Wyld’s Great Globe

Point of interest in/near Leicester Square, existed between 1851 and 1862

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Point of interest · * · WC2H ·
MARCH
21
2017
Wyld’s Great Globe was an attraction situated in Leicester Square between 1851 and 1862.

It was constructed by James Wyld (1812–1887), a distinguished mapmaker and former Member of Parliament for Bodmin.

At the centre of a purpose-built hall was a giant globe, 60 feet 4 inches in diameter. The globe was hollow and contained a staircase and elevated platforms which members of the public could climb in order to view the surface of the earth on its interior surface, which was modelled in plaster of Paris, complete with mountain ranges and rivers all to scale. Punch described the attraction as "a geographical globule which the mind can take in at one swallow." In the surrounding galleries were displays of Wyld’s maps, globes and surveying equipment.

Wyld originally proposed that the globe should be constructed at the Great Exhibition, but its size and Wyld’s desire to run it as a promotional venture precluded it from being featured inside the Crystal Palace, so Wyld negotiated with the owners of the gardens of Leicester Square, and after much wrangling secured an agreement to site it there for ten years. The exhibition hall and model of the Earth were hastily constructed to coincide with the Great Exhibition.

In its first year the Great Globe was a resounding success, with visitor numbers second only to those of the Great Exhibition, but from 1852 onwards public interest in the attraction slowly waned. Though the novelty of a concave globe continued to win accolades for Wyld, he was faced with competition from other educational attractions, and had to adapt the entertainments on offer in order to maintain visitor numbers. Wyld held topical exhibitions and gave lectures on current events, and attempted to transfer ownership of the attraction to the "Cosmos Institute" to establish a national geographic and ethnological museum. In 1862, when Wyld’s agreement for the use of the land expired, the exhibition hall was removed and the globe broken up and sold for scrap. The complicated ownership of Leicester Square gardens, combined with Wyld’s failure to honour his agreement to restore the gardens after the removal of the exhibition building, led to extensive legal wrangling and questions in Parliament. Wyld finally sold his interests in the gardens, and in 1874 they were donated to the City of London.

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Charing Cross Charing Cross denotes the junction of the Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square
De Hems De Hems has become a base for London’s Dutch community, serving bitterballen and frikandellen.
Embankment Embankment underground station has been known by various names during its long history - including, indeed, ’Embankment’.
Hungerford Stairs The Hungerford Stairs were the entrance point to Hungerford Market from the River Thames. They are now the site of Charing Cross railway Station.
Leicester Square Leicester Square, while indeed a square, is also the name for a tube station.
L’Escargot L’Escargot is one of London’s oldest restaurants.
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Piccadilly Circus Piccadilly Circus was built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with the major shopping street of Piccadilly.
Queen’s Theatre The Queen’s Theatre is located in Shaftesbury Avenue on the corner of Wardour Street.
Soho Soho is a world-famous area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London.
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Wyld’s Great Globe Wyld’s Great Globe was an attraction situated in Leicester Square between 1851 and 1862.

NEARBY STREETS
Adam Street, WC2N Adam Street is named after John and Robert Adam, who built the Adelphi development in the 1760s (Charing Cross)
Adelaide Street, WC2R Adelaide Street was named for Queen Adelaide, Consort to King William IV (Charing Cross)
Agar Street, WC2N Agar Street is named after George Agar, who built the street in the 1830s with John Ponsonby, Earl of Bessborough (Charing Cross)
Air Street, SW1Y Air Street was the most westerly street in London when newly built in 1658 (Piccadilly Circus)
Air Street, W1B Air Street’s name is believed to be a corruption of ‘Ayres’, after Thomas Ayre, a local brewer and resident in the 17th century (Soho)
