Therapy Clinics

The name Harley Street has become synonymous with top-end medical practices in London. For decades the best doctors, surgeons, psychiatrists and dentist have set up in the iconic location. Now, Harley Street is as popular as ever; with some cosmetic surgeries in London often disregarded unless they are located in the prestigious street.
What was it then that brought medical professionals to Harley Street in their droves and what encouraged them to stay, centuries down the line?
The 92 acres of land that now comprise Harley Street were acquired in the early 16th century by Edward Harley from his wife Henrietta Cavendish Hollis. For the past 300 years they have been owned by the Howard de Walden Estate, which redeveloped the site in the early 1900s. During the redevelopment, strict orders were issued to retain the buildings’ Georgian architecture, which still remains to this day.
Harley Street quickly established itself as the hub of British medical excellence, with private hospitals opened and cutting-edge medical technology was being invented nearby. This made the area much more desirable for medical professionals, who began to desire a Harley Street address.
As esteem began to grow in the area, practitioners and officials alike wanted to preserve the area’s reputation, with the result seeing them audit prospective tenants and reject applications if they were deemed unsuitable. In the early days, even psychologists and masseurs were regarded with an air of suspicion, as the authorities debated the validity of their practices.
Notable occupants down the line have not just included medical professionals, however; with Prime Minister William Ewart Turner and iconic artist J.M.W. Turner amongst those who have called Harley Street their home.
Harley Street has still retained its formidable reputation centuries after it was first established. Whilst individual doctors or surgeons may have come and gone, the area itself is still held by many in the same esteem it always has; making a surgery on Harley Street as desirable as it ever was.