in 1723, when the King Street Gate and the gun platform between the Banqueting House and the Holbein Gate were removed, and the wall of the Privy Garden was set back about 80 feet. In 1735 the Act for building Westminster Bridge was passed. This Act provided for the formation of suitable approaches, and as a result Bridge Street and Parliament Street (a 60-feet thoroughfare running parallel to King Street) came into existence. (fn. n2) In 1759 the Holbein Gate was removed (but not by the Westminster Bridge Commissioners). Before this date, however, attention was being given to the improvement of the northern portion of the thoroughfare. On 19th November, 1754, the Office of Works submitted to the Treasury a plan of a scheme for widening the street on the east side. (fn. n3) On the following day the Surveyor-General put forward a scheme for widening on the west side. (fn. n4) In his report he stated that, as the result of a survey, he had found that the street near the end of Craig's Court was only 33 feet 3 inches "between the fronts of the houses, out of which deducting about Ft/10 I/6 for the footways and posts leaves only F/22 In/9, which is only room for two Coaches or Carriages to go abreast or pass one another, and is much too narrow in this part where the Conflux of these two great Citys meet in their Passage to both Houses of Parliament and Westminster hall." The scheme proposed the acquisition of all the houses occupying the frontage from immediately north of the Admiralty to the corner of the passage into Spring Gardens, and the widening of the street "to about Sixty foot."

In a further report dated 13th October, 1755, (fn. n5) he discussed the cost of the two schemes. That on the west side he estimated at £7,778, made up as follows:

Naturally the former scheme was favoured, and in the following year an Act of Parliament was obtained (29 George II, c. 38) authorising the Westminster Bridge Commissioners to widen the streets, avenues and passages leading from Charing Cross to Westminster, and granting a sum of £10,000 towards the acquisition of property. The commissioners at once set to work, and their surveyor (John Simpson) in August, 1756, submitted (fn. n8) a detailed estimate, amounting to £25,344, of the cost of acquiring the whole of the premises between the main street and Spring Gardens south of the passage between the two (the site of which is now occupied by the Mall Approach) and north of the Admiralty, and including a slice of the Admiralty courtyard, and a shop in front of Lord Dupplin's house south of the Admiralty. The amount seems to have staggered the commissioners, and in June, 1757, the surveyor submitted (fn. n9) a revised estimate, amounting to £13,783, of the cost of purchasing only the houses necessary to allow of a minimum width to the street of 70 feet. The estimate was approved by the commissioners, who resolved: (fn. n10) "That the narrow Part of the Street leading from Charing Cross towards Whitehall shall be Opened and Widened to the Breadth of Seventy Feet at the least, from the South East Corner of Dixon's Court on the West Side of the said Street Southwards to the North East Corner of the Brick Wall belonging to Lord Duplin, which Abutts on the said Street and Adjoins to the Wall belonging to the Admiralty Office Yard," (fn. n11) and instructed their surveyor to negotiate for the purchase of all interests in the property. Although in some cases final legal formalities had to be deferred for years, owing to the difficulty of coming to terms, the improvement seems to have been completed by the end of 1758. (fn. n12)

Two other smaller improvements were carried out at about the same time. By the Act 30 George II, cap. 34, the commissioners were empowered to widen the narrow passage leading from Cockspur Street to Spring Gardens, and a sum of £2, 500 was granted to them towards the acquisition of the necessary property. As a result the passage, which had in one place been not more than 8 feet wide (see plan in Plate 80), was enlarged to its present width of about 38 feet by the demolition of property on its eastern side. The improvement was completed by the end of 1759 or the beginning of 1760. (fn. n13)

The other improvement concerned the then narrow passage, formed about 1729 (see p. 113), known as the New Passage (about 12 feet wide), leading from Charing Cross to Spring Gardens on the site of the present Mall Approach. By the Act 31 Geo. II, c. 36, the commissioners were empowered to widen this passage if they should find, after they had completed the main improvement, that "any monies granted by parliament, for the purposes of the said act, and the incidental expenses thereof, shall remain in their hands." On 22nd May, 1759, the commissioners had the provisions of the Act read before them, and having ascertained that "a Considerable sum of Money" would remain over, resolved to purchase the remainder of the property lying south of the passage. (fn. n14) Subsequently (18th March, 1761) they decided to acquire also the property on the north side. (fn. n15) The exact date when the improvement was completed has not been ascertained, but the new house on the north side had been built by March, 1765. (fn. n16) The width of the enlarged thoroughfare was 30 feet.