Apple Tree Yard, SW1Y Apple Tree Yard is thought named after the apple trees formerly to be found here (St James’s)
Archer Street, W1D Archer Street was Arch Street in 1675, Orchard Street in 1720 and Archer Street by 1746 (Soho)
Arlette House, W1F Arlette House is a block on Meard Street (Soho)
Babmaes Street, SW1Y Babmaes Street was originally called Wells Street (St James’s)
Banbury Court, WC2E Banbury Court is named for Nicholas Knollys, 3rd Earl of Banbury, who owned a house here called Banbury House (Covent Garden)
Bateman Street, W1D Bateman Street was named for Sir James Bateman, local landowner and Lord Mayor of London in the 1670s (Soho)
Bateman’s Buildings, W1D Bateman’s Buildings runs north from Bateman Street (Soho)
Beak Street, W1F Beak Street is named after Thomas Beake, one of the Queen’s messengers (Soho)
Bear Street, WC2H Bear Street is a streetname with two possible derivations (Leicester Square)
Bedford Chambers, WC2E Bedford Chambers is one of the streets of London in the WC2E postal area (Covent Garden)
Bedford Street, WC2E Bedford Street was named after local 18th century landowners the Russell family, earls/dukes of Bedford (Covent Garden)
Bedfordbury, WC2N Bedfordbury is one of the streets of London in the WC2N postal area (Covent Garden)
Berwick Road, W1F Berwick Road is one of the streets of London in the W1F postal area (Soho)
Berwick Street, W1F Berwick Street commemorates the Duke of Berwick, an illegitimate son of James II (Soho)
Blore Court, W1F Blore Court - situated at 3 Berwick Street - was built over after the Second World War (Soho)
Bourchier Street, W1D Bourchier Street was formerly, Hedge Lane, Milk Alley and Little Dean Street (Soho)
Brewer Street, W1D Brewer Street runs west to east from Glasshouse Street to Wardour Street (Soho)
Brewer Street, W1F Brewer Street is one of the streets of London in the W1F postal area (Soho)
Bridle Lane, W1B Abraham Bridle, carpenter, was lessee in the 1680s (Soho)
Broad Court, WC2E Broad Court is an alleyway parallel with Long Acre (Covent Garden)
Broadwick Street, W1F Broadwick Street runs west-east between Marshall Street and Wardour Street, crossing Berwick Street (Soho)
Broughton House, W1S Broughton House is located on Sackville Street (Piccadilly Circus)
Brydges Place, WC2N Brydges Place replaced Taylor’s Buildings in 1904 when the Colloseum was built (Charing Cross)
Buckingham Street, WC2N Buckingham Street is named after George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham (Charing Cross)
Bull Inn Court, WC2E Bull Inn Court lies north off Strand (Covent Garden)
Burleigh Mansions, WC2H Burleigh Mansions dates from 1885 (Leicester Square)
Cambridge Circus, WC2H Cambridge Circus is the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road (Soho)
Canada House, SW1A Canada House is a Greek Revival building situated on Trafalgar Square (Charing Cross)
Cape Yard, W1D A street within the W1D postcode (Soho)
Carriage Hall, WC2E Carriage Hall is one of the streets of London in the WC2E postal area (Covent Garden)
Cecil Court, WC2N Cecil Court is a pedestrian street with Victorian shop-frontages (Leicester Square)
Central Arcade, WC2E Central Arcade is one of the streets of London in the WC2E postal area (Covent Garden)
Chandos Place, WC2N Chandos Place replaced the northern section of Chandos Street in 1938 (Charing Cross)
Chandos Street, WC2N Chandos Street (called Chandos Place after 1938), was named after the third Lord Chandos, the father-in-law of the fourth Earl of Bedford. (Charing Cross)
Chapone Place, W1D Hester Chapone lived No 8 Dean Street in the 1770s (Soho)
Charing Cross Mansions, WC2H Charing Cross Mansions is one of the mid 1880s block built around a widened Cecil Court (Leicester Square)
Charing Cross Road, WC2H Charing Cross Road is a street running immediately north of St Martin-in-the-Fields to St Giles Circus (Leicester Square)
Charing Cross, WC2N Charing Cross, long regarded as London’s central point, as an address is an enigma (Charing Cross)
Charles Court, WC2N Charles Court ran between Villiers Street and Hungerford Market (Charing Cross)
Charles II Street, SW1Y Charles II Street is named for the ’Merry Monarch’ (St James’s)
Chatham House, SW1Y Chatham House is a building on St James’s Square (St James’s)
Ching Court, WC2E While Ching Court has its origins in the 1690s, the modern layout dates from the early 1980s (Covent Garden)
