The Underground Map

The Underground Map is a project which is creating street histories for the areas of London and surrounding counties lying inside the M25.

Amersham

In a series of maps from the 1750s until the 1950s, you can see how London grew from a city which only reached as far as Park Lane into the post war megapolis we know today. There are now over 85 000 articles on all variety of locations including roads, houses, schools, pubs and palaces.

You can begin exploring by choosing a place from the dropdown list at the top.

As maps are displayed, click on the markers to view location articles.

Latest on The Underground Map...

Amersham

Amersham is a market town 27 miles north west of London, in the Chiltern Hills, England. It is part of the London commuter belt. Amersham is split into two distinct areas: Old Amersham, set in the valley of the River Misbourne, which contains the 13th century parish church of St. Mary’s and several old pubs and coaching inns; and Amersham-on-the-Hill, which grew rapidly around the railway station in the early part of the 20th century.

Records date back to pre-Anglo-Saxon times, when it was known as Egmondesham.

In 1200 Geoffrey, Earl of Essex obtained a charter for Amersham allowing him to hold a Friday market and a fair on 7 and 8 September. In 1613 a new charter was granted to Edward, Earl of Bedford, changing the market day to Tuesday and establishing a statute fair on 19 September.

The area of the town now known as Amersham on the Hill was referred to as Amersham Common until after the arrival of the Metropolitan Line in 1892. After this date growth of the new area of the town gradually accelerated, with much work being done by the arch...

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NOVEMBER

2023

Yiewsley
Yiewsley is a large suburban village in the London Borough of Hillingdon Yiewsley’s transition from an agrarian community began when the Grand Junction Canal was opened. Construction started in May 1793 and connected the area to the Thames at Brentford, passing through Yiewsley on its way north following the River Colne. An aqueduct was built at Cowley Lock to cross the Fray’s River. In 1794, the canal opened between the Thames and Uxbridge, and in 1795, the aqueduct over the Fray’s River was likely completed.

The following year, in 1796, Colham Wharf, Yiewsley’s first dock, was established near Colham Bridge. In 1801, the Paddington Arm of the canal opened, connecting the area to national trade routes.

The canal played a vital role in transporting Cowley stock bricks, which were made from the abundant brick-earth in Yiewsley. The bricks were transported mainly along the Grand Junction Canal and the Regent’s Canal to supply the demand for building materials in Victorian London.

By t...
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NOVEMBER

2023

South Harrow
South Harrow originally spread south and west from the hamlet of Roxeth as a result of easier access from Central London by rail In the 1890s, the Metropolitan District Railway, which later became the District Line but was operating as an independent company at the time, recognised the inadequate service to Uxbridge and Harrow. To address this, they proposed the construction of a railway line towards both towns, and this led to the formation of the Ealing & South Harrow Railway. The railway line was intended to extend to South Harrow, which was then a rural area located to the south of Roxeth.

Construction of the railway line was completed by 1899, but the District Line faced financial difficulties that delayed its opening until 1903. Consequently, South Harrow became the terminus of a line extending from Park Royal & Twyford Abbey. The location around Northolt Road subsequently developed into South Harrow’s own commercial and residential hub.

The original station building was approximately 170 metres south of the present-day station. This extension marked a significant miles...
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SEPTEMBER

2023

Great Portland Street
Great Portland Street is a London Underground station near Regent’s Park Great Portland Street station was opened on 10 January 1863 as Portland Road, renamed Great Portland Street and Regents Park in 1923 and changed to its present name on 1 March 1917.

The station’s present structure, constructed in 1930, is situated on a traffic island at the intersection of Marylebone Road, Great Portland Street and Albany Street. This building features a steel-framed design with a cream terracotta exterior. The station’s perimeter also houses shops and, in the past, included a car showroom with office spaces above it. Notably, Great Portland Street was a significant sales location for the motor industry. The station’s architectural design, credited to C.W. Fowler, earned it a Grade II listing in January 1987.

