Main Building, SW1A

Main Building is a block on Horse Guards Avenue.

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CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LOCALITY

The Underground Map Whitehall, SW1A Added: 8 Dec 2020 00:24 GMT	Othello takes a bow On 1 November 1604, William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello was presented for the first time, at The Palace of Whitehall. The palace was the main residence of the English monarchs in London from 1530 until 1698. Seven years to the day, Shakespeare’s romantic comedy The Tempest was also presented for the first time, and also at the Palace of Whitehall. Reply
Linda Webb Hungerford Stairs Added: 27 Sep 2021 05:51 GMT	Hungerford Stairs In 1794 my ancestor, George Webb, Clay Pipe Maker, lived in Hungerford Stairs, Strand. Source: Wakefields Merchant & Tradesmens General Directory London Westminster 1794 Source: Hungerford Stairs Reply
TUM The Underground Map Added: 27 Aug 2022 10:22 GMT	The Underground Map Michael Faraday successfully demonstrated the first electrical transformer at the Royal Institute, London. Reply
Roy Batham Covent Garden Added: 7 Jan 2022 07:17 GMT	Smithy in Longacre John Burris 1802-1848 Listed 1841 census as Burroughs was a blacksmith, address just given as Longacre. Source: Batham/Wiseman - Family Tree Reply
Scott Hatton Blackmoor Street, WC2B Added: 11 Sep 2020 19:47 GMT	Millions Of Rats In Busy London The Daily Mail on 14 April 1903 reported "MILLIONS OF RATS IN BUSY LONDON" A rat plague, unprecedented in the annals of London, has broken out on the north side of the Strand. The streets principally infested are Catherine street, Drury lane, Blackmore street, Clare Market and Russell street. Something akin to a reign of terror prevails among the inhabitants after nightfall. Women refuse to pass along Blackmore street and the lower parts of Stanhope street after dusk, for droves of rats perambulate the roadways and pavements, and may be seen running along the window ledges of the empty houses awaiting demolition by the County Council in the Strand to Holborn improvement scheme. The rats, indeed, have appeared in almost-incredible numbers. "There are millions of them," said one shopkeeper, and his statement was supported by other residents. The unwelcome visitors have been evicted from their old haunts by the County Council housebreakers, and are now busily in search of new homes. The Gaiety Restaurant has been the greatest sufferer. Rats have invaded the premises in such force that the managers have had to close the large dining room on the first floor and the grill rooms on the ground floor and in the basement. Those three spacious halls which have witnessed many as semblages of theatre-goers are now qui:e deserted. Behind the wainscot of the bandstand in the grillroom is a large mound of linen shreds. This represents 1728 serviettes carried theee by the rats. In the bar the removal of a panel disclosed the astonishing fact that the rats have dragged for a distance of seven or eight yards some thirty or forty beer and wine bottles and stacked them in such a fashion as to make comfortable sleeping places. Mr Williams. the manager of the restaurant, estimates that the rats have destroyed L200 worth of linen. Formerly the Gaiety Restaurant dined 2000 persons daily; no business whatever is now done in this direction. Reply
Bruce McTavish Lambeth North Added: 11 Mar 2021 11:37 GMT	Kennington Road Lambeth North station was opened as Kennington Road and then Westminster Bridge Road before settling on its final name. It has a wonderful Leslie Green design. Reply