Church Court, WC2N Church Court once led from Church Lane - now demolished - to Strand (Charing Cross)
Church Lane, WC2N Church Lane was once a small lane leading from the back of St-Martins-in-the-Fields church to the Strand (Charing Cross)
Church Place, SW1Y Church Place was named after the adjacent St James’s Church, Piccadilly (St James’s)
Cinema House, W1F Cinema House is a block on Wardour Street (Soho)
Clare Market, WC2E This is a street in the WC2E postcode area (Covent Garden)
Clydesdale Bank House, W1J Clydesdale Bank House is a block on Piccadilly (Piccadilly Circus)
Cockspur Court, SW1A Cockspur Court runs west for a short section from Spring Gardens (Charing Cross)
Cockspur Street, SW1A Cockspur Street is possibly after the cock fighting that formerly occurred here, cocks often having spurs attached to their feet during fights (Charing Cross)
Covent Garden, WC2E Covent Garden, is the name of a district, but also the name of the central square which formerly hosted a fruit-and-vegetable market (Covent Garden)
Coventry Street, W1D Coventry Street is a short street connecting Piccadilly Circus to Leicester Square. On the London Monopoly board, it was named after the politician Henry Coventry, secretary of state to Charles II (Leicester Square)
Craig’s Court, SW1A Craig’s Court is an alleyway off Whitehall (Charing Cross)
Cranbourn Street, WC2H Cranbourne Street was named after local landowner the Earl of Salisbury, Viscount Cranbourn (Cranbourne) after the town in Dorset. (Leicester Square)
Craven Passage, WC2N Craven Passage is named after William Craven, 3rd Baron Craven, who owned the land when the street was built in the 1730s (Charing Cross)
Craven Street, WC2N Craven Street is named after William Craven, 3rd Baron Craven, who owned the land when the street was built in the 1730s (Charing Cross)
Creston House, W1F Creston House is a block on Great Pulteney Street (Soho)
D’Arblay House, W1F D’Arblay House is located on D’Arblay Street (Soho)
Dalmeny Court, SW1Y Dalmeny Court is a block on Duke Street (St James’s)
Dansey Place, W1D Dansey Place was formerly named George Yard, after a pub adjacent called the George and Dragon (Soho)
Dansey Yard, W1D George Yard was renamed Dansey Yard after 1884 (Soho)
Dean Street, W1D Dean Street is a historically rich thoroughfare that extends from Oxford Street to Shaftesbury Avenue. (Soho)
Denman House, W1J Denman House is a block on Piccadilly (Piccadilly Circus)
Denman Street, W1J Denman Street - formerly Queen Street - was named after Dr Thomas Denman midwifery pioneer in 1862 (Piccadilly Circus)
Duck Lane, W1F Duck Lane was possibly known for duck baiting (Soho)
Dufours Place, W1F Paul Dufour was the lessee of this land from Pulteney in 1720s (Soho)
Duke Of York Street, SW1Y Duke Of York Street runs between Jermyn Street and St James’s Square (St James’s)
Duke Street St James’s, SW1Y Duke Street St James’s is named after James II, Duke of York when the street was built and brother to Charles II, king at the time (St James’s)
Duncannon Street, WC2N Duncannon Street connects Trafalgar Square and Strand (Charing Cross)
Durham House Street, WC2N Durham House Street was the former site of a palace belonging to the bishops of Durham in medieval times. (Charing Cross)
Eagle Place, SW1Y Eagle Place lies off Piccadilly (Piccadilly Circus)
Earlham Street, WC2H Earlham Street is one of the spokes leading off of Seven Dials (Covent Garden)
Egmont House, WC2H Egmont House is a block on Shaftesbury Avenue (Soho)
Embankment Place, WC2N Embankment Place runs from Villiers Street, under a railway arch, on to Northumberland Avenue (Embankment)
Europa House, W1F Europa House is a block on Great Marlborough Street (Soho)
Excel Court, WC2H Excel Court is one of the streets of London in the WC2H postal area (St Giles)
Exchange Court, WC2E Exchange Court leads south from Maiden Lane (Covent Garden)
Flaxman Court, W1D Flaxman Court was formerly Meard’s Passage and Swan Yard. (Soho)
Floral Court, WC2E Floral Court is a location in London (Covent Garden)
Floral Street, WC2E Floral Street is one of the streets of London in the WC2E postal area (Covent Garden)
Frith Street, W1D Frith Street is named after Richard Frith, a local builder (Soho)
Garrick Street, WC2E Garrick Street is the northern extension of Bedford Street running up to Long Acre and Cranbourne Street (Covent Garden)