The area around Great Portland Street station offers various points of interest. Regent’s Park and the iconic BT Tower are nearby attractions. Additionally, the station’s proximity to Regen...
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SEPTEMBER

2023

Courtfield Gardens, SW5
Courtfield Gardens is named after the field beneath it, cultivated until the 19th century According to 16th-century records, Courtfield Gardens was built on a vast open meadow known as Great Courtfield. This meadow was surrounded by fertile land and small farms and was part of a large area of land that extended from Cromwell Road to The Old Brompton Road in one direction, and from Gloucester Road to Earl’s Court Road in the other direction. Great Courtfield was included in the Earl’s Court ’manor’.

During the 18th century, Earl’s Court House, a grand manor house, was constructed on the land that is now the western terrace of Barkston Gardens. This building replaced an extensive dwelling that was described in 1705 as having fountains, a marble-tiled dairy, engines for water, and impressive gates at its entrance.

In the 19th century, the area surrounding Courtfield Gardens was developed with rows of terraced houses, as the demand for housing in London grew. Earl’s Court House was demolished in the middle of th...
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LATEST LONDON-WIDE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PROJECT

Matthew Proctor Blackheath Grove, SE3 Added: 7 Dec 2023 17:36 GMT	Blackheath Grove, SE3 Road was originally known as The Avenue, then became "The Grove" in 1942. From 1864 there was Blackheath Wesleyan Methodist Chapel on this street until it was destroyed by a V2 in 1944 Reply
Peter Gambia Street, SE1 Added: 4 Dec 2023 07:05 GMT	Gambia Street, SE1 Gambia Street was previously known as William Street. Reply
Eileen Brecknock Road, N7 Added: 10 Nov 2023 09:42 GMT	Brecknock Road Pleating Company My great grandparents ran the Brecknock Road pleating Company around 1910 to 1920 and my Grandmother worked there as a pleater until she was 16. I should like to know more about this. I know they had a beautiful Victorian house in Islington as I have photos of it & of them in their garden. Source: Family history Reply
Squirrel’s Lane, IG9 Added: 6 Nov 2023 16:59 GMT	061123 Why do Thames Water not collect the 15 . Three meter lengths of blue plastic fencing, and old pipes etc. They left here for the last TWO Years, these cause an obstruction,as they halfway lying in the road,as no footpath down this road, and the cars going and exiting the park are getting damaged, also the public are in Grave Danger when trying to avoid your rubbish and the danger of your fences. Source: Squirrels Lane. Buckhurst Hill, Essex. IG9. I want some action ,now, not Excuses.MK. Reply
Christian Cornwall Road, W11 Added: 31 Oct 2023 10:34 GMT	Cornwall Road, W11 Photo shows William Richard Hoare’s chemist shop at 121 Cornwall Road. Reply
Vik Oaks Road, TW6 Added: 30 Oct 2023 18:48 GMT	Old pub sign from the Rising Sun Hi I have no connection to the area except that for the last 30+ years we’ve had an old pub sign hanging on our kitchen wall from the Rising Sun, Stanwell, which I believe was / is on the Oaks Rd. Happy to upload a photo if anyone can tell me how or where to do that! Reply
Phillip Martin Ashburnham Place, SE10 Added: 16 Oct 2023 06:25 GMT	16 Ashburnham Road On 15 October 1874 George Frederick Martin was born in 16 Ashburnham Road Greenwich to George Henry Martin, a painter, and Mary Martin, formerly Southern. Reply
Christine Bithrey Holly Park, N4 Added: 15 Oct 2023 15:20 GMT	The Hollies (1860 - 1900) I lived in Holly Park Estate from 1969 I was 8 years old when we moved in until I left to get married, my mother still lives there now 84. I am wondering if there was ever a cemetery within The Hollies? And if so where? Was it near to the Blythwood Road end or much nearer to the old Methodist Church which is still standing although rather old looking. We spent most of our childhood playing along the old dis-used railway that run directly along Blythwood Road and opposite Holly Park Estate - top end which is where we live/ed. We now walk my mothers dog there twice a day. An elderly gentleman once told me when I was a child that there used to be a cemetery but I am not sure if he was trying to scare us children! I only thought about this recently when walking past the old Methodist Church and seeing the flag stone in the side of the wall with the inscription of when it was built late 1880 If anyone has any answers please email me [email protected] Reply

