Wilton Crescent

Wilton Crescent is a curved street in Belgravia, central London. It forms a semi-circle of grand Georgian houses built in the early 19th century. The crescent looks out onto private communal gardens at its centre. The houses are Grade II listed and stand in Portland stone or stucco. Wilton Crescent joins Belgrave Square at both ends through Wilton Terrace and a short eastern arm. Grosvenor Crescent lies to the east and Lowndes Square to the west. The crescent has long housed politicians, diplomats and writers. Louis Mountbatten lived at number 2 for many years, marked by a blue plaque. Other residents included Lord Randolph Churchill, John Russell the first Earl Russell, and Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg during the Second World War. The Singapore High Commission occupies number 9 and the Luxembourg Embassy number 27. The communal gardens won a bronze medal from the London Gardens Society in 2007. The architecture shows paired Ionic pilasters rising two floors and supporting a modillion cornice. The first floor has Doric pilasters between windows topped by a cornice. Each end of the terrace is crowned with ball finials on a decorative balustrade. George Bernard Shaw set part of his 1905 play Major Barbara in a Wilton Crescent house. The crescent remains a quiet, well-kept corner of Belgravia.