WALK 25 - WALKING HISTORICAL SOHO
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INTRODUCTION
The walking route is approximately 2.7 Miles / 4.3 Km (allow approx. 2 - 3 hours)
Walking Historical Soho looks at an area that is approximately surrounded by Charing Cross Road, Oxford Street, Regent Street and Shaftesbury Avenue. The walk passes, and talks about, 30 locations in Soho which are of historical interest.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF SOHO
In the 14th century, the Soho area was farmland. In 1536 Henry VIII obtained the land, and developed it into a royal park (where hunting could take place) for the Palace of Whitehall.
In was around this time that the name "Soho" first appears in documents describing the area. The name Soho Square had been known as "Soho Fields" in the late 17th century. The name Soho comes from a hunting cry used at the time.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, Soho became well known for its literary and discussion clubs held in coffee houses and pubs. These became places that intellectuals would gather for academic discussion and argument.
The grand aristocratic homes had mostly disappeared from Soho by the 19th century, and the place started to become seedier. Soho became a place frequented by prostitutes, and the number of music halls, small theatres and pubs there increased.
By 1851 the population of Soho had increased significantly, reaching 327 inhabitants per acre, one of the most densely populated areas of London at the time. The large houses were divided into tenements and let out for multiple occupancy. The chronic overcrowding which resulted, caused diseases to be spread. In 1854, a major local cholera outbreak resulted in the few remaining upper-class families who lived there, to move to other areas.
In the early 20th century, the amount of restaurants in the Soho area increased dramatically. In addition, new theatres were built along Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road.
By the middle of the 20th century, Soho became quite sexualised. The censorship laws became more relaxed, and Soho started to become known for its strip clubs, sex shops and prostitution (see picture above). Today, the seedy side of Soho is reduced, or at least is more hidden.
OVERVIEW
The walk starts just outside the Oxford Street (Exit 1) of the Tottenham Court Road tube station. It ends at Oxford Circus tube station.
Locations on the route:
Start of Walk -
Use Exit 1 of the Tottenham Court Road Tube Station to emerge on to Oxford Street (south side).
Location 1 - Oxford Street
Location 2 - Soho Square (Overview)
Location 3 - 13 and 14 Soho Square
Location 4 - Manor House (21 Soho Sq)
Location 5 - St Patrick's Church
Location 6 - Soho Square
Location 7 - The French Protestant Church of London
Location 8 - 3 Soho Square (with bay windows)
Location 9 - Site of Monmouth House 1677-1773
Location 10 - 1 Greek Street - The House of Charity
Location 11 - The Coach and Horses
Location 12 - Old Compton Street
Location 13 - 20 Frith Street - Mozart
Location 14 - Dean Street
Location 15 - Meard Street - Georgian Houses
Location 16 - 41 Dean St (Site of The Colony Club)
Location 17 - Chinatown
Location 18 - The Club in the Turk's Head Tavern
Location 19 - St Anne's Church
Location 20 - 59 Old Compton Street - Two I's
Location 21 - 72 Old Compton Street - Black Cat Cafe
Location 22 - Wardour Street and Film Making
Location 23 - 90 Wardour Street
Location 24 - Berwick Street Market
Location 25 - Golden Square
Location 26 - Dr John Snow Memorial Pump
Location 27 - Carnaby Street
Location 28 - Liberty of London
Location 29 - The London Palladium
Location 30 - Oxford Circus - End of walk
(Outside the Oxford Street Tube Station)
START THE WALK
From the Oxford Street exit of the Tottenham Court Road tube station (Exit 1), turn left and walk east along Oxford Street.
Location 1
Oxford Street
Between the 12th and 18th centuries, this stretch was known as the Tyburn Road. This was because it led to Tyburn, a place of public execution. Tyburn was near where Marble Arch now stands, and got it’s name from the River Tyburn, which flowed near the execution site.
