Mirrors. This enormously long room is a tasteful riot of gilt that must have looked magnificent when the Duke gave one of his Waterloo Banquets every 18 June. On this occasion, priceless porcelain dinner services – which you can see in the museum – would be used, gifts from grateful monarchs and Tzars. There are some amazing silver gilt pieces including the huge Waterloo Shield. You can’t visit Hyde Park Corner without
popping into Wellington Arch – built in honour of the famous soldier – opposite Apsley House. Once a miniscule police station, it is now a museum showing the history of the arch before and after the famous quadriga was erected on top, as well as how it was moved to its present site in 1883 because of Victorian traffic jams. Built by Decimus Burton, it was first crowned by a monster statue of the Duke. But when the arch was moved, the present bronze was sculpted by Adrian Jones. “Beatrice Stewart, the model for the Angel, was a one-legged madam from nearby Mayfair,” revealed my excellent guide Philip Godfrey-Knight. Don’t miss the photo of PC Snooks, a ginger tomcat who strayed in to the police station during the Blitz and stayed 17 years, or the magnificent view from the roof (there is a lift) of Buckingham Palace’s gardens, where
Georgian houses (top left) and colourful mews – such as Ennismore Garden Mews (left) – are regular features of Knightsbridge. Top: Tomtom Coffee House brews great coffee with its own beans. Above: Fine dining is the order of the day at Motcomb Street's The Pantechnicon
footmen walk the corgis. “We still have problems with water from those old Belgravia marshes pooling near the Royal Artillery Memorial you can see below,” I was told. Strolling down Knightsbridge from the
Arch, I wandered past The Lanesborough hotel, once St George’s Hospital, and then, in Wilton Place, The Berkeley hotel – a favourite with American film celebs – into Kinnerton Street. Patricia Roberts’ shop of hand-knitted goods stands on the corner of this pretty mews. Just the place to find beautiful gifts, especially for children, I admired her “heirloom” cot blankets and
gorgeously-coloured natural yarns. Not far away is the tiny Nag’s Head. “This must be the coolest pub in London,” enthused an American peering in by my side. More “cool” places, especially for food
and fashion stand in nearby Motcombe Street. There was a queue at Ottolenghi for giant meringues, cakes dripping with chocolate and other goodies. Here, too, is Rococo Chocolates and The Pantechnicon restaurant in an elegant Regency house. Everything from Louboutin shoes and bags to Italian menswear and posh art is available in this small but packed street, nestling below Lowndes Square and a step away from the Sheraton Park Tower hotel and Harvey Nichols. After a long walk sightseeing, there’s
nothing quite so refreshing as a glass of champagne, I’m told. Pop up in the lift then to Harvey Nichols’ Fifth Floor restaurant
BRITAIN 53
PHOTOS: ALAMY, KIRSTY MCLAREN, BJANKA KADIC
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