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We now have 628 completed street histories and 46872 partial histories

DECEMBER

2022

John Street, WC1N
John Street was named for John Blagrave, carpenter to the Doughty family. John Street, located in the southeast of Bloomsbury, originally ran north from King’s Road to Little James Street. Its upper west side was developed by 1760, with houses numbered 34-36 surviving from this earliest phase. The rest was gradually completed around 1800. Horwood’s maps show the street extending north to connect with Doughty Street by the early 1800s, with a full set of houses between Little James Street and Henry Street (now Upper John Street) by 1819.

Horwood’s maps show consecutive numbering from south to north on the east side (2 to 10) and north to south on the west side (10 to 18), reflecting its planned upmarket development for the wealthy. In 1802, poet Winthrop Mackworth Praed was born at No. 35, home of his parents William Mackworth Praed and Elizabeth Winthrop.

In the Victorian era, the fine Georgian houses were converted into offices for charities, trades and professions. No. 30 housed the Ladies’ Charity Sch...
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DECEMBER

2022

Mornington Crescent to Euston walk
To a certain crowd, London’s best loved station .
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DECEMBER

2022

Gutters Hedge Farm
Gutters Hedge Farm was also known as Park Hill Farm. There were two farms grouped as Gutters Hedge farm.

Thomas Tilling (1825-93), founder of the London omnibus firm, was born at Gutters Hedge Farm in 1825 and started his business in Peckham.

Sir Francis Pettit Smith (1808-74), inventor of the screw propeller for ships, lived at Lower Guttershedge in the mid 19th century. He may have tested his inventions on the nearby Brent River.

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DECEMBER

2022

Decoy Farm
Decoy Farm was an 18th century building, which took its name from a nearby pond used as a duck decoy. The farmland of Decoy Farm was destroyed with the building of the North Circular Road in 1925. The building itself was demolished in 1935.
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DECEMBER

2022

Kensington Crescent, W14
The now-demolished Kensington Crescent was an unsuccessful development in the Warwick Gardens area. In July 1822, Lord Kensington leased approximately nine acres of land along the south side of Hammersmith Road to developer Adam Tirrell for a term of 99 years, with the annual rent set to increase over time. Tirrell quickly began construction of 14 substantial townhouses on the site, later known as Kensington Crescent. Tirrell was a speculator focused on quick returns.

Within a year, he had assigned the remainder of the land to G.T.R. Reynal, who was granted leases for 14 more townhouses on the crescent as well as the residual land. City merchant John Plaskett also had a financial stake, applying for sewer access for all 28 homes. Kensington Crescent originally consisted of two curved ranges of stucco-faced houses set back from the main road and separated by a street intended to connect to a network of smaller streets and 80 houses, though only a handful were built. The crescent’s design is attributable to Lord Kensington’s surveyor William Cutbush, whose ...
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DECEMBER

2022

Addison Gardens, W14
Addison Gardens stands on part of the Holland estate. Joseph Addison (1672-1719), poet, essayist and politician, lived at Holland House after his marriage to Lady Holland in 1716, hence the name.

In June 1849, Lord Holland took out a mortgage on Holland House and its grounds. This was the first of several such transactions over the next few years, likely done partly to raise funds for constructing roads and sewers on his property as he had pledged. That same month, Goddard started building houses in Addison Gardens and at the north ends of Addison Road and Holland Villas Road.

Goddard was able to lay the foundations for twelve houses and build one up to the second story before running into financial troubles. He eventually found it best to move himself and his family to mainland Europe. His creditors were hesitant to push for declaring bankruptcy, since there didn’t appear to be enough money left to even pay for the order.