In the 18th century, the road had become known as Oxford Street, named after the Earl of Oxford, who was a local land-owner at that time. Housing started to become developed along Oxford Street, as it did in other areas of the West End. Retail properties started to spring up here at the end of the 18th century.
By 1840 most of this part of Oxford Street was retail. The first department stores, such as Marshall & Snelgrove and John Lewis, opened along here from the 1860’s.
The Central Line (then called the Central London Railway) began in 1896. The Northern Line (then called the Hampstead Line) came a couple of years later, bringing in customers and staff from a wider area. At the start of the 20th century, more department stores opened here, such as Waring & Gillow, Bourne & Hollingsworth, C&A, Selfridges, Peter Robinson, etc.
After about 100 metres, you will get to Soho Street, on the left. Turn into Soho Street and walk down it. After about 63 metres, you will arrive at Soho Square.
Location 2
Soho Square Overview
Soho Square was originally called King's Square, named after King Charles II. The first reference to Soho Square, rather than King’s Square, was on John Rocque's Map of London, 1746.
When you arrive at Soho Square, turn left into it from Soho Street. On the left, you will find 13 & 14 Soho Square.
Location 3
13 and 14 Soho Square
13 Soho Square is a Grade II listed Georgian building. It was built between 1768 and 1769, with some earlier woodwork inside dating 1677. The building was home to a number of notable residents, including the merchant and Whig politician Sir Isaac Rebow, the Jacobite George Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Cromartie, and the physician George Leman Tuthill.
There is a Blue Plaque on the house, marking this as a place that Mary Seacole lived.
Mary Jane Grant was born in Jamaica. In 1836 she married Edwin Horatio Seacole, but she was widowed just eight years later. Mary Seacole became a nurse, caring for cholera patients during cholera and yellow fever epidemics in Jamaica.
Mary Seacole left the Caribbean for England in 1854, where she unsuccessfully tried to join nurses leaving to care for soldiers injured in the Crimean War.
Mary decided to set up a private business with a relative of her late husband, Thomas Day. They moved to the Crimea and opened up a 'British Hotel' between Balaklava and Sevastopol. Those who could afford it (mostly officers) paid to stay in the hotel, away from the front line. Mary used some of this money to tend to any injured soldiers that she came across.
Mary also tended to injured soldiers near the front line. In 1855 her work caring for British soldiers was written about by the war correspondent of The Times newspaper. In 1956, the 'British Hotel' became bankrupt. The Times and Punch ran a campaign to help reimburse Mary for her losses.
Mary returned to London, and lived here in a room in 14 Soho Square. In July 1857 a 'Seacole Fund Grand Military Festival' was held in Kennington to raise money. She also wrote her autobiography while she was living here. She later moved to Paddington.
Mary travelled between England and Jamaica during the 1860s. She became something of a celebrity, mixing with royalty, and acting as a personal masseuse to the Princess of Wales. Mary died at her Paddington home in 1881.
Continue walking around the edge of Soho Square in the same direction, until you arrive at 21 Soho Square, Manor House.
Location 4
21 Soho Square
Manor House
The Manor House is also a Grade II listed building. It was originally built in 1678 as a townhouse. The present structure dates from 1838. Interesting things that the house has been used for include being a notorious brothel, and also the headquarters of the Crosse & Blackwell company. It is now used as offices.
In 1838, the house was bought by Edmund Crosse and Thomas Blackwell, heads of the canned food and condiment company, Crosse & Blackwell. They remodeled the original structure and created the house which we see today. Crosse and Blackwell operated their business from the house up to 1925. It's thought that the ground floor had some kind of shop front.
Continue in the same direction around the square, cross Sutton Row to reach St Patrick's Catholic Church.
Location 5
St Patrick's Church
The present church building was built between 1891 and 1893, it replaced the earlier, smaller chapel built in the 1790s. It is Grade II listed. The main entrance has a Roman-style porch with Corinthian columns. Above th e entrance is a Latin inscription taken from the writings of St. Patrick: "VT CHRISTIANI ITA ET ROMANI SITIS", this means “Be ye Christians as those of the Roman Church”.
