Covent Garden
November 4, 2009
Quick Facts | What’s the Story? | Photos | Entertain Me
| Try Eating and Drinking @ | Digging Deeper
Quick Facts
- Covent Garden station is served by the Piccadilly Line.
- The station opened in 1907, four months after the rest of the stations on the line.
- The distance between Leicester Square station and Covent Garden station is the shortest distance between any two adjacent tube stations on the network.
- Four lifts and an emergency spiral staircase provide exit access from the station. The staircase has 193 steps – a good challenge for the fit and able.
- The station is thought to be haunted by the ghost of actor William Terriss.
- In the past, Covent Garden was famous for being the site of a fruit and vegetable market. The original market opened in 1661 and continued trading until it was moved to Nine Elms in Vauxhall in 1974 and renamed the ‘New Covent Garden’ market.
- Covent Garden piazza was designed by architect Inigo Jones in 1632 and based on an Italian piazza in Tuscany.
- The first Punch and Judy show (or at least first recorded mention of such) took place in the square in 1662. Hence the Punch and Judy pub.
- The Theatre Royal on Drury Lane was the first venue to permit women to perform on stage in England.
- Covent Garden is home to the Royal Opera House, St. Paul’s Church and the London Transport Museum.
What’s the story?
A Convent Garden
The Covent Garden area was originally a walled kitchen garden owned by the monks of Westminster Abbey. The name derives from the middle-English form of the word ‘convent’. The monks used the garden to grow food for their daily meals but over time it became a popular source of fruit and vegetables for the rest of the city. Ownership of the area changed hands several times before its significant redevelopment in the seventeenth century.
La Bella Piazza
In the early seventeenth century, the Earl of Bedford (the owner of the area at the time) commissioned respected architect Inigo Jones to design a redevelopment of the area. Jones was inspired by the Italian piazzas he had seen during his grand tour of Europe and created an elegant arcaded market place with the modest St. Paul’s church on the west side of the piazza.
Initially the redevelopment attracted an aristocratic crowd but the area quickly fell into disrepute as taverns and brothels sprang up around the market. It became a well known centre for prostitution and gambling; a playground for ‘gentlemen of pleasure’. It was cleaned up to some extent in the early 19th century and continued as a fruit and vegetable market until the next major redevelopment in the 1980s.
The Actors Church
On designing St Paul’s Church, Inigo Jones was instructed to make it ‘no fancier than a barn’ which accounts for its elegant simplicity. It’s known as ‘the actor’s church’ because of the number of theatres close by. Several actors, well known in their day, are buried in the church. There are also memorials to Charlie Chaplin, Noel Coward and Gracie Fields.
In 1662, Samuel Pepys wrote in his diary about an Italian puppet play performed under the portico of the church. It was to be the first recorded ‘Punch and Judy Show’ which is commemorated by an annual Punch and Judy festival held in the churchyard each May.
The area in front of the church featured in the opening scene of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion (later adapted to become My Fair Lady) and is now the main venue for modern street performers.
Doing it for the Girls: Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal on Drury Lane was the first place to permit women to perform on stage in England. The original theatre, built in 1663, was the first of four incarnations that have occupied the site. The most recent is owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber and is currently staging Oliver!
Seven Dials Treasure Hunt
Seven streets converge at this little junction just west of Neal Street. In the centre of the roundabout is a lean pillar with six blue sundials – it could be six because the original plan for the area had been for six streets or because the pillar itself was intended as the seventh dial. It was erected in 1693 but torn down in 1773, allegedly due to a rumour that there was treasure hidden underneath. In 1820, the remains of the original pillar were bought and resurrected in Weybridge, Surrey, as a memorial to Princess Frederica, Duchess of York. A replica was restored on the seven dials roundabout in 1989.
The Royal Opera House
The site of the Royal Opera House was originally home to the Covent Garden Theatre which opened in 1732. Ballet was performed here as well as several of Handel’s operas. The theatre burned down in 1808 and a second version was built and opened in 1809. Ticket price increases caused ongoing riots until management finally gave in. 1837 also saw the first use of limelight during a pantomime. The limelight form of stage lighting, discovered by Goldsworthy Gurney, exploited a chemical reaction to create an intensely bright light used to highlight actors.
After a dispute, the company at Her Majesty’s Theatre in the Haymarket moved to Covent Garden and the theatre was reopened as the Royal Italian Opera. Another fire destroyed the building in 1856 and the third incarnation eventually became The Royal Opera House. Extensive refurbishments in the 1990’s added improvements and an extension that make the building what it is today – a world class opera venue.
Bow Street Runners
A magistrates court was established on Bow Street in 1748. Author Henry Fielding was one of the magistrates there and helped to establish the Bow Street Runners, the first paid police force in Britain. They were tasked with cleaning up the area though the force was never bigger than 12 men.
They continued to operate for about ten years after the establishment of the Metropolitan Police in 1829. The court itself closed in 2006 and is now a hotel.
Most haunted
Covent Garden Underground station is thought to be haunted by the ghost of actor William Terriss who was stabbed to death on the Strand in 1897. The actor is said to have regularly visited a bakery which stood on the site where the station is now.
Underground staff have been reporting sightings of a ghostly male figure at the station as far back as the 1950s. He also reportedly appeared in the staff room which prompted many workers to request a transfer.
