OXFORD STREET, owing to much discussed changing working patterns and consumer purchasing habits, is a poignant area to pass along now for those who remember how things used to be even as recently as 15 years ago. At least none of us was around to witness the sorry decline of the Pantheon, the street's finest architectural gem, which was finally demolished in 1937.
When this now long-forgotten venue opened 250 years ago this year, it was hailed as 'the most astonishing and perfect piece of architecture that can possibly be conceived' by the poet William Mason. It catapulted its 26-year-old architect James Wyatt to fame, securing him a string of prestigious commissions and a reputation to rival that of the most talked-about architect of the day, Robert Adam. Yet the Pantheon's time as one of London's premier places of entertainment was short lived. Although the frontage of the building would be a fixture on Oxford Street for more than 160 years, the venue's period of glory was largely confined to the last decades of the 18th century.
Denne historien er fra August 31, 2022-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra August 31, 2022-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
