Essential Hotels > England > London > Marble Arch & Marylebone

The Marble Arch and Marylebone area in north-west London is perhaps among the most affluent and expensive parts of the city, and maybe even in the world, what with its impressive villas and extravagant terraces. The region of the capital under consideration falls to the south and west of Regent’s Park and to the north of Hyde Park, encompassing the likes of St John’s Wood, Westbourne Green and Paddington in the process. Sections of Marylebone are in fact found in London’s West End and the border runs alongside famous Mayfair at Oxford Street and Bloomsbury at Portland Place. Inevitably, a vast swathe of well known names and faces reside, or at least have homes, in this largely residential district.

Not only is Marble Arch a famous London attraction, it is also a small sub-section of this north-western part of the city. The arch itself stands at the busy junction which brings together Edgware Road, Oxford Street, Park Lane and Bayswater Road at the north-eastern corner of Hyde Park, next to Speaker’s Corner. Impressive in appearance, the marble structure was moved to its current site in 1851 having been designed some 23 years earlier. In times gone by, London’s largest cinema screen was situated in the vicinity; the Odeon Marble Arch had a 23-metre screen but was transformed into a five-screen cinema in 1997.

The primarily residential district of Marylebone is a particularly affluent area and is also referred to as Marylebone Village. Its name was taken from the church dedicated to St Mary and was shortened from the longer St Mary at the Bourne, a bourne being a small stream. Today there are many medical and dental offices in this part of London, positioned along Harley Street. In Marylebone you will find the likes of Madame Tussaud’s, Baker Street and the Wallace Collection which is home to a fine collection of art. The shops of Marylebone High Street are also worth a visit while in this part of the city.

St John’s Wood also deserves a mention and is set to the west of Regent’s Park, in the northern part of the region in question. It is in St John’s Wood that spacious villas first replaced terraced houses that had become the norm throughout London. The area takes its name from the Knights of the Order of St John of Jerusalem who took control of the region in 1323. Developed from the 19th century, St John’s is another place where you’ll see some of the world’s most expensive properties.