From the Church Entrance, cross the road to the entrace to the Soho Square Gardens. Head for the half timbered building ahead of you in the middle of the square.
Location 6
Soho Square Gardens
The building looks like it’s a Tudor construction. However, it was actually built in 1925. It’s purpose was an access point to an electricity substation beneath it. These days, it is used to store gardening equipment.
To the right of the building is a statue of Charles II of England. This was made by the Danish sculptor Caius Gabriel Cibber, and was once part of a late 17th century fountain here. It was moved in the late 19th century to an estate in Harrow, and then returned to the square in the mid-20th century. Although the sculpture has been the subject of restoration work, it is very eroded.
Walk north from the statue (the way it is facing). Turn left when you leave the gardens and walk anti-clockwise around the square until you get to a red brick building, the London French Protestant Church (Eglise Protestante Francaise De Londres).
Location 7
The London French Protestant Church
This church is a Grade II listed building, designed by Aston Webb and erected in 1891–93. It is the last remaining Huguenot church in London. It was designed by Aston Webb and erected in 1891–93.
Walk around the corner to 3 Soho Square. It is the one with the bay windows.
Location 8
3 Soho Square
Although it was built relatively recently, the general design and bay windows on Number 3 make it an elegant and interesting part of Soho Square.
Continue walking anti-clockwise around the outside of the square. Cross Carlisle Street and continue on around the Square until you cross Frith Street. The area between Frith Street and Greek Street (a little further on) is the site of Monmouth House.
Location 9
Site of Monmouth House.
Monmouth House occupied most of the south side of what was then called King’s Square, its frontage stretching from Greek Street to Frith Street. It was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built in 1677.
After the Duke's execution for attempting to lead a rebellion against the unpopular Catholic successor to Charles, James II, the house was passed to the Bateman family. It was later rented to various important people, such as the French ambassador, before being demolished in 1773.
Walk a little further on to an alley marked Bateman's Buildings on the right.
The alley is named after Viscount Bateman, who owned Monmouth House in the mid-18th Century before it was demolished.
If you want to get an idea of how far Monmouth House went back from Soho Square, you can walk down the alley. Otherwise skip to where the asterisk is below.
Look out for a plaque on the right hand side, which marks where the Coach House was, at the rear of Monmouth House (about 55 metres).
Return up the Bateman’s Buildings alley to Soho Square and turn right.
*Continue walking around the square, then turn right into Greek Street. Over the road is The House of Charity.
Location 10
Number 1 Greek Street
The House of Charity, now called the House of St Barnabas
In March 1679, a man called Cadogan Thomas of Lambeth, held a lease for a great corner house, coach house and stables here. This house was rented out to various grand and titled people, and lasted until 1738.
By May 1742 the original house had been demolished. The current building was then built here between 1744 and 1747. This house remained unoccupied until the lease was sold in 1754 to a Richard Beckford, who was part of a wealthy family of Jamaican plantation owners. Beckford added elaborate rococo plasterwork to the house.
In 1811 the house was let as offices to the Westminster Commissioners of Sewers, and then to the Metropolitan Commission of Sewers after 1849. In 1856 the house was used by the Metropolitan Board of Works, and became the office of Sir Joseph William Bazalgette, who was the Chief Engineer of the Metropolitan Board of Works in London. It was Bazalgette who built London's first sewer system, which is still in use today. His sewer system helped to wipe out cholera in London.
Dickens used the house as the imagined lodgings of Dr. Manette and Lucy in the novel “A Tale of Two Cities”. Because of this, the road where the Chapel entrance is was renamed Manette Street. Manette Street is a little further down Greek Street, on the left.