80s Revival
By the 1960’s traffic congestion around the market area was at an unsustainable level. Plans to flatten the area and use the space for office developments were considered but met with passionate public opposition. Eventually Robert Carr, the Home Secretary at the time, stepped in and gave many of the surrounding buildings listed status, thus preventing significant redevelopment.
When the market finally moved to Vauxhall in 1974, Covent Garden was left in a state of limbo until it reopened as an arts-and-crafts orientated shopping centre and tourist attraction in 1980.
A Juggling Act
The market association has to pay a hefty fee to the government for the license which allows the Covent Garden performers to strut their stuff. Because of this they get to choose who performs and who doesn’t, giving them the right to put on their Simon Cowell hats and hold their own X Factor style auditions.
Photos
Entertain Me!
London Transport Museum
Covent Garden Piazza
Open daily. Adults £10. Children under 16 free.
Museum dedicated to London’s colourful transport heritage. Between 2005-2007 the museum was closed for refurbishments and is now better than ever. Visit for the collections of vehicles and posters and to learn about how the tube has evolved. The shop is also the best source for all things London Underground.
http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk
Watch the street performers
The acts do vary in quality but some are fantastic. The biggest pitch is in front of St Paul’s church where the entertainers can draw a large crowd.
It doesn’t cost you anything to watch but you are encouraged to make a donation afterwards.
http://www.coventgardenlondonuk.com/events-entertainment-culture/street-performers/page/1
Shopping!
Shop your socks off in the market, the surrounding shops and on Neal Street to the north of the piazza and station.
http://www.sevendials.co.uk/
http://www.coventgardenlife.com/shopping/shopping.asp
St. Paul’s Church
Bedford Street, WC2
See website for opening times.
The Actors Church. Pop in and have a look at the memorials. You can also catch a service if you fancy it.
http://www.actorschurch.org/
Royal Opera House
Covent Garden, WC1E 9DD
World class music and dance performances.
See website for latest events, tickets and prices.
http://www.roh.org.uk/
Theatre Royal
Currently showing Oliver!
See the website for performance times and ticket prices.
http://www.theatreroyaldrurylane.co.uk/
Try Eating and Drinking @
Lamb and Flag
33 Rose Street, WC2E 9EB
Built in 1623, this is a very old pub and well worth a visit for a drink. Gets crowded but great historic atmosphere.
Belgo Centraal
50 Earlham Street, WC2H 9LJ
Well known for its wide selection of beers and good quality mussels, Belgo’s also offers other tasty Belgian fare. Large communal tables make for a good atmosphere for dinner with friends.
http://www.belgo-restaurants.co.uk/
Fire and stone
31-32 Maiden Lane, WC2E 7JS
Good quality pizza and pasta in a lively venue.
http://www.fireandstone.com/coventgarden/restaurant/index.asp
Navajo Joe
34 King Street, WC2E 8JD
Housed in a converted warehouse, Navajo Joe’s emphasis is on funky décor, ‘loud food and spicy music’. Large collection of tequilas, mezcals and rums.
http://www.navajojoe.co.uk/
Patisserie Valerie
15 Bedford Street, WC2E 9HE and 80 Long Acre WC2E 9NG
Popular café chain with classic French feel. Continental breakfasts, light lunches and beautiful cakes.
http://www.patisserie-valerie.co.uk/
Porterhouse
Popular and unpretentious Irish pub. Good for relaxed drinking, watching sport and regular live music.
http://www.porterhousebrewco.com/coventgarden.html
Roadhouse
35 The Piazza, WC2E 8BE
Rowdy drinking spot with an American-style diner. Popular happy hour 5.30-7.30 (Mon – Sat). Unpretentious, fun night out.
http://www.roadhouse.co.uk/
Rock & Sole Plaice
47 Endell Street, WC2H 9AJ
Well-fried fish and big chunky chips. Popular with tourists and locals.
The Ivy
1 West Street, WC2H 2NQ
Modern European food and well-known celebrity haunt. Be prepared to book up to a month in advance. Considered overrated by some.
http://www.the-ivy.co.uk/
Digging Deeper
Roman burials
There are indications of settlement in the area from as early as Roman times, though this would have been on the outskirts of Londinium. The most significant evidence comes from a Roman grave discovered during excavations which took place as part of a building project at nearby St Martin-in-the-Fields church in 2006.
Ludenwic and Aldwych
The Covent Garden area was a central part of the Saxon settlement of Ludenwic (Saxon London). Evidence suggests that the Saxons deliberately chose to avoid the ruins of Londinium, preferring instead to set up a new settlement further west.
Ludenwic is well-documented as a thriving Saxon trading port. Animal bones and shells discovered during excavations suggest that the area was a market centre even further back than we may imagine.
After the Viking raids in the 9th century, settlement did eventually relocate back to the original Roman city and Ludenwic was renamed Aldwych or ‘old town/settlement’.
Under the London Transport Museum
Excavations under the London Transport Museum in 2004 (carried out when the basement was extended) uncovered a Saxon cemetery. Artefacts found in the graves indicated that Ludenwic was relatively wealthy from the early stages of settlement. They also suggested that the settlement was 100 years older than previously thought (dating back to 550).
Tags: Covent Garden, London Transport Museum, piazza, Royal Opera House, St Paul's Church, Theatre Royal, Tube station, Underground station
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