Plaque

We question the claim made by this plaque, though it is supported by the London Design Festival which has "To the east of Glebe Place is a series of studios called ‘Turners Studios’ where JMW Turner, one of the earlier artist residents, is said to have worked."

This 1865 map shows the road, then known as Cook's Ground, mainly not yet built up and the site of this building is shown as gardens. This 1893 map shows the site still empty, between what are now numbers 66 - 71.

From British History Online: "In Glebe Place Conrad Dressler, sculptor, built the glass shacks of Cedar Studios {no. 45} (1885-6), and three more groups were built in Glebe Place, at nos 60-1, nos 64-5, and nos 52-9. Nos 60-1, known as Glebe Studios, were developed 1888-9 by the rector, who gave his son one of the first tenancies." And indeed, look in Google Maps satellite view and you see that practically every building on the east side of this street has skylights facing north - catching the constant and consistent light that artists seek.

By the time these studios were built, on virgin ground, Turner was already dead. Being generous we think the plaque is mistaken. 

Important artists certainly did use these studios at a later date, see the Alfred Munnings and William McMillan plaques in the same street.

Savills have interior photographs of "A pair of artist studios that have been converted into one residence."

Off to the left, just out of sight of our camera, is one of those lovely colourful ceramic rounds, reminiscent of Della Robbia, of which we found a few at the Westminster Infants Hospital.