Garrick Yard, WC2E Garrick Yard, together with the more familiar Garrick Street to the northeast of here, both took their names from the Garrick Club which commemorates the famous 18th century actor, David Garrick. (Covent Garden)
George Court, WC2N George Court is named after George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham (Charing Cross)
Gerrard Place, W1D Gerrard Place was known as Nassau Street until 1910 (Soho)
Gerrard Street, W1D Gerrard Street is the main street of Chinatown (Soho)
Glasshouse Street, W1B Glassmaking or Salt Petre manufacturing took place here from the 1670s (Soho)
Golden House, W1F Golden House is a block on Great Pulteney Street (Soho)
Golden Square, W1B Golden Square is a historic Soho square, dating from the 1670s (Soho)
Goodwins Court, WC2N Goodwins Court connects Bedfordbury with St Martin’s Lane (Covent Garden)
Grafton Street, W1D Grafton Street took its name from Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Grafton, Charles II’s illegitimate son by Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland. (Leicester Square)
Grand Buildings, SW1A Grand Buildings replaced the Grand Hotel in 1986 (Charing Cross)
Great Newport Street, WC2H Great Newport Street is one of the streets of London in the WC2H postal area (Leicester Square)
Great Pulteney Street, W1F Great Pulteney Street is named for Sir William Pulteney, estate owner in the 1670s (Soho)
Great Windmill Street, W1F Great Windmill Street has had a long association with music and entertainment, most notably the Windmill Theatre (Soho)
Greek Court, W1D Greek Court is a tiny sealed-off alleyway named after a former Greek church established in 1670s (Soho)
Greek Street, W1D Greek Street leads south from Soho Square to Shaftesbury Avenue. (Soho)
Greens Court, W1D Greens Court is probably called after Thomas Green, paviour, lessee in 1685 (Soho)
Half Moon Street, WC2N Half Moon Street was an old name for the lower portion of Bedford Street (Charing Cross)
Ham Yard, W1D Ham Yard was the yard behind a 17th century pub called ’The Ham’ (Soho)
Hammer House, W1F Hammer House is a block on Wardour Street (Soho)
Hammersley House, W1B Hammersley House is a block on Warwick Street (Soho)
Hanover Place, WC2E Hanover Place is one of the streets of London in the WC2E postal area (Covent Garden)
Haymarket House, W1D Haymarket House is a block on Shaver’s Place (Piccadilly Circus)
Haymarket, SW1Y Haymarket – site of a former market selling hay until the 1830s (St James’s)
Heathcock Court, WC2E Heathcock Court runs north off Strand (Covent Garden)
Henrietta Street, WC2E Henrietta Street is one of the streets of London in the WC2E postal area (Covent Garden)
Hobhouse Court, WC2H Hobhouse Court is named after Sir John Cam Hobhouse, Victorian MP and arts patron (Leicester Square)
Hog Lane, WC2H Hog Lane was a lane that went from St Giles’ leper hospital (set up in the 12th century) to the monument to Eleanor at Charing Cross. (St Giles)
Holland Street, W1F Holland Street is one of the streets of London in the W1F postal area (Soho)
Hop Gardens, WC2N Hop Gardens is a small courtyard (Covent Garden)
Hopkins Street, W1F Hopkins Street was most likely named after Richard Hopkins, plasterer, a lessee in 1709 (Soho)
Horse and Dolphin Yard, W1D Horse and Dolphin Yard once lay behind the Horse and Dolphin Inn (Soho)
Hudson’s Court, WC2N Hudson’s Court is one of the courtyards swept away by the building of Trafalgar Square and Duncannon Street during the 1830s (Charing Cross)
Huguenot House, WC2H Huguenot House is a block on Panton Street (Leicester Square)
Hungerford Lane, WC2N Hungerford Lane was a dark narrow alley that went alongside and then under Charing Cross Station (Charing Cross)
Husband Street, W1D Husband Street likely derived its name from Thomas Husbands, a painter (Soho)
Ingestre Court, W1F Ingestre Court is sited on Ingestre Place (Soho)
Ingestre Place, W1D In 1868, New Street and Husband Street were collectively renamed Ingestre Place. (Soho)
Irving Street, WC2H Irving Street is named after Henry Irving, the popular Victorian actor (Leicester Square)
James Street, WC2E James Street connects Covent Garden station with Covent Garden market (Covent Garden)
Jebsen House, WC2H Jebsen House is a block on Mercer Street (Covent Garden)
Jermyn Street, SW1Y Jermyn Street is the main east-west road of St James’s (St James’s)
John Adam House, WC2N John Adam House can be found on John Adam Street (Charing Cross)
John Adam Street, WC2N John Adam Street is named after John Adam, who built the Adelphi development with his brother Robert in the 1760s (Charing Cross)