The House of Charity was founded here in 1846. It was set up to help those who had become homeless, and to keep families together when the husband of a family went into a workhouse. The charity moved from its original home at 9 Rose (now Manette) Street to 1 Greek Street in 1861. The building's value at that time was £6,400.
During the blitz in World War II, the nuns who worked in the House of Charity moved to Clewer, near Windsor. The house was then requisitioned for war duty.
After the war, the house became a women's hostel, originally for ex-service women, then widened out to be for any woman in need.
The House of Charity was renamed the House of St Barnabas in 1951.
The building has more recently been used as a members' club that hosted music, art and entertainment events. The club was staffed by students on a training scheme for hospitality and administrative jobs. After graduating with a City and Guilds qualification, the trainees were then helped back into lasting paid work.
Unfortunately, after a ceiling collapse, which happened in July 2023, the club announced its permanent closure in January 2024.
Walk further down Greek Street for about 220 metres. Cross Old Compton Street, and walk a little further down Greek Street.
On the left is the Coach and Horses pub.
Location 11
The Coach and Horses
There has been a pub on this site since the 18th century. The current building dates from the early 19th century and is Grade II listed.
In the 20th century, the landlord for over 60 years was Norman Balon, who developed a persona as "London's rudest landlord". He began to work at the pub in 1943, after his father became the landlord there.
The pub became a favourite drinking spot for the journalists of the satirical magazine Private Eye and the location of their fortnightly lunches, at which it was hoped a plentiful supply of cheap wine would prompt an indiscretion from one of the guests, such as member of parliament John Hemming's admission that he had got his mistress pregnant.
The Coach and Horses also featured regularly in The Spectator's "Low Life" column by Jeffrey Bernard, who was a regular at the pub until his death in 1997.
A play, entitled “Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell”, was written by Keith Waterhouse. In the play, Bernard wakes from a boozy sleep to find himself locked in overnight at The Coach and Horses. He then shares anecdotes from Bernard’s life with the audience.
The original star of the show was Peter O'Toole in 1989. The show made its London debut at the Apollo Theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue, and was a tremendous success. O’Toole also later took the show to the Old Vic, where it was also a sell out. Tom Conti starred in a revival of the play in 2006 at the Garrick Theatre. The part has also been played by James Bolam, Dennis Waterman, Robert Powell and others,
Notable patrons on the Coach and Horses over the years include: Francis Bacon, The Beatles, Jeffrey Bernard, Tom Baker, John Hurt, George Melly, Keith Waterhouse, Peter Cook, Richard Ingrams and Willie Rushton.
Return up Greek Street to the junction with Old Compton Street. Turn left into Old Compton Street, and walk about 27 metres to where the G-A-Y nightclub is.
Location 12
Old Compton Street
The street gets it's name from a Henry Compton. He raised money to build St Anne's Church, Soho in 1686, the local parish church. We will pass this church a little later in the walk.
In the 1680's, this street became the home of Huguenot refugees who were given asylum in England by Charles II. As mentioned earlier, Huguenots were French Protestants who fled from France in the 16th–18th centuries to escape religious persecution.
By the end of the 18th century, most of the houses in Old Compton Street had had shopfronts added to them.
Since the 1970s, the street has become known as a meeting place for London's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. The street is home to a number of gay bars, restaurants, cafés and specialist gay shops.
Continue along Old Compton Street and turn first right into Frith Street. On the right, at 22 and at 20 Frith Street, look for the blue plaques.
Location 13
22 & 20 Frith Street
Frith Street was first laid out and built between 1670 -1680. It was named after Richard Frith, the builder of Soho Square.
22 Frith Street is now the Bar Italia. On the wall here is a Blue Plaque recording that here in 1926, John Logie Baird (1888-1946) first demonstrated his invention, an early Television System, to members of the Royal Institution.
Three buildings up, on the right is 20 Frith Street, which is now the stage door for the Prince Edward Theatre. In 1764, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, then a young boy, gave a recital at a house on this spot. This performance was part of a Mozart family grand tour of Europe.
