Cumberland Place is situated north of, and overlooking Watts Park. It was developed in the early 19th century possibly before 1820 and consisted of a series of elegant Georgian-style houses. A.E.R. attributes some of the houses to the architect John Plaw ('The Architecture of Southampton', in Architectural Review, February 1919, p35) who was active in Southampton from 1795. There is no supporting evidence for Plaw’s involvement, but Thomas Benham, who was working in Southampton from the autumn of 1825, may have been responsible for the design of some of houses.
The houses were in residential use until 1920s when they were converted to offices. Numbers 1 to 4 were demolished after the war and Queen's Keep office block was later built on the site. Numbers 5 to 11 are still standing and are Grade II listed. The street was probably named after the Duke of Cumberland, son of George III, who visited the town regularly during its spa period.
Cumberland House
This was an early 19th century house which formerly stood on the north side of Cumberland Place, on the west side of what later became Bedford Place.
Cumberland Terrace
A 19th century name for numbers 21 to 24 Cumberland Place. The terrace was situated at the eastern end of the street.
5-7 Cumberland Place
Photograph, c.2000
Cumberland Place
Photograph, 1941
Cumberland Place
An engraving of the Watt's Statue in West Park (c.1877) which shows Cumberland Place in the background.
see also:
Further reading:
Building of England: Hampshire and the I.O.W., by Nikolaus Pevsner and David Lloyd, p558. (H/i)
Southampton Occasional Notes, by ‘Townsman’, p40. (HS/h)
Building Stones of Southampton, by Anthony Wadham, p9-11. (HS/i)
‘The Architecture of Southampton’, by A.E.R., in Architectural Review, February 1919, p35(HS/i)
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