Johnson’s Court, SW1A Johnson’s Court is a former courtyard next to Northumberland House (Charing Cross)
Jubilee Market, WC2E Jubilee Market is one of the streets of London in the WC2E postal area (Covent Garden)
Kemble House, W1D Kemble House is sited on Dean Street (Soho)
Kemp’s Court, W1F Kemp’s Court is situated in the heart of Berwick Street Market where a line of stalls stretch down both sides of the road. (Soho)
King Street, SW1Y King Street leads from St James’s Street to St James’s Square (St James’s)
King Street, WC2E King Street is one of the streets of London in the WC2E postal area (Covent Garden)
Kinnaird House, SW1Y Kinnaird House is a block on Pall Mall (St James’s)
Kipling House, WC2N Kipling House is a block on Villiers Street (Charing Cross)
Lancaster Court, WC2N Lancaster Court was an old Strand courtyard, swept away in the 1830s (Charing Cross)
Langley Court, WC2E Langley Court is one of the streets of London in the WC2E postal area (Covent Garden)
Langley House, WC2E Langley House is a building on Long Acre (Covent Garden)
Langley Street, WC2H Langley Street is one of the streets of London in the WC2H postal area (Covent Garden)
Leicester Court, WC2H Ryders Court was renamed to Leicester Court in 1936 (Leicester Square)
Leicester Place, WC2H Leicester Place leads north from Leicester Square (Soho)
Leicester Square, WC2H Leicester Square is a central tourist attraction of London (Leicester Square)
Leicester Street, SW1Y Leicester Street was named after Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester, who purchased land in 1630 and erected a house (Leicester Square)
Lexington House, W1F Lexington House is a block on Lexington Street (Soho)
Lexington Street, W1D Lexington Street was named in 1885 after Robert Sutton Baron ’Lexinton’, the 17th century inheritor of the Pulteney estate (Soho)
Lisle Street, W1D Lisle Street leads east from Wardour Street (Soho)
Litchfield Street, WC2H Litchfield Street is possibly named after Edward Lee, 1st Earl of Lichfield, who was brother-in-law of Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton and son of Charles II (Leicester Square)
Little Compton Street, W1D Little Compton Street was a street in Soho (Soho)
Little Newport Street, WC2H Little Newport Street was renamed as Newport Place in 1939 (Leicester Square)
Livonia Street, W1F Livonia Street was originally Bentinck Street, family name of owner the Duke of Portland (Soho)
Long Acre, WC2E Long Acre is one of the streets of London in the WC2E postal area (Covent Garden)
Lower James Street, W1B Lower James Street leads southeast out of Golden Square (Soho)
Lower John Street, W1B Lower John Street is the southwest exit of Golden Square (Soho)
Lower Regent Street, SW1Y Lower Regent Street is the name for the part of Regent Street which lies south of Piccadilly Circus (St James’s)
Lumley Court, WC2N The very narrow Lumley Court connects Strand and Maiden Lane (Charing Cross)
Macclesfield Street, W1D Macclesfield Street leads into Soho and Chinatown from the north (Soho)
Maiden Lane, WC2E Maiden Lane runs from Bedford Street in the west to Southampton Street in the east (Covent Garden)
Maidstone House, WC2H Maidstone House is sited on Mercer Street (Covent Garden)
Malta House, W1J Malta House is a building on Piccadilly (Piccadilly Circus)
Market Building, WC2E Market Building is a block on Covent Garden Piazza (Covent Garden)
Marlborough House, WC2H Marlborough House is a block on Earlham Street (Covent Garden)
Marshall Street, W1F Marshall Street was laid out for Lord Craven in 1733 (Soho)
Masons Yard, SW1Y Mason’s Yard was named for the local 18th century victualler Henry Mason (St James’s)
May’s Court, WC2N May’s Court is a road in the WC2N postcode area (Covent Garden)
Meard Street, W1D John Meard, the younger was a carpenter, later a landowner, who developed the street (Soho)
Mercer Street, WC2H Mercer Street is one of the streets of London in the WC2H postal area (St Giles)
Monmouth Street, WC2H Monmouth Street is one of the streets of London in the WC2H postal area (Covent Garden)
Moor Street, W1D Moor Street first appears by name in 1683 (Soho)
Nassau House, WC2H Nassau House is a block on Shaftesbury Avenue (Soho)
National House, W1D National House is located on Wardour Street (Soho)
National House, W1F National House is a block on Wardour Street (Soho)