In 1880, Addison Gardens absorbed Addison Gardens South.
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DECEMBER

2022

Cadogan Square, SW1X
Cadogan Square was built between 1877 and 1888, largely on the grounds of the Prince’s Club - it was briefly known as Pavilion Square. Cadogan Square stands as one of the most coveted residential addresses within London, and it ranks among the most exclusive and pricey locations in the entire United Kingdom. The square has an enclosed garden, accessible solely to its residents, encircled by elegant red-brick houses. Over time, many of these houses have undergone transformation into flats or apartments. Positioned to the south of Pont Street, east of Lennox Gardens, and west of Sloane Street, Cadogan Square is centrally located.

Within this enclave, Hill House operates its lower, middle, and upper schools catering to boys and girls aged five to ten. The institution affectionately refers to its location as ’Cadogan Gardens’. Additionally, another independent preparatory school, Sussex House School, was established at number 68 in 1952. The school occupies a historic house designed by architect Norman Shaw.

The square’s real estate mainly consists of apartments or flats wi...
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DECEMBER

2022

Regent Street, W1B
Regent Street dates from the 1810s and was named after the Prince Regent, later George IV. Regent Street runs from Waterloo Place in St James’s at the southern end, through Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus, to All Souls Church in the north.

It was laid out under the direction of the architect John Nash and James Burton, the whole layout being completed in 1825. It was an early example of town planning in England.
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DECEMBER

2022

Leytonstone
Leytonstone is an area of east London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest . The name Leytonstone, originally known as Leyton-Atte-Stone in early documents, may have originated from the large stone standing at the junction of Hollybush Hill and New Wanstead. In the 18th century, an obelisk was mounted on top of this stone, and there have been claims that it could be the remains of a Roman milestone.

Leytonstone station was opened on 22 August 1856 by the Eastern Counties Railway. It later became part of the Great Eastern Railway system in 1862 and then, in 1923, part of the London & North Eastern Railway before being transferred to London Transport in 1947. During the "New Works Programme 1935 - 1940," Leytonstone station underwent major changes as it became the junction of the existing Epping branch, which was newly electrified, and the new tube tunnel running under Eastern Avenue towards Newbury Park. As part of this work, the station was completely reconstructed, and the level crossing at Church Lane was replaced with an underbridge.»more

DECEMBER

2022

Priors Farm
Priors Farm was marked as Pryor Farm on Greenwood’s map of 1819 and as Priors Field on Rocque’s map dating from the mid eighteenth century. Priors Farm was originally about 160 acre. In 1841 it was occupied by Joseph Watson. He appears in the 1851 census at Gatehill Farm and was buried in Northwood churchyard.

It is a rare survivor of a farm within the contiguous urban area of London. Its fields have recently been used as part of the works for the HS2 project.
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DECEMBER

2022

Vauxhall Walk, SE11
Vauxhall Walk lies to the north of the Vauxhall area. The 1745 edition of Rocque’s map depicts Vauxhall Walk, also known as Lowner’s Lane, as a rural lane with hedges and fields on both sides. It extended from Lambeth Butts, which is now known as Black Prince Road, to Vauxhall Gardens.

In 1768, the Duchy of Cornwall granted a building lease of land on the western side of Vauxhall Walk to William Pace. As a result, 28 houses were constructed in the area. This marked the beginning of the transformation of the once rural lane into a more urban and residential part of the neighborhood.

Over time, further development and urbanization took place in the area, and Vauxhall Walk became more densely populated with residential buildings and other structures.

The south end became part of Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. Part of the south leg was renamed New Spring Gardens Walk.
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DECEMBER

2022

Blackfriars
Blackfriars station was opened on 30 May 1870, by the Metropolitan District Railway (MDR), now the District line. Blackfriars served as the new eastern terminus of the Metropolitan District Railway when their line was extended from Westminster. The construction of this MDR section was coordinated with the development of the Victoria Embankment, employing the cut and cover method to roof over a shallow trench.

Now the station spans the River Thames, occupying the entirety of the Blackfriars Railway Bridge. Since December 2011, there have been station buildings with passenger entrances on both sides of the river. Previously, only the north side had buildings and entrances. Adjacent to the rail bridge runs Blackfriars Bridge, a road bridge that runs parallel to it.

