LX—TORRINGTON PLACE

(formerly Francis Street, west of Gower Street)

Since January, 1938, the road turning out of Tottenham Court Road to the east and connecting it with Byng Place and Gordon Square has been known as Torrington Place, the name formerly borne by the eastern section only. The portion west of Gower Street was until then known as Francis Street.

Torrington Place was, as already stated, built on Cantlowes Close, and the present boundary between the parishes of St. Pancras and St. Gilesin-the-Fields runs along its centre, marking the southern limit of this part of the borough of St. Pancras. Formerly, the parish boundary ran some way south of the former Francis Street and approached Torrington Place at its eastern end.

There are only two old houses left on the north side of the former Francis Street, No. 13, a large house of early 19th-century date, of four storeys with an arched doorway flanked by two windows on each side, and a similar house to the east which has two shops and is much damaged. Between the houses is an archway leading to the Yard behind. Huntley Street crosses the Street and continues north and south of it.

Further east, between Upper Gower Mews and Byng Place, are two late 18th-century houses, Nos. 33 and 35, of stock brick, four storeys in height, having a stucco entablature between the two top floors. The eastern house has a good shop front on both south and east sides with a doorway at the corner. The fascia has a modillion cornice and there is an excellent ornamental cast-iron balustrade forming a continuous balcony above.