Trees and the Public Realm - Westminster City Council

Trees and the Public Realm (Draft) Appendix B - 31
16 Caution East Marylebone
History
St Marylebone became part of the newly fashionable West End of London in the second half of the 18th
century, changing the rural picture of a few houses fronting onto Oxford Street into a totally urban one. By the
beginning of the 19th century the street pattern and development of East Marylebone was virtually complete,
with the main parallel north/south streets crossed by secondary east/west streets.
From the mid-19th century changes in tastes and need were reflected in re-developments, particularly during
the Victorian period when many of the original buildings were demolished and plain Georgian terrace fronts
south of Marylebone Road began to be replaced by a more eclectic range of styles. Many corner sites were
also redeveloped at this time and this resulted in a diverse and elegant street scene featuring a rich variety of
late Victorian and Edwardian street frontages.
Urban character
East Marylebone has a predominantly urban character with few trees or green open spaces. Its rich mix of
building types for various uses and united by robust Edwardian architecture of a substantial scale with vibrant
brick and intricate friezes.
Trees
There are no squares or major public spaces in this area. Street trees are located at street junctions in the
more residential northern half of the area, which provide welcome interjections in the hard townscape without
obscuring the character of the place, or they provide a welcome cloak to some uninspiring architecture. In
other locations they are incongruous with the scale of the buildings and available space in the street, and
damage the character of this hard urban place.
The predominantly narrow streets, detailing of the architecture and distinct sense of place should be
respected, and its streets, generally, left unobscured by trees.
Photos
A hard, treeless streetscape.
East Titchfield Street (sourced from Google Street View)