Davies Street Area: Davies Mews

Davies Mews

The south side of Davies Mews was originally occupied principally by the individual coach-houses and stables of the houses on the north side of Brook Street, but on the north side, besides two 'cottages', there was a large complex of livery stables. This extended to the east of the Running Horse public house in Davies Street and was also served by another yard on its north side which was entered through passages out of both Davies Street and South Molton Lane (see fig. 4 in vol. XXXIX). The whole ground here, including the site of the Running Horse, had been granted in one sub-lease in 1738 to Christopher Coates, gentleman, and Joseph Hinchcliffe, coachman, (fn. 1) and in 1790 the stables were in the charge of a Christopher Coates, stable-keeper. (fn. 2) In 1839–40 Joshua Higgs rebuilt all of the property here, including the public house, and he replaced the livery stables with new coach-houses and stables and a workshop for his own use. (fn. 3) These were in turn demolished in 1902.

In 1846 the managers of the United Day Schools of Instruction and Industry for the parish of St. George's, Hanover Square, decided to establish a day school in the district parish of the Hanover Chapel and initially opened the school in temporary premises in Davies Mews. In about 1853 the school was transferred to premises in South Molton Street, from whence it was later moved to a new building at the corner of Gilbert and Weighhouse Streets (see page 79), but as late as 1869 a ragged and night school still existed in Davies Mews, to the annoyance of nearby residents. (fn. 4)

The south side of the mews is now taken up with the undistinguished back buildings of the houses in Brook Street, all dating from the later nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Nos. 1–7 Davies Mews and 28 and 30 South Molton Lane

Nos. 1–7 Davies Mews and 28 and 30 South Molton Lane (Plate 20e). The stabling on the north side of the mews to the east of the Running Horse was rebuilt in 1902–3 by G. H. and A. Bywater and Sons as one range to the designs of Reginald Blomfield, who was particularly recommended to the Grosvenor Board by the estate surveyor, Eustace Balfour, as an 'able man' who had 'done some excellent work'. The slightly asymmetrical placing of the centre of the front to Davies Mews came about because the premises were originally in two occupations, the western part belonging to Henry Rosoman, a job master and furniture remover, and the eastern part, including the corner with South Molton Lane, to John Bolding and Sons. (fn. 5) Balfour's faith in Blomfield was rewarded by a building, executed in sandy red brick and stone with glazed red-brick piers, which has more than a hint of the style usually associated with Balfour's own firm. In 1932 Boldings took over Rosoman's section and converted the whole range into a warehouse with garages for eight vans beneath. (fn. 6) Further alterations were made after damage sustained during the war of 1939–45, and at the time of writing (1978) extensive alterations are being made to adapt the building for use with the antique market which has been established in Boldings' former main premises at No. 58 Davies Street.