Stratford House

Since 1962, the Club’s home has been Grade I listed Stratford House - one of the most impressive surviving examples of Georgian architecture in this part of London.

The building was constructed in the 1770s for Edward Stratford, later the second Earl of Aldborough. Stratford paid £40,000 for the site (formerly occupied by the Lord Mayor of London's Banqueting House) along with the Robert Adam-inspired building.

The House was variously remoulded over the years with new plumbing and a second storey on the east and west wings in the 1890s. However, it was in 1908 when Lord Derby bought the lease that the most extensive alterations were set in motion. He purchased additional property in Marylebone Lane, removed the stables and built a Banqueting Hall with a grand ballroom above (the last privately owned ballroom to be built in this country). It was a spectacular room of Italian design which was converted when the house was acquired by the Oriental Club.

When Stratford House was purchased by the Oriental Club in 1960, it was necessary to make certain alterations, as the needs of a Club were different to those of a town house of the aristocracy. The Club continues to evolve and make improvements for Members, including the addition of eight new bedrooms and the ever-popular Calcutta Light Horse Bar.