Was Devonshire House a warehouse? One contemporary critic thought so. Standing before the site of this magnificent lost London residence imagine its Palladian grandeur. Devonshire House in Piccadilly was the London home of the Dukes of Devonshire for centuries. Built around 1740 it was designed by William Kent for William Cavendish the 3rd Duke. It replaced Berkeley House a classical mansion built by Hugh May. That house had been occupied by Barbara Villiers Duchess of Cleveland mistress of Charles II. Berkeley House was destroyed by fire in 1733 during refurbishment. Ironically the Duke’s earlier London home Old Devonshire House in Bloomsbury survived until World War II.
Devonshire House was one of the largest and grandest ducal houses in London. It rivaled Burlington House Montague House and others. Most of these impressive residences are now gone. Devonshire House itself boasted a renowned art collection and library. The library housed Claude Lorraine’s Liber Veritatis a collection of sketches of his life’s work.
The house’s exterior was severe. However its interiors were opulent. Kent’s design featured a piano nobile. The entrance hall was the only two-storey room. Pairs of staircases served the private upper floors. The initial layout was deemed old-fashioned for entertaining. The interiors were extensively altered in the late 18th century. James Wyatt and later Decimus Burton made significant changes. Burton created the Crystal Staircase. He also combined rooms to form a vast gilded ballroom.
Devonshire House hosted brilliant social and political gatherings. William Cavendish the 5th Duke and his wife Lady Georgiana Spencer were prominent Whig supporters. In 1897 a lavish fancy dress ball celebrated Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. The Prince and Princess of Wales were among the guests.
After World War I Devonshire House was abandoned. It was demolished in 1924. The demolition was lamented in literature. Virginia Woolf and Siegfried Sassoon both commented on its loss. The 9th Duke faced immense death duties and inherited debts. This led to the sale and demolition of Devonshire House. Today an office building stands on the site. The gates however survive. They are now an entrance to Green Park. Parts of the house’s interior features are at Chatsworth House. These remind us of Devonshire House’s former glory.