Queen Anne's Mansions, Petty France, Westminster, S. W. 1
edit[1]In 1873 Henry Alers Hankey acquired a site between St. James's Park and St. James Park Station. Acting as his own architect, and employing his own labour, he proceeded to erect the first stage of a block of flats known as Queen Anne's Mansions, at twelve stories it was the loftiest residential building in Britain. These were further extended in 1874 and 1877 by Hankey to the south and west.
There were objections to the hight of the flats, no least from Queen Victoria who could no longer view the Houses of Parliament from Buckingham Palace. But because the existing building Act did not explicitly prohibit building over 100ft the authorities could not stop Hankey. However the London Building Act passed in 1894 and its 80-ft limit, was a direct cause of "Hankey's Mansions".
It may have been legal complications that led him, for the remainder of the work, to employ an architect--E. R. Robson. Robson continued the mansions around the central courtyard, leaving only Queen Anne's Lodge as the sole survivor of the residential properties that had formerly stood on the site.
A typical unit of accommodation was a living room, about 23 ft by 14 ft, a bedroom and a bathroom. In the corner blocks were some more commodious suits. Notwithstanding the prejudice against the building, no difficulty was found in letting the flats at high rents to tenants of the 'highest respectability'. A floor containing six rooms, without any grounds, commanded £300 per annum, and two rooms £60 per annum.[2] The principle novelty of the building was the installation of hydraulic passenger lifts, at that time without precedent in domestic buildings in London. Fire control was also provided for by 98 hydrants, supplied from tanks storing 70,000 gallons on the roofs.
Just before the turn of the century, however, Hankey ran into financial difficulties and the property passes into the hands of the Official Receiver. Under new management, the west block became an hotel and the reminder was let as flats and service suits. During the second world-war the entire building was requisitioned as government offices and has so remained; in 1947 the Ministry of Works retained it on a 21-year lease.
By April 1973 Queen Anne's Mansions had been demolished and later replaced by 50 Queen Anne's Gate.