Blackfriars is named after a central London area in the southwest corner of the City of London. Its name dates back to 1317 and originates from the black capes (cappas) worn by the Dominican Friars. These friars relocated their priory from Holborn to the area between the River Thames and Ludgate Hill in 1276.
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DECEMBER

2022

Blackman Street, SE1
Blackman Street formed the southern portion of Borough High Street. Stow notes in 1633 that Blackman Street began at the southern end of Long Southwark near St George Southwark and moved south towards the Parish of St Mary Newington.

In 1720, Strype depicted it as a "broad, but the Buildings and Inhabitants not much to be boasted of; the End next to Newington hath the West side open to St. Georges Fields being rather a Road than a Street".

A century later, Blackman Street is described in the accompanying text of Tallis’ Views as "a broad, open street, principally consisting of well supplied tradesmen’s shops. Its thoroughfare is very considerable, it being the leading road to the south of England".

It was combined into Borough High Street in 1889.
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DECEMBER

2022

Mill Hill (The Hale)
Mill Hill (The Hale) railway station was a former station located near the current intersection of Bunns Lane and Lyndhurst Avenue. Mill Hill (The Hale) railway station was established as part of the Edgware, Highgate and London Railway (EH&LR) line, which was operated by the Great Northern Railway (GNR) starting from 22 August 1867. Initially known as The Hale Halt, the station opened on 11 June 1906 along the single track connecting Finchley Central and Edgware. The entire line spanned from Finsbury Park to Edgware, including branches to Alexandra Palace and High Barnet.

Mill Hill (The Hale) station was situated near the Midland Railway’s Mill Hill station (now Mill Hill Broadway), with the GNR’s tracks passing underneath those of the Midland Railway just south of Mill Hill station. A goods service was introduced on 18 July 1910.

Following the 1921 Railways Act, which led to the formation of the ’Big Four’ railway companies, the EH&LR line became part of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) in 1923. The station was renamed Mill Hill (The Hale) in 1928...
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DECEMBER

2022

Bushey Heath
The origins of Bushey Heath can be traced back to the Napoleonic Wars. The Napoleonic Wars was a period marked by severe food shortages. In an effort to address this problem, the government granted the wasteland east of Bushey to local landowners for agricultural purposes. This area, known as Bushey Common, was initially intended for food production. However, its proximity to a later railway and its elevated position, offering picturesque panoramic views, made it attractive to housing developers.

Growth was rapid during the 19th and particularly the 20th centuries. The pace of expansion eventually slowed due to the establishment of the Metropolitan Green Belt after the Second World War, which imposed restrictions on new developments in and around Bushey.

The implementation of the Metropolitan Green Belt legislation also played a role in the abandonment of the pre-war Edgware to Bushey Heath extension, part of the Northern Heights programme for the Northern Line underground railway. The stringent regulations of the Green Belt...
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DECEMBER

2022

The Northern Heights
A cancelled scheme would have extended the Northern Line from Edgware to Bushey Heath. When Harry Beck released his first diagrammatic map of the London Underground in 1933, a significant portion of the present-day Northern Line had already been constructed. By 1926, the Northern Line had already reached its current southern terminus at Morden and one of its northern termini at Edgware.

The name Northern for the line was officially adopted in 1937, and it was chosen to reflect the extensive network of extensions that were planned as part of the 1935-40 new works programme. These expansion plans were collectively referred to as the "Northern Heights" and were named after the elevated area in the northern part of London that the lines would pass through.

The plan included extending the line several additional miles to the north, utilising the route that had previously been intended for a railway but had not been constructed. During the 1860s, the Watford and Edgware Railway (W&ER) was founded with the intention of constructing a railway conne...
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DECEMBER

2022

Bethnal Green Road, E2
Bethnal Green Road was a Victorian invention. The western section of Bethnal Green Road was called Church Street after the church was built in 1743 but entry to Shoreditch was only through a narrow passageway until an Act of 1756.

By 1872 the western approach was again inadequate, since it was the main route from the developing Victoria Park district to the City. Replacing the 18th-century road with a 60 feet wide road farther south was also seen as a means of clearing slums in eastern Shoreditch.

