The area was laid out in the mid-nineteenth century as prosperous housing to provide for the expanding population of the capital. The Italianate stucco style resembled similar new neighbourhoods in Kensington. From 1855 the property developer Daniel Tidey directed the development of the street, described by Pevsner as "the most impressive stretch" notable for its paired palazzi with ionicporches.[2] It is built on the land of the former Belsize House estate from which it takes its name, along with various other streets in the vicinity.[3] Notable former residents included the composer Frederick Delius and the journalist Henry Noel Brailsford, both of whom are now commemorated with blue plaques.[4][5]