Location 14
Dean Street
The first houses erected in Dean Street were built in the early 1700’s by Henry Compton, who also built Old Compton Street. The name “Dean” Street came about from the fact that Compton was also Dean of the Chapel Royal.
Admiral Nelson stayed in Dean Street in 1805, on the day before setting sail for the Battle of Trafalgar, when he was drawing up the final battle plans.
As you start to walk down Dean Street, look on the right to see 88 Dean Street.
This is a rare example of a surviving Mid-Georgian shop front, dating from 1791. In it's history it has been an apothecary and a wine shop. Today it is used as a Newsagent.
Walk further down Dean Street, to number 21, just after the Soho Theatre, on the left.
In 1763, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart played the harpsichord at Caldwell's Assembly Rooms. This was located where 21 Dean Street is now. The performance was part of the Mozart family grand tour of Europe, which was mentioned earlier. Mozart was seven years old at the time.
Walk a little further down Dean Street, to number 28, on the left, which is part of the Quo Vadis Restaurant. See the Blue Plaque on the wall above.
Continue down Dean Street, pausing before you pass Bateman Street on the left. On the right of Dean Street, opposite to Bateman Street, is 72 -74 Dean Street.
One of the people who acted at the Royalty was Charles Dickens. In 1845, aged 33, and after getting his first seven novels successfully published, Dickens appeared here in an adaptation of Ben Jonson's play, “Every Man in his Humour”. Unfortunately, the play met with mixed reviews, and Dickens' acting was reported as being of “debatable merit”!
Walk on down Dean Street until you get to Meard Street, which branches right off Dean Street. Walk down Meard Street, and look at the row of Georgian Townhouses there.
Location 15
Meard Street (Georgian Townhouses)
Meard Street is one of the few surviving streets in London dating from the early 18th century. It is one of the best places in London to see Early Georgian architecture. Meard Street was built by John Meard Junior and his father John Meard Senior.
John Meard Junior was apprenticed to his father in August 17. He became one of the great carpenters of his generation, when carpentry was a vital part of the construction of townhouses .
Meard built one group of small houses, then two groups of larger houses. These together all form today’s Meard Street. The houses here are all Grade II listed.
Here is a simple guide to Georgian Townhouses.
Return back to Dean Street and turn right. After about 18 metres, on the left of the street is 41 Dean Street.
Location 16
41 Dean Street (Site of the Colony Room Club)
The Colony Room attracted an artistic (and rather alcoholic) clientele including George Melly, Jeffrey Bernard and Lucian Freud. Other visitors to the Colony Room included Princess Margaret, William Burroughs, David Bowie and Henri Cartier-Bresson.
If you are interested in finding out more about the history of the Colony Club, and bohemian Soho, here is a link to a 40 minute video about it.
Carry on down Dean Street, crossing over Old Compton Street, to number 49, on the left, The French House.
This pub was originally called the the “York Minster” when it opened in 1891. It became known as “The French House” after it became the unofficial headquarters of the Free French during World War II, after the German Occupation of France.
The Free French were France’s government-in-exile after the German Occupation. Charles de Gaulle was a regular at the French House, and it has been suggested that he wrote his famous speech, broadcast to France, rallying the French to action against the German occupier, at the French House.
Dylan Thomas is said to have left his original draft manuscript of the poem “Under Milk Wood” in the French House after he had been drinking (too much) there.
Walk further down Dean Street to the junction with Shaftesbury Avenue.
Shaftesbury Avenue got its name from Anthony Ashley-Cooper, a British Tory politician, who was made the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury (1801 – 1885), and was a British Tory politician.
Cross over Shaftesbury Avenue and continue into Macclesfield Street, which now is part of London's Chinatown.
Location 17
London’s Chinatown
The original London Chinatown was located in the Limehouse area, in the East End of London. The present Chinatown was established here in the 1970s. It is made up of several streets, including Gerrard Street, Lisle Street, Rupert Street, Macclesfield Street, and Newport Place.