The Metropolitan Board of Works obtained an Act in 1872 and opened the new road, called Bethnal Green Road throughout its length in 1879.
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DECEMBER

2022

Paradise Row, N16
The row of houses facing the Park at the western end of Stoke Newington Church Street until their absorption into Church Street were known as Paradise Row. Edward Newens, a bricklayer of Stoke Newington and Silvanus Horton, a London carpenter, took a lease of 3 acres of the Lloyd estate on the south side of Church Street, upon which they had built several houses by 1723. In 1738 it had become called Paradise Row.

In 1881, Paradise Row was listed as accommodating bankers, brokers, merchants and manufacturers. Starting from the 1880s, some of the nearby houses were converted into institutions such as St Mary’s mission house. There was minimal new construction until the 1930s. By 1934, the section of Church Street between the church and Green Lanes was described as "one of the most charming sites in London," but leases were expiring. Factories and flats were being constructed on the south side in Shelford Place. In 1936, the London County Council built flats on the sites of Glebe Place, Paradise House, and other houses in Paradise Row. The westernmost houses in the row, Vincent and Warwick houses, and Kennaway Hall, we...
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DECEMBER

2022

Clapham South
Clapham South tube station is one of eight London Underground stations with a deep-level air-raid shelter underneath it. Clapham South station was designed by Charles Holden and was opened on 13 September 1926 as the first station of the Morden extension of the City & South London Railway, which is now part of the Northern Line. Other proposed names for the station prior to opening were Balham North and Nightingale Lane.

In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, the Clapham Sect were a group of upper class evangelic Anglicans who lived around the Common. They included William Wilberforce, Henry Thornton and Zachary Macaulay, father of the historian Thomas Macaulay. They were very prominent in campaigns for the abolition of slavery, against child labour and for prison reform. They also promoted missionary activity in Britain’s colonies.

After the coming of the railways, Clapham developed as a suburb for daily commuters into central London, and by 1900, it had fallen from favour with the upper classes. Most of their grand houses had been demolis...
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DECEMBER

2022

Amwell Court Estate, N4
The Amwell Court Estate in Green Lanes was built by Stoke Newington council on a bomb site. The Amwell Court Estate took its name from the original source of the New River located in Hertfordshire.

In 1950, the estate was inaugurated with a visit from Princess Margaret. The design was crafted by the architects Howes & Jackman, who were commissioned by the council to create this residential development.

Bransby House was named after Dr John Bransby who ran the local Manor House School. Patten House was named after William Patten, the first Lord of the Manor of Stoke Newington and who repaired the old church in 1563
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DECEMBER

2022

Kensington Park Mews, W11
Kensington Park Mews lies off of Kensington Park Road. This small mews was originally constructed in the 1860s, as evidenced by its first appearance in the 1871 census. It was nestled between the rear gardens of houses in Blenheim Crescent and Westbourne Park Road. During its earliest years, the mews likely featured typical two-story houses with stables and coach-houses on the lower level, while the upper floors provided living quarters. The census records from the 19th century reveal that these properties were primarily occupied by coachmen and grooms, who undoubtedly served the residents of the more prestigious houses in the neighbouring streets.

As the era of horses and carriages gave way to automobiles, the ground floors of the mews were predominantly converted into garages and workshops. During the Second World War, five of the houses at the end of the mews were repurposed as industrial facilities for manufacturing structural steelwork in support of the war effort. By the war’s end, the mews had fallen into disre...
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DECEMBER

2022

South Kensington to Sloane Square walk
Museumland .
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DECEMBER

2022

Piccadilly Circus, W1J
Piccadilly Circus was laid out by John Nash in 1819. Piccadilly Circus is a road junction and public space located in London’s West End. It was constructed to connect Regent Street and Piccadilly. In this context, a "circus" refers to a round open space at a street junction.

Today, Piccadilly Circus serves as a bustling intersection that connects Piccadilly, Regent Street, Shaftesbury Avenue, the Haymarket, Coventry Street (leading to Leicester Square), and Glasshouse Street. Its central location near popular shopping and entertainment areas in the West End has made it a busy meeting place and a popular tourist attraction.

