Things you didn't know about... Belgravia

Belgravia used to be no place for respectable people
As recently as the 18th century, Belgravia—now very much part of central London—was a marshy, swampy area to the west of the city known as "the five fields". A local bridge across the West Bourne River was so renowned for violent robbers it was known as Bloody Bridge.

Belgravia was a housing estate
In 1825, Lord Grosvenor devised an ambitious plan for building a luxury estate in Belgravia, using master builder Thomas Cubitt. The gamble paid off: the Earl of Essex moved in straight away, lots of aristocracy followed suit and Belgravia became fashionable almost overnight.

Belgravia's developer has been immortalised
Lord Grosvenor (the second Marquess of Westminster) lives on in Belgravia—its easternmost boundary is widely accepted to be Grosvenor Place. It separates Belgravia—just—from its most famous neighbour: the Queen, in Buckingham Palace.

Belgravia gave the US a famous bounty hunter
And we don't mean in the days of cowboys. Domino Harvey was born in Belgravia in 1970, the daughter of 1960s matinee idol Laurence Harvey and Vogue cover girl Paulene Stone. She turned from modelling to bounty hunting in LA. She was played by Keira Knightley in the 2005 film Domino.

Belgravia wasn't so "lucky" for Lord Lucan
In 1974, Sandra Rivett, a nanny employed by Lord and Lady Lucan, was bludgeoned to death at the family house in Belgravia's Lower Belgrave Street. Lady Lucan claimed that her husband (nicknamed "Lucky" by his gambling friends) confessed to the murder before disappearing. It's not known what happened to him.

Evans above! Belgravia, binges and Billie
Belgravia was in the news in 2001 when local resident, radio DJ Chris Evans, and his entourage failed to turn up for their Virgin radio show. Instead, they enjoyed a three-day binge at the Nag's Head on Belgravia's Kinnert Street. The pub was a favourite haunt for the DJ and his then wife, actress Billie Piper.

Belgravia is a good place to spot the stars
Given its proximity to Westminster, it's no surprise that Belgravia has counted many politicians among its residents, including prime ministers Stanley Baldwin, Neville Chamberlain and, more recently, Margaret Thatcher. From the worlds of business, the arts and celebrity, residents have included Chopin, Mozart, Lord Tennyson, Roman Abramovich, Joan Collins, Sarah Brightman, Nigella Lawson and Elle Macpherson.