Our History

Our beautiful Grade II listed building was formally opened by our President, HRH King Charles III, in May 1996. However, the history of No. 11 Cavendish Square begins in the first quarter of the 18th century. Here’s the story so far…

1700s – X marks the spot

London saw a period of intense building in the early 18th century, with new estates mapped to the west of the city. The Cavendish-Harley estate, conceived by Edward Harley, Earl of Oxford, extended north from Oxford Street into an area called the Marylebone Fields. He was keen to lease the land, engaging the self-styled ‘prince of builders’ John Prince to plan the estate, with Cavendish Square as its focal point.

1720 - A false start

Cavendish Square became a Tory enclave, with the north side leased to Lord Carnarvon in 1720. He’d hoped to build an enormous baroque-style country house on the site. But, in 1722, he suffered losses in the speculative crisis known as the ‘South Sea Bubble’, and the design was never realised. 

1740 - Grand Dilettanti designs

The vacant space on the north side of the square was bought by the Dilettanti Society, an organisation centred on the enjoyment of antiquity. A grand design was conceived based on an Istrian temple... but never built.   

1790s – Building begins

In the late eighteenth century, the site between Lord Carnarvon’s two houses was sold again, this time to George Foster Tufnell, MP. Around the early 1770s, Tufnell built houses at 11–14 Cavendish Square, which remain virtually intact to this day.   

1889 - The convent moves in

No 11 was acquired by the Convent of the Holy Child of Jesus in 1889, which went on to acquire No 12 in 1891. By 1894, money had been raised to build an extension at the back of No 12, comprising a school hall, a refectory, three dormitories, a classroom and a clothing room.   

1914 – 1945 – The square’s still there

The convent escaped damage during Zeppelin raids in WWI, but suffered bomb damage in WW2, which can still be seen on the stonework today. Skilled architect Louis Osman repaired the damage and restored the interior, creating the bridge between 12 and 13. 

1952 – The sculpture

Louis Osman wanted to create a sculpture of the Madonna and Child to sit above the arch, so commissioned Jacob Epstein to cast this in three tonnes of lead from the gutters of the old house. It was unveiled in 1953 by RA Butler, Chancellor of the Exchequer. 

1969 – The Cavendish College

In 1969, Heythrop College, a Jesuit institution founded in 1614, acquired the property. It moved in 1971, it was absorbed into the University of London’s Faculty of Theology, and in 1993, moved to its present location in Kensington Square.  

1996 – The King’s Fund

In the mid 90s, numbers 11-13 were acquired by the King's Fund. Before moving in, the organisation commissioned architects Derek Latham & Co to unite the modern building with the 1912/30 building and link it to the 18th century buildings.