Neal Street, WC2H Neal Street is one of the streets of London in the WC2H postal area (Covent Garden)
Neal’s Yard, WC2H Neals Yard is one of the most photographed places of London (Covent Garden)
New Row, WC2E New Row is one of the streets of London in the WC2N postal area (Covent Garden)
New Street, W1D New Street existed until 1868 (Soho)
New Zealand House, SW1Y New Zealand House is a block on Haymarket (St James’s)
Newport Court, WC2H Newport Court was laid out approximately on the site of the courtyard of Newport House (Leicester Square)
Newport Place, WC2H Newport Place was named after Mountjoy Blount, Earl of Newport (Isle of Wight), who owned a house on Newport Street in the 17th century (Leicester Square)
Norris Street, SW1Y Norris Street – after Godfrye Norris, local leaseholder in the 17th century (Piccadilly Circus)
Northumberland Avenue, WC2N Northumberland Avenue runs from Trafalgar Square in the west to the Thames Embankment. (Charing Cross)
Northumberland Court, SW1A Northumberland Court was a courtyard beside Northumberland House (Charing Cross)
Northumberland House, SW1A Northumberland House is a modern block on Northumberland Avenue sharing the same name as a notable house of Charing Cross (Charing Cross)
Northumberland Street, WC2N Northumberland Street commemorates the former Northumberland House, built originally in the 17th century for the earls of Northampton and later acquired by the earls of Northumberland. (Charing Cross)
Nottingham Court, WC2H Nottingham Court is one of the streets of London in the WC2H postal area (Covent Garden)
Oceanic House, SW1Y Oceanic House is a block on Pall Mall East (Charing Cross)
Odhams Walk, WC2H Odhams Walk is one of the streets of London in the WC2H postal area (Covent Garden)
Old Compton Street, W1D Old Compton Street is a road that runs east–west through Soho (Soho)
Orange Street, WC2H Orange Street gets its name from William III, Prince of Orange - the reigning king when the street was built. (Leicester Square)
Orion House, WC2H Orion House is a block on Upper St Martin’s Lane (Covent Garden)
Ormond Yard, SW1Y Ormond Yard was named after James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde, who owned a house next to this yard in the 17th century (St James’s)
Oxendon Street, W1D Oxendon Street, after Sir Henry Oxendon, husband of Mary Baker, daughter of Robert Baker who built the former Piccadilly House nearby (Leicester Square)
Pall Mall East, SW1A Pall Mall East is an eastern extension of Pall Mall towards Trafalgar Square (Charing Cross)
Pall Mall, SW1Y Pall Mall was laid out as grounds for playing pall mall in the 17th century (St James’s)
Panton Street, SW1Y Panton Street was named after Colonel Thomas Panton, local property dealer of the 17th century (Leicester Square)
Pargiter Court, W1F Pargiter Court is a block on Silver Place (Soho)
Peter Street, W1D Peter Street likely originated as a passage to the saltpetre house built around 1656, situated between Peter Street and Brewer Street. (Soho)
Phoenix House, WC2H Phoenix House is sited on Phoenix Street (St Giles)
Piccadilly Circus, W1J Piccadilly Circus was laid out by John Nash in 1819 (Piccadilly Circus)
Piccadilly Place, SW1Y Piccadilly Place is an alleyway leading to Vine Street (Piccadilly Circus)
Portland Mews, W1F Portland Mews is so-named as it is part of the Portland Estate (Soho)
Princes Arcade, SW1Y Princes Arcade, built 1929–33, was named after the former Prince’s Hotel, which stood here (St James’s)
Quadrant Arcade, W1B Quadrant Arcade - part of a shopping centre - is named after the Quadrant to the south of Regent Street (Soho)
Regency House, W1B Regency House is sited on Warwick Street (Soho)
Rex House, SW1Y Rex House is a building on Regent Street (St James’s)
Richmond Buildings, W1D Richmond Buildings is a turning off Dean Street (Soho)
Richmond Mews, W1D Richmond Mews, like Richmond Buildings, is named for Thomas Richmond (Soho)
Robert Street, WC2N Robert Street is named after Robert Adam, who built the Adelphi development with his brother John in the 1760s (Embankment)
Romilly Street, W1D Romilly Street is a small street that runs behind Shaftesbury Avenue and takes its name from lawyer Samuel Romilly (Soho)
Rose Street, WC2N Rose Street is one of the streets of London in the WC2E postal area (Covent Garden)
Royal Opera Arcade, SW1Y Royal Opera Arcade was originally part of an opera house theatre, built by John Nash (St James’s)