Piccadilly Circus is well-known for its distinctive features, including the prominent video display and neon signs on corner buildings. These vibrant displays have become iconic symbols of the location. Visitors can also find the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain and a statue of Anteros (often mistaken for Eros), which add to the appeal of the area.

Surrounded by notable ...
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DECEMBER

2022

Griffin Park
Griffin Park was a football ground in Brentford and the home ground of Brentford FC after it was built in 1904. It was known for being the only English league football ground to have a pub on each corner. The ground gets its name from the griffin, in the logo of Fuller’s Brewery, which at one point owned the orchard on which the stadium was built.

It comprised four stands. The home fans were allocated the Bees United Stand (the main stand, formerly known as the Braemar Road Stand) an all-seated single tier stand, the Ealing Road End, a covered terrace and the Bill Axbey Stand (formerly the New Road Stand), a single tier seated stand. Away fans were housed in the Brook Road Stand (aka ’The Wendy House’), a double-tiered stand, comprising terracing at the lower level and seating in the upper sections.

The highest-ever attendance at the ground was 38 678 when Brentford played Leicester City on 26 February 1949. At its closing, the ground had a capacity of 12 219.

Griffin Park is beneath the flight path of London Heathrow Airport and th...
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DECEMBER

2022

Capel Court, EC2R
On the east side of the Bank of England turn into Bartholomew Lane. Capel Court is off to the east. Capel Court has little to offer unless you happen to be involved in the lucrative profession of stockbroking. This short walkway, leading up to the entrance of the Stock Exchange is lined with modern offices; quite a different scene from that viewed by Sir William Capel as he looked out from his drapers shop around the turn of the 15th century. He was elected Lord Mayor in 1509 and during that year financed the building of a chapel adjoining the south side of St Bartholomew-by-the-Exchange. Six years later the members of his Company carried him out of his shop in a coffin and laid him to rest in his chapel.

Exchanging of stocks and shares saw its beginning in 1773 with a gathering of Stock Market brokers who met daily in Jonathon’s Coffee House, Change Alley. When City businessmen became hooked onto the idea of buying and selling stocks, and Jonathon got tired of his shop being used as an office, the brokers sought permanent premises. They settled for a central si...
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DECEMBER

2022

Mile End Road, E1
Mile End Road is an ancient route from London to the East, moved to its present alignment after the foundation of Bow Bridge in 1110. Mile End - more specifically the turnpike on Whitechapel Road at the crossroads with Cambridge Heath Road - was situated one mile from Aldgate; hence the name. It was first recorded in 1288 and known as Aldgatestrete. The area running alongside Mile End Road was known as Mile End Green, and became known as a place of assembly for Londoners, as reflected in the name of Assembly Passage.

During the medieval period, the Mile End Road was surrounded by expansive open fields. As the centuries progressed, speculative developments emerged, resulting in a mix of working-class and lower-class housing. This area often attracted immigrants and newcomers to the city seeking residence.

Notably, the Mile End Road played a significant role in the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, as Wat Tyler and his followers gathered here. Furthermore, in 1657, Oliver Cromwell granted permission for the establishment of a Jewish cemetery along the Mile End Road.

St...
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DECEMBER

2022

Exmouth Market, EC1R
Exmouth Market, formerly Exmouth Street, is semi-pedestrianised - the location of an outdoor street market. Exmouth Market, located in Clerkenwell, was originally known as Spa Fields, the area saw the rise of tea gardens and leisure attractions in the late 17th century. As these attractions declined, house-building gained momentum in the latter half of the 18th century.

Exmouth Market holds a significant place in the neighbourhood, with its historical roots extending back to the 1760s. It served as a vital dividing line between early house-building and subsequent extensive development following the Napoleonic Wars. The street’s topographical connection to the old Spa Fields area creates a sense of continuity.

