A Look Inside The British Academy: A Historic Hidden Gem

Walking through St James’s Park you will no doubt, to the North, spot the gleaming, cream facades of Carlton House Terrace. 

The buildings on Carlton House Terrace are not only some of the best examples of late Georgian architecture in London, but also house a number of interesting institutions, art galleries and offices. I recently had a look inside 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, home today to The British Academy, the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences. 

What Is The British Academy?  

The British Academy was established in 1902. It is a self-governing, largely government funded, charity that supports the humanities and social sciences by awarding grants and scholarships to researchers, and by promoting UK research and learning around the world. The Academy also creates engaging and exciting events for the public, many of which are free to attend at its historic building.

Many great scholars and thinkers have been involved with the Academy over the centuries including CS Lewis, Maynard Keynes, Winston Churchill and more. Today they have over 1000 fellows including Dame Mary Beard, David Olusoga and Sir John Curtice. 

They put on a number of events and talks here, including their Summer Showcase, a free ‘festival of ideas for curious minds’. 

They have been based at a few different locations, but since 1998 they have called 10-11 Carlton House Terrace home.

A Prince’s Palace

Carlton House Terrace was laid out on the site of what had once been Carlton House: the opulent London residence of King George IV when he was Prince Regent.

The area had once been part of the grounds of St James’s Palace. From 1709 Henry Boyle, 1st Baron Carleton had an existing house on the site rebuilt. It passed through a number of aristocratic hands before, in 1783, being granted to George, the Prince of Wales (future George IV). 

He engaged the architect Henry Holland to expand and almost entirely rebuild it into a huge, lavish palace.

He lived here during his Regency, whilst ruling in place of his father George III who was incapacitated due to mental illness. When George III died in 1820 and the Prince became King, the first proclamation was made from the steps of Carlton House. Its position is also the reason why Regent Street was laid out where it was, to link Regent’s Park to Carlton House.  

After becoming king, he decided that Carlton House was insufficient for his needs, so instead turned his attention to rebuilding the nearby Buckingham House, to become, of course, Buckingham Palace. 

Despite George having spent a fortune on it and it only having been finished in the 1790s, Carlton House ended up being demolished in 1826. Some small parts were salvaged, for example, the bases and capitals of the columns were reused on the portico of the new National Gallery on Trafalgar Square. 

A Georgian Jewel

Carlton House Terrace was laid out on the site of the palace from 1827-1833, designed by John Nash. Today they are Grade I listed, giving them the highest level of protection from any changes.

The British Academy specifically occupies numbers 10-11 Carlton House Terrace. All are still owned by the Crown Estate and leased to various occupants. 

A Victorian Prime Minister

Number 11 passed through various hands over the years but most notably was the home of William Gladstone from 1856-1875, including during his first tenure as Prime Minister. 

He held some cabinet meetings in this room, today known as the music room.

Mary Gladstone, his wife, also held influential ‘salons’, with the well-to-do of the time. 

The Ridley Family

Number 10 was the London home of the wealthy Northumberland-based Ridley family from the 1830s to the 1920s.

Legend has it that the King gave them the lease in exchange for one of their famous racehorses.

In 1842, Sir Matthew White Ridley, 5th Baronet and 1st Viscount Ridley, Lord Salisbury’s Home Secretary, was born here. 

The family had the building remodelled in around 1905, including the addition of the incredible sweeping staircase. Black marble was used as the Ridley family made their fortune from coal. 

A Hospital For Wounded Officers

During World War One, number 10 became a hospital for wounded officers, organised by Lady Ridley.

By 1917 it had 60 beds and an operating theatre on the ground floor. Huts were even built onto the terraces for those suffering from gas attacks and needed fresh air. 

I was told that the windows would sometimes be opened and the officers beds pushed out so that they could wave at family members down by the Duke of York column, next to the building. 

Dinkie’s Diary

Lots of what we know about the hospital comes from the diary of Aileen Maunsell, nickname ‘Dinkie’, a volunteer nurse, 17 years old when the war started.

This is her entry on her first day: 

‘Thursday 3 June 1915 – Off at 8.30 by taxie to nurse at Lady Ridly’s Hospital 10 Carlton House Terrace. Put in Long Ward with Sister Bell & Nurse Paice 8 patients. 3 bad stretcher cases & 1 bad arms. Off from 2 to 4, got Red X uniform at Harrods. Dead beat by 8.30.’

She also spent a lot of time chatting, joking and larking about with the patients, this is the entry from 7th October 1917: 

‘Thursday 11 October 1917 – Great rag in evening, pillow fights … sponges, cushions, pillows & paper flying. I upset all Mr Walton’s water by mistake unfortunately – Sis[ter] Jones furious. All blew over though in the end.’

She also briefly got engaged to one of the patients: Duncan Bell-Irving but returned the ring to him on the day he proposed and simply wrote ‘very miserable’. 

In 1920, she ended up marrying another of the patients, Philip Gell, who had arrived at the hospital in 1918.

On Armistice Day she wrote: ‘‘Wild rush down the Mall to Buckingham Palace’ and that ‘Lady Ridley gave all carnations & flags.’ 

I love human stories like this, it really makes you remember how these buildings, hundreds of years old, have witnessed the loves, labours, everyday frets, foibles and pleasures of so many. 

After the Ridleys

In World War Two, number 10 was hit by a bomb. All the glass was destroyed and a crack appeared down the front of the building.

A few different organisations occupied the buildings from then on, including, from the 1920s-1940s, the Union Club, a gentleman’s club.

From 1946, the two buildings were occupied by Government institutions. The Commonwealth Secretariat was at number 10, with the Foreign Press Association next door at number 11.

A Film Set, An Art Gallery, An Events Space

The whole building has recently undergone a multi-million pound refurbishment.

The building is brighter, lighter and, in places, Nash’s intention of having sight-lines through the whole building have been restored. 

They also have some very modern new spaces for public events and talks. 

There is lots of artwork throughout the building to admire. 

The painting below by Stuart Pearson Wright is of six former Presidents of the Academy.

The man front right, Sir Kenneth Dover, was painted in his home with his jumper and slippers whereas the others all came for more formal sittings at the Academy and dressed up for the occasion.

Many TV shows and films have been filmed here including The Crown, Cruella, Sherlock and you can see it here in the trailer to Wings of a Dove, starring Helena Bonham Carter. 

How To Visit

The building is going to be open for Open House festival on Sunday 15th September. 

You can see all of their events otherwise here. 

Many of the rooms in the building can also be hired for events, photography, filming and weddings. Click here to find out more or their Instagram here.

Thank you for reading, more of London’s hidden history below!