Royal Opera House, WC2E Royal Opera House is a block on Bow Street (Covent Garden)
Royalty Mews, W1D Royalty Mews was named after the former Royalty Theatre (1840-1938) (Soho)
Rupert Court, W1D Rupert Court was named for Prince Rupert of the Rhine, the First Lord of the Admiralty when the court was built in 1676 (Soho)
Rupert Street, W1D Rupert Street – after Prince Rupert of the Rhine, noted 17th century general and son of Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of King James I (Soho)
Russell Chambers, WC2E Russell Chambers is one of the streets of London in the WC2E postal area (Covent Garden)
Sabadell House, SW1Y Sabadell House is a block on Pall Mall (St James’s)
Salt House, W1F Salt House is a building on Peter Street (Soho)
Samuel House, SW1Y Samuel House is located on St Alban’s Street (St James’s)
Sandringham Court, W1F Sandringham Court can be found on Dufour’s Place (Soho)
Screen House, W1F Screen House is a block on Wardour Street (Soho)
Seven Dials, WC2H Seven Dials was built on the site of the Cock-and-Pie Fields, named for a nearby inn (Covent Garden)
Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D Shaftesbury Avenue is a major street in the West End of London, named after Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury (Soho)
Sherwood Street, W1B Sherwood Street is ultimately named for Francis Sherard, a Pulteney lessee (Piccadilly Circus)
Silver House, W1F Silver House is located on Carnaby Street (Soho)
Silver Place, W1F Silver Place has an unknown name origin (Soho)
Slingsby Place, WC2E Slingsby Place is one of the streets of London in the WC2E postal area (Covent Garden)
Smiths Court, W1D Smiths Court once hosted a blacksmith - hence the name (Soho)
Southampton Street, WC2E Southampton Street - named for Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton and landowner (Covent Garden)
Spring Gardens, WC2N Spring Gardens derives its name from the Spring Garden, formed in the 16th century (Charing Cross)
St Alban’s House, SW1Y St Alban’s House can be found on Haymarket (St James’s)
St Albans Street, SW1Y St Albans Street was named after Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of Saint Albans, 17th century politician and local landowner (Piccadilly Circus)
St Anne’s Court, W1D St Anne’s Court is an alleyway that connects Dean Street and Wardour Street (Soho)
St Giles House, W1D St Giles House is a block on Poland Street (Soho)
St Giles Passage, WC2H St Giles Passage is named after St Giles Hospital, a leper hospital founded by Matilda of Scotland, wife of Henry I in 1117 (St Giles)
St James’s Market, SW1Y St James’s Market was part of the site of St James’s leper hospital in the Middle Ages, named after James, son of Zebedee (Piccadilly Circus)
St James’s Chambers, SW1Y St James’s Chambers is a block located at 9 Ryder Street (St James’s)
St James’s Square, SW1Y St James’s Square is the only square in the district of St James’s (St James’s)
St Martins Court, WC2H St Martins Court is one of the streets of London in the WC2N postal area (Leicester Square)
St Martins Lane, WC2N St Martins Lane runs up to Seven Dials from St Martin’s-in-the-Fields (Covent Garden)
St Martins Place, WC2N St Martin’s Place is a short stretch connecting Trafalgar Square to the bottom of Charing Cross Road (Charing Cross)
St Martins Street, WC2H St Martins Street is one of the streets of London in the WC2H postal area (Leicester Square)
Stirling Court, W1F Stirling Court is a block on Marshall Street (Soho)
Strand, WC2E Strand (or the Strand) runs just over 3⁄4 mile from Trafalgar Square eastwards to Temple Bar, where the road becomes Fleet Street inside the City of London (Charing Cross)
Suffolk Place, SW1Y The Earl of Suffolk (Thomas Howard) was the reason for the naming of Suffolk Place (St James’s)
Suffolk Street, SW1Y Suffolk Street was named after Thomas Howard, Earl of Suffolk, who owned a stable yard attached to Northumberland House which lay on this site (St James’s)
Swallow Street, SW1Y Swallow Street honours Thomas Swallow, lessee in 1540 of the pastures on which the road was built (Piccadilly Circus)
Swan House, W1D Swan House is a block on Poland Street (Soho)
Swiss Court, SW1Y Swiss Court is named for the former Swiss Centre, once located here (Leicester Square)
The Arches, WC2N The Arches runs directly under Charing Cross station as a short cut from Villiers Street to Northumberland Avenue (Charing Cross)
The London Pavillion, SW1Y The London Pavilion is a building on Piccadilly Circus (Soho)