Richard Lake De Laune Street, SE17 Added: 28 Sep 2022 09:37 GMT	Trade Union Official John William Lake snr moved with his family to 22 De Laune Street in 1936. He was the London Branch Secretary for the Street Masons, Paviours and Road Makers Union. He had previously lived in Orange St now Copperfield St Southwark but had been forced to move because the landlord didn’t like him working from home and said it broke his lease. John William snr died in 1940. His son John William Lake jnr also became a stone mason and at the end of World War two he was responsible for the engraving of the dates of WW2 onto the Cenotaph in Whitehall. Reply
Scott Hatton Savile Row, W1S Added: 30 Jan 2023 11:28 GMT	The Beatles on a London rooftop The Beatles’ rooftop concert took place on the rooftop of the Apple Corps building in London. It was their final public performance as a band and was unannounced, attracting a crowd of onlookers. The concert lasted for 42 minutes and included nine songs. The concert is remembered as a seminal moment in the history of rock music and remains one of the most famous rock performances of all time. Reply
Julian Collingwood House, W1W Added: 23 Mar 2021 10:11 GMT	Dennis Potter Author Dennis Potter lived in Collingwood House in the 1970’s Reply
Jessie Doring Tisbury Court, W1D Added: 22 Feb 2021 04:33 GMT	Tisbury Court Jazz Bar Jazz Bar opened in Tisbury Court by 2 Australians. Situated in underground basement. Can not remember how long it opened for. Reply
Brian J MacIntyre Dolphin Square Added: 8 Jan 2023 17:27 GMT	Malcolm Davey at Raleigh House, Dolphin Square My former partner, actor Malcolm Davey, lived at Raleigh House, Dolphin Square, for many years until his death. He was a wonderful human being and an even better friend. A somewhat underrated actor, but loved by many, including myself. I miss you terribly, Malcolm. Here’s to you and to History, our favourite subject. Love Always - Brian J MacIntyre Minnesota, USA Reply
Pauline jones Bessborough Place, SW1V Added: 16 Oct 2017 19:04 GMT	Bessborough Place, SW1V I grew up in bessborough place at the back of our house and Grosvenor road and bessborough gardens was a fantastic playground called trinity mews it had a paddling pool sandpit football area and various things to climb on, such as a train , slide also as Wendy house. There were plants surrounding this wonderful play area, two playground attendants ,also a shelter for when it rained. The children were constantly told off by the playground keepers for touching the plants or kicking the ball out of the permitted area, there was hopscotch as well, all these play items were brick apart from the slide. Pollock was the centre of my universe and I felt sorry and still do for anyone not being born there. To this day I miss it and constantly look for images of the streets around there, my sister and me often go back to take a clumped of our beloved London. The stucco houses were a feature and the backs of the houses enabled parents to see thier children playing. Reply
Johnshort Hurley Road, SE11 Added: 7 Oct 2017 21:07 GMT	Hurley Road, SE11 There were stables in the road mid way - also Danny reading had a coal delivery lorry. Reply
Robert smitherman Saunders Street, SE11 Added: 23 Aug 2017 11:01 GMT	Saunders Street, SE11 I was born in a prefab on Saunders street SE11 in the 60’s, when I lived there, the road consisted of a few prefab houses, the road originally ran from Lollard street all the way thru to Fitzalan street. I went back there to have a look back in the early 90’s but all that is left of the road is about 20m of road and the road sign. Reply
Richard Roques Hungerford Stairs Added: 21 Jan 2021 16:53 GMT	Buckingham Street residents Here in Buckingham Street lived Samuel Pepys the diarist, Charles Dickens and Rudyard Kipling Reply