Continue down Macclesfield Street and turn left into Garrard Street at the end. Walk about 40 metres to 9 Garrard Street, a Chinese Supermarket, on the left.
Location 18
Site of 'The Club' in the Turk's Head Tavern (now a Chinese supermarket)
See the blue plaque announcing this as the site of the Turk’s Head Literary Club.
Members included poet Oliver Goldsmith, playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan, statesman-philosopher Edmund Burke, actor David Garrick, lawyer and biographer James Boswell, and the famous philosopher Adam Smith.
The club met for supper on Monday evenings at 7:00 pm in the tavern, and discussed topics of the day until late in the night.
For more details about the Literary Club, click here.
Walk back along Garrard St until it meets Wardour Street.
Wardour Street was named after a local 17th century landowning family, the Wardours. Before being named Wardour Street, it was called Colman Hedge Lane and was surrounded by fields.
Turn right and proceed along Wardour Street. Cross over Shaftesbury Avenue and continue along Wardour street for about 43 metres. On the right is St. Anne's Church.
Location 19
St Anne's Church
Mentioned earlier, in this section on Old Compton Street, St Anne's Church was consecrated in 1686 by Bishop Henry Compton. It became the parish church of the parish of St Anne Within the Liberty of Westminster.
The parish was dedicated to Saint Anne, because Bishop Compton had been a tutor to Princess Anne before she became Queen Anne. Construction started in 1677 on what was then the countryside of Soho Fields. It's thought that (as with so many London churches) Christopher Wren was one of the architects.
The tower was replaced in the early 1800's as it had become unstable.
Beneath the tower is buried the ashes of the novelist Dorothy L Sayers, who was a Churchwarden of the parish.
The church was completely burned out during the Blitz in 1940 and was rebuilt in 1990.
If you are interested, there is a fuller history of St Anne's Church here.
If the gate here is open, you can enter the churchyard. It is a public park called St Anne's Gardens.
Continue along Wardour Street until you reach a junction with Old Compton Street, then turn right into it. Walk a few metres along Old Compton Street, to Poppies Fish Bar. See the green plaque above the shop sign announcing the place as the site of the Two I's Coffee Bar.
Location 20
59 Old Compton Street
Site of the Two I's Coffee Bar.
Recording stars who were discovered or performed at the 2i's include Tommy Steele (see picture), Cliff Richard, Hank Marvin, Jet Harris, Vince Eager, Wee Willie Harris, Adam Faith, Joe Brown, and screaming Lord Sutch.
Cross over to the other side of Old Compton Street, and a little to the left is 72, Old Compton Street.
Location 21
72 Old Compton Street
Site of the Au Chat Noir café
Although homosexuality was illegal at that time, Quentin Crisp chose not to hide his sexuality. He painted his nails, dyed his hair, and wore makeup, which attracted open hostility, and sometimes violence on the streets of London. The Au Chat Noir café became a popular meeting place for homosexual men.
Return to Wardour Street, and turn right along it.
Location 22
Wardour Street and Film Making
The first film company in Wardour Street was Urbanora House. This was home to The Natural Color Kinematograph Company, which was set up in 1909. It made films in "Kinemacolor", which was the first successful colour motion picture process.
By 1914, Wardour Street had over 20 film companies in it, including British Pathé. Later, these companies were joined by Associated-British Pathé, Warner Brothers, Hammer Productions, J Arthur Rank and Exclusive Films.
At the end of the 20th century, as well as film companies, TV and video companies, post production houses, and advertising agencies were opened on Wardour Street.
There are still a few media companies left on Wardour Street, but the number is much reduced.
About 115 metres along Wardour Street from Old Compton Street, on the right, is 90 Wardour Street (marked now "Soho Lofts"). On the wall above the entrance is a Blue Plaque commemorating Keith Moon, the drummer of "The Who". Moon performed at the Marquee Club, which used to be where this building is now.
