Stratford Place

It had previously been the location of the Lord Mayor of London's Banqueting House, built in 1565.

[1] There have been several people of note who stayed there including the sons of the Tzar of Russia, and Clementine Hozier was born there, and the house until 1832 was owned by the Wingfield Stratford branch of the family who inherited it through Edward's will.

[3] The house was little altered until 1894, when its then owner, Mr Murray Guthrie, added a second storey to the east and west wings and a colonnade in front.

In 1908, Lord Derby bought a lease and began more alterations, removing the colonnade and adding a third storey to both wings.

He took out the original bifurcated staircase (replacing it with a less elegant single one), demolished the stables and built a Banqueting Hall with a grand ballroom above.