LATEST LONDON-WIDE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PROJECT

Christine D Elliott Blockhouse Street, SE15 Added: 20 Mar 2023 15:52 GMT	The Blute Family My grandparents, Frederick William Blute & Alice Elizabeth Blute nee: Warnham lived at 89 Blockhouse Street Deptford from around 1917.They had six children. 1. Alice Maragret Blute (my mother) 2. Frederick William Blute 3. Charles Adrian Blute 4. Violet Lillian Blute 5. Donald Blute 6. Stanley Vincent Blute (Lived 15 months). I lived there with my family from 1954 (Birth) until 1965 when we were re-housed for regeneration to the area. I attended Ilderton Road School. Very happy memories of that time. Reply
Pearl Foster Dukes Place, EC3A Added: 20 Mar 2023 12:22 GMT	Dukes Place, EC3A Until his death in 1767, Daniel Nunes de Lara worked from his home in Dukes Street as a Pastry Cook. It was not until much later the street was renamed Dukes Place. Daniel and his family attended the nearby Bevis Marks synagogue for Sephardic Jews. The Ashkenazi Great Synagogue was established in Duke Street, which meant Daniel’s business perfectly situated for his occupation as it allowed him to cater for both congregations. Reply
Dr Paul Flewers Hawthorne Close, N1 Added: 9 Mar 2023 18:12 GMT	Some Brief Notes on Hawthorne Close / Hawthorne Street My great-grandparents lived in the last house on the south side of Hawthorne Street, no 13, and my grandmother Alice Knopp and her brothers and sisters grew up there. Alice Knopp married Charles Flewers, from nearby Hayling Road, and moved to Richmond, Surrey, where I was born. Leonard Knopp married Esther Gutenberg and lived there until the street was demolished in the mid-1960s, moving on to Tottenham. Uncle Len worked in the fur trade, then ran a pet shop in, I think, the Kingsland Road. From the back garden, one could see the almshouses in the Balls Pond Road. There was an ink factory at the end of the street, which I recall as rather malodorous. Reply
KJH Andover Road, N7 Added: 7 Mar 2023 17:14 GMT	Andover Road, N7 (1939 - 1957) My aunt, Doris nee Curtis (aka Jo) and her husband John Hawkins (aka Jack) ran a small general stores at 92 Andover Road (N7). I have found details in the 1939 register but don’t know how long before that it was opened.He died in 1957. In the 1939 register he is noted as being an ARP warden for Islington warden Reply
The Queens Head Added: 2 Mar 2023 13:50 GMT	The Queens Head Queens Head demolished and a NISA supermarket and flats built in its place. Reply
Mike Elia Street, N1 Added: 28 Feb 2023 18:09 GMT	6 Elia Street When I was young I lived in 6 Elia Street. At the end of the garden there was a garage owned by Initial Laundries which ran from an access in Quick Street all the way up to the back of our garden. The fire exit to the garage was a window leading into our garden. 6 Elia Street was owned by Initial Laundry. Reply
Fumblina Whitfield Street, W1T Added: 21 Feb 2023 11:39 GMT	Error on 1800 map numbering for John Street The 1800 map of Whitfield Street (17 zoom) has an error in the numbering shown on the map. The houses are numbered up the right hand side of John Street and Upper John Street to #47 and then are numbered down the left hand side until #81 BUT then continue from 52-61 instead of 82-91. Reply
P Cash Woburn Place, WC1H Added: 19 Feb 2023 08:03 GMT	Occupants of 19-29 Woburn Place The Industrial Tribunals (later changed to Employment Tribunals) moved (from its former location on Ebury Bridge Road to 19-29 Woburn Place sometime in the late 1980s (I believe). 19-29 Woburn Place had nine floors in total (one in the basement and two in its mansard roof and most of the building was occupied by the Tribunals The ’Head Office’ of the tribunals, occupied space on the 7th, 6th and 2nd floors, whilst one of the largest of the regional offices (London North but later called London Central) occupied space in the basement, ground and first floor. The expansive ground floor entrance had white marble flooring and a security desk. Behind (on evey floor) lay a square (& uncluttered) lobby space, which was flanked on either side by lifts. On the rear side was an elegant staircase, with white marble steps, brass inlays and a shiny brass handrail which spiralled around an open well. Both staircase, stairwell and lifts ran the full height of the building. On all floors from 1st upwards, staff toilets were tucked on either side of the staircase (behind the lifts). Basement Floor - Tribunal hearing rooms, dormant files store and secure basement space for Head Office. Public toilets. Geound Floor - The ’post’ roon sat next to the entrance in the northern side, the rest of which was occupied by the private offices of the full time Tribunal judiciary. Thw largest office belonged to the Regional Chair and was situated on the far corner (overlooking Tavistock Square) The secretary to the Regional Chair occupied a small office next door. The south side of this floor was occupied by the large open plan General Office for the administration, a staff kitchen & rest room and the private offices of the Regional Secretary (office manager) and their deputy. First Dloor - Tribunal hearing rooms; separate public waiting rooms for Applicants & Respondents; two small rooms used by Counsel (on a ’whoever arrives first’ bases) and a small private rest room for use by tribunal lay members. Second Floor - Tribunal Hearing Rooms; Tribunal Head Office - HR & Estate Depts & other tennants. Third Floor - other tennants Fourth Floor - other tennants Fifth Floor - Other Tennants except for a large non-smoking room for staff, (which overlooked Tavistock Sqaure). It was seldom used, as a result of lacking any facities aside from a meagre collection of unwanted’ tatty seating. Next to it, (overlooking Tavistock Place) was a staff canteen. Sixth Floor - Other tennants mostly except for a few offices on the northern side occupied by tribunal Head Office - IT Dept. Seventh Floor - Other tenants in the northern side. The southern (front) side held the private offices of several senior managers (Secretariat, IT & Finance), private office of the Chief Accuntant; an office for two private secretaries and a stationary cupboard. On the rear side was a small kitchen; the private office of the Chief Executive and the private office of the President of the Tribunals for England & Wales. (From 1995 onwards, this became a conference room as the President was based elsewhere. The far end of this side contained an open plan office for Head Office staff - Secretariat, Finance & HR (staff training team) depts. Eighth Floor - other tennants. The Employment Tribunals (Regional & Head Offices) relocated to Vitory House, Kingsway in April 2005. Reply