Location 23
90 Wardour Street
Site of the Marquee Club
The Marquee Club was a jazz and pop music venue, and opened in 1958.
In 1988 the club moved out from this site to other places in London, and finally closed in 2008.
Continue along Wardour Street, and then turn first left on Broadwick Street, then left again into Berwick Street. Walk down until you reach Berwick Street Market (Open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 6pm).
Location 24
Berwick Street Market
Today the market is open Monday to Saturday from 8 am until 6 pm.
Continue along Berwick Street to the end, cross over Peter Street and walk straight on through Walker's Court. Turn right at the end into Brewer Street.
Walk along Brewer Street, and on the left, you will pass Great Windmill Street. This street was the home of the Windmill Theatre (which is now a night club).
The Windmill Theatre was a variety and revue theatre. It was best known for its nude "tableaux vivants". Naked women would pose without moving, in front of a (mostly) male audience. The standing completely still avoided being censored by the authorities. Between these tableaux vivant sessions, comedians would attempt to entertain the audience while they were waiting for the next nude display. The comedians, before they became famous, who appeared at the Windmill included Jimmy Edwards, Harry Worth, Tony Hancock, Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe, Peter Sellers, Michael Bentine, Bruce Forsyth, Arthur English, and Tommy Cooper.
This style of entertainment began at The Windmill Theatre in 1932, and lasted until its change to a cinema in 1964.
If you want to find out more about The Windmill Theatre, use this link.
Continue walking along Brewer Street, and then turn into Lower James Street.
Walk up Lower James Street until you get to Golden Square. Turn left then right to walk through the middle of Golden Square.
Location 25
Golden Square
It quickly became a fashionable ambassadorial district in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. It also held the town house of the first Viscount Bolingbroke, a favourite of Queen Anne.
The statue of George II in the square was sculpted by John Nost in 1724, for the Duke of Chandos.
William Pitt the Elder was born in a house on the Square in 1708.
If you would like a more in-depth history of Golden Square, follow this link.
At the other side of the square, turn right, then turn left into Upper James Street.
When you get to where Upper James Street meets Beak Street, look up at the building straight ahead. There is an LLC Blue Plaque announcing that the famous artist Antonio Canal (Canaletto) lived here between 1697 and 1768.
RIGHT: The memorial plaque in Beak Street
Turn right into Beak Street and walk along. Second turning on the right is Pulteney Street. A few metres down Pulteny Street, on the left, is a plaque marking the place that composer Joseph Haydn lived in 1791.
Location 26
Dr John Snow Memorial Pump
In 1854 there was a severe outbreak of cholera that happened near Broad Street (now called Broadwick Street). This happened during the 1846–1860 cholera pandemic which was happening worldwide.
At this time, it was thought that there were particles in the air (called a "miasma") that spread the disease.
This particular outbreak, which happened here and killed 616 people, has become well known because of physician John Snow, who discovered that cholera was being spread through water supplies.
John Snow suspected that leaky cesspools were polluting the water pumps, and passing cholera to those who drank the water from those pumps .
Snow mapped cases of cholera in the local area, and noted where the water pumps that the people with cholera had been using were. The map showed that that cholera was being spread from a particular water supply. Then, by locking the polluted pump, the new cases of cholera were reduced.
The pub name and the model of a water pump outside it commemorate John Snow’s role in explaining the reasons for the spread of Cholera in London.
If you want a fuller description of the 1854 Broad Street cholera outbreak, follow this link.
Continue along Broadwick Street. Cross over Marshall Street, and remain on Broadwick Street. The street will become pedestrianised, and then meet Carnaby Street. Turn right into Carnaby Street.
Location 27
Carnaby Street
Carnaby Street’s name derives from Karnaby House, a mansion that was built here in 1683. The mansion was demolished about 50 years after it was built. The fact that Carnaby Street was recorded as being the site of a number of “pest” (meaning plague) houses at that time, might have been part of the reason for the mansion's brief life.
