St John’s Wood Square: the transformation of one of London’s most historic sites

Spacious lateral homes, supreme craftsmanship and outstanding wellbeing facilities make this exceptional development a rare capital opportunity

Cathy Hawker

07 October 2026

5 mins read

St John’s Wood Square: the transformation of one of London’s most historic sites — CGI of aerial view of St John's Wood Square

St John’s Wood Square is a super-prime development in a favoured London neighbourhood that combines exclusivity and superb leisure amenities with one of the very last opportunities to own an apartment of its kind. Launched for sale this autumn with 109 apartments and 11 townhouses to be delivered from 2028, it marks the culmination of a lengthy and carefully planned project to transform the historic 5.5 acre site, home for over 100 years to The King’s Troops and The Royal Horse Artillery.

The development was one of the final schemes in the capital to receive planning permission before Westminster Council introduced a cap of 200 square metres on new-build homes. As noted in Knight Frank’s newly published The Residence Report, these new planning rules apply to a wide area of central London, including Mayfair, Belgravia and Knightsbridge, calling time on the construction of larger lateral homes, and ensure that the handsome proportions of St John’s Wood Square – where residences average 300 square metres with some over 740 square metres – are especially notable.

CGI of King George VI Avenue at St John's Wood Square

“St John’s Wood Square is the last residential site of real scale to be delivered in central London and the first super-prime scheme of scale in the NW8 postcode,” says Rupert des Forges, Knight Frank’s Head of Prime Central London Developments.

“It’s an exceptionally well-curated scheme: low-rise, low-density and architecturally elegant, designed to sit comfortably in its surroundings. Its proximity to St John’s Wood’s much-loved High Street, recently voted the second best in the UK by The Times, and to Regent’s Park, Primrose Hill and the West End, is notable, but so too is its wonderfully tranquil setting, with 2.6 acres given over to landscaped gardens.”

St John's Wood Square, 12 King's Terrace, St John's Wood, London, NW8 6BG

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St John’s Wood Square provides a rare opportunity to live within one of London’s most beautiful and historic residential neighbourhoods.

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Prices from £5,250,000

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Historic barracks reimagined for the next generation

Designed by Squire & Partners with interiors by international design firms Yabu Pushelberg and Richards Stanisich, the aim throughout is to marry meticulous craftsmanship with a reverence for tradition. Alongside a clear reference to London’s prized garden squares, the use of refined materials including Portland stone, Calacatta Oro marble and Welsh slate ensure a blend of timeless architecture and outstanding quality. Internally, generous volumes and expanses of glass ensure residences are filled with light while externally, 330 mature trees have been planted on site. They add to the ‘climate resistant’ landscaping by famed landscape designer Andy Sturgeon, a nine-time Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medal winner and three-time Best in Show winner.

At the heart of the project, in the development’s central square, The Riding School is a Grade II-listed heritage building with almost 200 years of military history. It was most notably the former home of The King’s Troop, Royal Artillery, a ceremonial unit of the British Army, who were stationed and trained there. This historical link was highly valued by the local community, bringing royal visitors over the years that included King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana and King Charles. When the troops and their horses relocated to Woolwich Barracks in 2012, crowds lined the High Street to bid them farewell as they rode out for the final time.

Today, freshly renamed as The Riding Club, the historic building has been dramatically transformed into an exclusive sanctuary of wellbeing. Facilities are headlined by a professional-grade ASB GlassFloor, that converts between perfectly marked courts for tennis, pickleball, football, badminton, basketball, netball or volleyball and there’s also a 20-metre swimming pool, sauna and steam rooms, cold plunge pool and gymnasium with training studio, spa and treatment rooms.

Restoring the Riding Club involved extraordinary architectural skill and was the work of WilkinsonEyre, whose previous projects include the repurposing of Battersea Power Station and Gardens by the Bay in Singapore.

“Our brief was to take an historic Grade II-listed building that was highly valued by the local community and visited by royalty, and transform it into a supremely comfortable, inspiring and high-end private members’ club with state-of-the-art amenities,” says Stafford Critchlow, architect and Board Director at WilkinsonEyre. “All while also retaining its wonderful volume where for many, many decades, The King’s Troop had trained.”

Along with specialist teams from engineer contractors McGee, heritage specialists Walter Lily, construction company Multiplex and structural engineers Robert Bird Group, the result is an engineering feat, and a winning example of heritage meets modern functionality. For residents, it is a 40,000 square foot amenity with a world-class focus on health and longevity, and a space for working, entertaining and relaxing.

Why St John’s Wood remains one of the capital’s most coveted addresses

The Residence Report outlines the remarkable recent expansion of the luxury branded residences development sector, a global residential market that has almost tripled in size over the past decade. Yet while St John’s Wood Square has all the attributes and amenities expected in a leading branded residence, the specific character and reputation of the neighbourhood itself meant the decision was taken not to align with any one brand.

“St John’s Wood is a very discreet, unassuming but sophisticated market,” writes Gareth Stow, CEO of St John’s Wood Square in The Residence Report. “In this environment it made sense not to lean on a hotel name: we want St John’s Wood Square to stand on its own merits.” It’s a decision vindicated by the fact that St John’s Wood Square has already generated considerable local interest, says des Forges.

“The combination of the accessibility it provides, in and around London and to Heathrow airport, with the peace and security of the site, and of course the range of local schooling and facilities, gives the development wide international appeal, but we anticipate that towards half of purchasers will have some connection to the local area,” he says.

“Perhaps those downsizing from large family homes, people with family there already or who previously lived locally. St John’s Wood is a well-established, mature and elegant residential neighbourhood that sits between two of London’s great parks, Primrose Hill and Regent’s Park. It is filled with history, from Lord’s, the world’s oldest continuously used cricket ground, to the interesting architecture of substantial 19th-century villas on tree-lined streets. It’s a London favourite for very good reason.”

Interior images are of St John's Wood Square show residence, designed by Portia Fox