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NEARBY LOCATIONS OF NOTE

Embankment Embankment underground station has been known by various names during its long history - including, indeed, ’Embankment’.

Embankment

Florence Nightingale Museum The Florence Nightingale Museum is located at St Thomas’ Hospital, which faces the Palace of Westminster across the River Thames.

Florence Nightingale Museum

Hungerford Bridge Hungerford Bridge is a rail bridge crossing the Thames into Charing Cross station.

Hungerford Bridge

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.

Hungerford Stairs

Nelson’s Column Nelson’s Column is a monument in Trafalgar Square built to commemorate Horatio Nelson’s decisive victory at the Battle of Trafalgar during which he lost his life.

Nelson’s Column

Northumberland House Northumberland House was a large Jacobean townhouse in London, which was the London residence of the Percy family, the Dukes of Northumberland.

Northumberland House

Royal Society The Royal Society is a self-governing Fellowship of many of the world’s most distinguished scientists drawn from all areas of science, engineering and medicine.

Royal Society

Westminster Westminster - heart of government.

Westminster

NEARBY STREETS

Admiralty House, SW1A Admiralty House is a block on Whitehall.

Admiralty House, SW1A

Belvedere Road, SE1 Belvedere Road is one of the streets of London in the SE1 postal area.

Belvedere Road, SE1

Bridge Street, SW1A Bridge Street is one of the streets of London in the SW1A postal area.

Bridge Street, SW1A

Broad Sanctuary, SW1P Broad Sanctuary is a road in the SW1H postcode area

Broad Sanctuary, SW1P

Canada House, SW1Y Canada House is located on Trafalgar Square.

Canada House, SW1Y

Cannon Street, WC2N Cannon Street is one of the streets of London in the WC2N postal area.

Cannon Street, WC2N

Canon Row, SW1A Canon Row is at least one thousand year’s old.

Canon Row, SW1A

Carteret Street, SW1H Carteret Street is one of the streets of London in the SW1H postal area.

Carteret Street, SW1H

Caxton House, SW1H Caxton House is a block on Tothill Street.

Caxton House, SW1H

Central Buildings, SW1P Central Buildings is a block on Matthew Parker Street.

Central Buildings, SW1P

Charing Cross, SW1A Charing Cross, long regarded as London’s central point, as an address is an enigma.