The Market Piazza, WC2E The Market Piazza is one of the streets of London in the WC2E postal area (Covent Garden)
The Market, WC2E The Market is one of the streets of London in the WC2E postal area (Covent Garden)
The Piazza, WC2B The Piazza is the formal name for the central area of Covent Garden market (Covent Garden)
Thomas Neal Centre, WC2H Thomas Neal Centre is one of the streets of London in the WC2H postal area (Covent Garden)
Tisbury Court, W1D Tisbury Court lies off Wardour Street (Soho)
Tonbridge House, WC2H Tonbridge House is a block on Mercer Street (Covent Garden)
Tower Court, WC2H Tower Court is one of the streets of London in the WC2H postal area (Covent Garden)
Tower Street, WC2H Tower Street is one of the streets of London in the WC2H postal area (Covent Garden)
Townsend House, W1D Residential block (Soho)
Trafalgar Square, SW1Y Trafalgar Square commemorates Horatio Nelson’s 1805 victory at the Battle of Trafalgar (Charing Cross)
Trinity Place, SW1A Trinity Place is a former courtyard in the Whitehall area (Charing Cross)
Tyler’s Court, W1F A plot of land here was rented to Richard Tyler in 1682 when the area remained fields (Soho)
Upper James Street, W1F Upper James Street is the northernmost street leading into Golden Square (Soho)
Upper John Street, W1B Upper John Street leads northwest out of Golden Square (Soho)
Upper St Martin’s Lane, WC2H This is a street in the WC2H postcode area (Covent Garden)
Urbanora House, W1F Urbanora House is a block on Wardour Street (Soho)
Vale Royal House, WC2H Vale Royal House is a block on Charing Cross Road (Leicester Square)
Victory House, W1B Victory House is a block on Regent Street (Piccadilly Circus)
Villiers Street, WC2N Villiers Street was named after George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham (Charing Cross)
Vine Street, SW1Y Vine Street is a short dead-end street running east from Swallow Street and is parallel to Piccadilly (Piccadilly Circus)
Walker’s Court, W1D Walker’s Court is one of the many passageways which in past years was known as ’Paved Alley’. (Soho)
Wardour Mews, W1F Wardour Mews is a cul-de-sac off of Portland Street (Soho)
Wardour Street, W1D The W1D part of Wardour Street south of Shaftesbury Avenue runs through London’s Chinatown (Soho)
Wardour Street, W1F Wardour Street is a street that runs north from Leicester Square, through Chinatown, across Shaftesbury Avenue to Oxford Street (Soho)
Warwick House Street, SW1A Warwick House Street formerly approached Warwick House, built in the 17th century for Sir Philip Warwick (Charing Cross)
Watergate Walk, WC2N Watergate Walk is named after a former watergate built in 1626 for George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham as an entrance for the former York House (Embankment)
Waterloo Place, SW1Y Waterloo Place, an extension of Regent Street, is awash with statues and monuments that honour heroes of the British Empire (St James’s)
Wedgwood Mews, W1D Wedgwood Mews hosted Josiah Wedgwood’s showrooms between 1774 and 1795 (Soho)
Wellington Mews, W1B Wellington Mews was a new name for a stable yard without a name before the nineteenth century (Soho)
West Street, WC2H West Street was most likely created in the 1680s or before (Covent Garden)
Whitcomb Street, WC2H Whitcomb Street - named after William Whitcomb, 17th century brewer and property developer (Leicester Square)
White Bear Yard, WC2H White Bear Yard - named after a former pub - was off the north side of Lisle Street (Soho)
Wilder Walk, W1J Wilder Walk was named for Councillor Ian Wilder in 2012 (Piccadilly Circus)
William Blake House, W1F William Blake House is a block on Marshall Street (Soho)
William IV Street, WC2N William IV Street runs from Charing Cross Road to the Strand (Charing Cross)
Wingate House, WC2H Wingate House is a block on Shaftesbury Avenue (Soho)
Winnett Street, W1D Previously Upper Rupert Street, Winnett Street was ultimately named after local eigteenth-century glass merchant Thomas Winnet (Soho)
York Buildings, WC2N York Buildings marks a house was built on this site in the 14th century for the bishops of Norwich (Embankment)
York Place, WC2N York Place marks the location of a house on this site (Charing Cross)
Zimbabwe House, WC2N Charles Holden designed this building located on the corner of Agar Street and Strand for the British Medical Association. (Charing Cross)


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