By the start of the 18th Century, Carnaby Street was made up mostly of small working class houses. In the 1820s, a street market was started here.
Carnaby Street, in the late 19th century, had a number of tailors working in it. This continued up to the early 1950s when it also had rag trade sweat shops, tailors, and some locksmiths.
In the middle of the 20th century, Carnaby Street started to get a reputation for cutting edge fashion. It was known as one of the top trendy places to buy clothes in the “Swinging” London period of the 1960s. The boutiques here included John Stephen’s men’s boutique, “His Clothes”. This attracted very high profile customers. These included members of new bands like The Small Faces, The Rolling Stones and The Who.
The first Cranks restaurant was opened at 22 Carnaby Street in 1961. Cranks grew into a chain, and was part of the spread of interest in vegetarianism in recent decades.
If you want to know more about Carnaby Street in the swinging sixties, follow this link.
Continue along Carnaby Street. When you get to the Liberty shop, Carnaby Street will veer to the right, and then meet Great Marlborough Street. Turn left into Great Marlborough Street, along the main frontage of the Liberty shop.
Location
Liberty of London
Arthur Lasenby Liberty decided to start Liberty in Regent Street, with a £2,000 loan, in 1875.
The first shop sold ornaments, fabric and objets d'art, especially from Japan and the East in general. In 1884, Liberty introduced the costume department, selling clothes. Carpets and furniture followed widening the range of products sold.
In 1889, Oscar Wilde, a regular client of the store, wrote "Liberty's is the chosen resort of the artistic shopper". During the 1890s, Liberty began selling goods in the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau styles.
Arthur Liberty died in 1917 but the Liberty shop continued to expand. The current Tudor style building was built In the 1920's. It was constructed from the timbers of two ships: HMS Impregnable and HMS Hindustan. It became a Grade II listed building in 1972.
Today Liberty is owned by a consortium of private equity groups led by Glendower Capital.
Turn right from Great Marlborough Street (opposite Liberty) into Argyll Street. Walk up Argyll Street until you come to the London Palladium theatre on the right.
Location 29
The London Palladium
The London Palladium was designed by famous theatre designer, Frank Matcham, and was opened in 1910 as a variety theatre, with an auditorium that holds 2,286 people.
Between 1955 and 1969 "Sunday Night at the London Palladium" was staged here, and was broadcast by the ITV network.
Today, the theatre hosts a range of performances, such as concerts, TV specials and Christmas pantomimes. It has hosted the Royal Variety Performance 43 times.
Here is a link to fuller history of the Palladium, and also two YouTube videos of Sunday Night at the London Palladium in the late 1950's. Here is Part 1 and Part 2.
Continue along Argyll Street, then turn left on to Oxford Street, towards Oxford Circus.
Location 30
Oxford Circus
Oxford Circus was designed as part of John Nash's work on Regent Street. Circuses had become popular in English architecture. Most of the buildings built around the circus were designed in a Palladian style. They featured fluted Corinthian pilasters and artificial stone capitals. This style continued down Regent Street.
Oxford Circus opened in 1819. It was originally known as Regent Circus North (with Piccadilly Circus named Regent Circus South). The current name began to be used around 1836.
In the Victorian era, the area became known as a place to purchase mourning clothing and accessories. In 1880, there were mourning shops that sold mourning clothes, fabrics and accessories in all of the shop spaces in the southwest quadrant of the circus.
The buildings around Oxford Circus are constructed of Portland stone. They have a steel frame and slate roofs. They have been Grade II listed since 1973.
Here is a link to information about Oxford Circus, if you want to read more about it's history.
End of walk - From here you can get a tube train from the Oxford Circus Tube Station, walk further down Oxford Street to Bond Street Station, or walk back down Oxford Street to Tottenham Court Road Station.
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