Montagu Square

Montagu Square is a quiet garden square in Marylebone, London. It lies 550 metres north of Marble Arch, stretching 250 metres by 46 metres. Most of its long sides are Grade II listed terraced houses built between 1810 and 1815. Montagu Place borders the north end and George Street the south, with Upper Montagu Street nearby. The square remains part of the Portman Estate, though it was first leased to builder David Porter. The square is worth visiting for its well-preserved early 19th-century architecture. Joseph T. Parkinson designed the uniform brown-brick houses with red-stone dressings and tall ground-floor windows. Fifty-eight of the original fifty-eight houses survive largely unchanged and protected. Critics like John Summerson found them plain compared to nearby Bryanston Square, yet the details remain elegant. The square has also hosted notable residents over the centuries. Visitors find a peaceful residential square with a central garden area. The terraced houses line three sides, their semicircular doorways and fanlights adding character. Famous former residents include Anthony Trollope at No. 39, Ted Hughes at No. 13, and Ringo Starr at No. 34. The garden itself is small but well-kept, offering a quiet retreat in the city. The square’s orderly layout and historic charm make it a subtle but rewarding place to walk.