One notable feature is Wilmington Square, which was conceived in 1817 and became the centrepiece of a collection of new streets. Named in honor of Admiral Lord Exmouth, renowned for his role in the Battle of Lake Champlain, the square stands as a testament to the area’s history. Exmouth Market is home to architectural landmarks such as Tecton&r...
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DECEMBER

2022

Sutton High Street, SM1
What is now known as Sutton High Street was previously a turnpike road from London to Brighton. Carshalton Road, also known as Cheam Road, played a significant role as a major road in Sutton, connecting a series of ancient towns between Croydon and Guildford. Due to its importance, it was designated as a turnpike road. At the crossroads where Carshalton Road met ’Cock Hill’ (now the High Street), stood the Cock Hotel. This establishment, situated on the corner, was one of only two coaching inns in Sutton, the other being the Greyhound further down the High Street. These inns served as resting places for horses, offered refreshments to passengers, and provided a location for changing horses during their journeys.

The original Cock Hotel and Cock ’Tap’ were constructed shortly after 1755 and remained in that location until 1896. At that time, the old Cock Tap beer house was demolished, making way for the construction of the "new" Cock Hotel. During a transitional period, both the old and new hotels coexisted on the site before the old hotel w...
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DECEMBER

2022

Drayton Park
Drayton Park station is in Islington, just off the Holloway Road near its southern end. It stands in the shadow of Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. Drayton Park station was opened by the Great Northern & City Railway (GN&CR) on 14 February 1904. The GN&CR was established to create a route for Great Northern Railway (GNR) trains between Finsbury Park and the stations of the Metropolitan Railway (MR) and City & South London Railway at Moorgate. Except for Drayton Park station and the former depot, which are located in a deep cutting, the railway was constructed as a tube tunnel. The tunnels were designed with a larger diameter than other deep-tube railways to accommodate GNR main-line trains. A disagreement between the two companies prevented the GN&CR from connecting its tunnels to the GNR platforms at Finsbury Park. As a result, the GN&CR tunnels terminated beneath the main-line station without a direct surface connection. Rolling stock accessed the line through a yard connection at Finsbury Park.

In 1913, the MR took over the GN&CR, and the line operated under the MR name until it became part of the London Passeng...
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DECEMBER

2022

Stanley Gardens Mews, W11
Stanley Gardens Mews existed between 1861 and the mid 1970s. Today, only the entrance through an arch on the left side of St Peter’s Church in Kensington Park Road and a section of the old cobbled road beneath the arch serve as reminders of the once-existing Stanley Gardens Mews. The arch exhibits charming ironwork decorations.

Originally, the mews was a typical setup with small units on both sides. These units comprised stables with accommodations above, situated behind the Victorian terrace spanning Nos. 92-110 Kensington Park Road. The mews, consisting of a total of 15 units, likely dates back to 1861, coinciding with the construction of the neighboring houses in this section of Kensington Park Road, as evidenced by its appearance on the 1863 Ordnance Survey map.

By the conclusion of World War II, the condition of the mews had significantly deteriorated. Nos. 11 and 12, the two houses directly behind the 20th Century Theatre (formerly known as the Victoria Hall), were owned by the theater and had served as...
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DECEMBER

2022

Canada Water
Canada Water is a freshwater lake and wildlife refuge in Rotherhithe. Canada Water tube, Overground and bus station is named after the lake. The area surrounding the station, which constitutes the town centre of Rotherhithe, has increasingly become known as Canada Water, owing to both the transportation interchange and the body of water itself.

The lake derives its name from the former Canada Dock, of which Canada Water represents the surviving northern portion. The dock primarily served ships from Canada. Like much of the Docklands, the Surrey Commercial Docks ceased operations in the 1970s. In the 1980s, the London Docklands Development Corporation took charge and invested significantly in the area’s redevelopment. Approximately half of Canada Dock was filled in, and the Surrey Quays Shopping Centre was constructed atop it. The remaining section was transformed into the present lake and wildlife sanctuary. An ornamental canal called Albion Channel was created, connecting Canada Water to Surrey Water, with the excavated soil used to form Stave Hill in the nearby Russia Dock Woodland.

Af...
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