Charing Cross, SW1A

Chicheley Street, SE1 Henry Chichele was a 15th-century Archbishop of Canterbury.

Chicheley Street, SE1

Chubb Court, SW1P Chubb Court is a road in the SW20 postcode area

Chubb Court, SW1P

Clutha House, SW1P Clutha House is a block on Storey’s Gate.

Clutha House, SW1P

Cockpit Steps, SW1H Cockpit Steps leads from Birdcage Walk to Old Queen Street.

Cockpit Steps, SW1H

Cockspur Court, SW1A Cockspur Court is a building on Cockspur Court.

Cockspur Court, SW1A

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.

Cockspur Street, SW1A

Commissioner’s Yard, SW1A Commissioner’s Yard is a small street behind New Scotland Yard.

Commissioner’s Yard, SW1A

Craig’s Court, SW1A Craig’s Court is an alleyway off Whitehall.

Craig’s Court, SW1A

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.

Craven Passage, WC2N

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.

Craven Street, WC2N

Curtis Green Building, SW1A Curtis Green Building can be found on Victoria Embankment.

Curtis Green Building, SW1A

Dartmouth Street, SW1H Dartmouth Street is one of the streets of London in the SW1H postal area.

Dartmouth Street, SW1H

Derby Gate, SW1A Derby Gate is one of the streets of London in the SW1A postal area.

Derby Gate, SW1A

Dover House, SW1A Dover House is a block on Whitehall.

Dover House, SW1A

Downing Street, SW1A Downing Street has been the home of British Prime Minsters since the eighteenth century.

Downing Street, SW1A

Embankment Place, WC2N Embankment Place runs from Villiers Street, under a railway arch, on to Northumberland Avenue.

Embankment Place, WC2N

Fludyer Street, SW1A Fludyer Street used to be a street which lay parallel to, and south of, Downing Street.

Fludyer Street, SW1A

Forum Magnum Square, SE1 A street within the SE1 postcode

Forum Magnum Square, SE1

Golden Jubilee Bridge, WC2N Golden Jubilee Bridge is a road in the WC2N postcode area

Golden Jubilee Bridge, WC2N

Goodwins Court, WC2N Goodwins Court is one of the streets of London in the WC2N postal area.

Goodwins Court, WC2N

Great George Street, SW1P Great George Street is one of the streets of London in the SW1P postal area.

Great George Street, SW1P

Great Scotland Yard, SW1A Great Scotland Yard is one of the streets of London in the SW1A postal area.

Great Scotland Yard, SW1A

Gwydyr House, SW1A Gwydyr House is a building on Whitehall.

Gwydyr House, SW1A

Horse Guards Avenue, SW1A Horse Guards Avenue stretches from Whitehall to the Embankment.

Horse Guards Avenue, SW1A

Horse Guards Parade, SW1A Horse Guards Parade dates to the time of Henry VIII.

Horse Guards Parade, SW1A

Horse Guards Road, SW1A Horse Guards Road runs along the eastern edge of St James’s Park.

Horse Guards Road, SW1A

Hungerford House, WC2N Residential block

Hungerford House, WC2N

Hungerford Lane, WC2N Hungerford Lane was a dark narrow alley that went alongside and then under Charing Cross Station.

Hungerford Lane, WC2N

King Charles Street, SW1A King Charles Street is a street of government buildings, one block south of Downing Street.

King Charles Street, SW1A

King Street, SW1A King Street was an ancient thoroughfare between the regions of the Court and the Abbey in Westminster.

King Street, SW1A

Kipling House, WC2N Kipling House is a block on Villiers Street.

Kipling House, WC2N

Kirkland House, SW1A Kirkland House is a block on Whitehall.

Kirkland House, SW1A

Lewisham Street, SW1H Lewisham Street is a Westminster alleyway.

Lewisham Street, SW1H

Little George Street, SW1P Little George Street is one of the streets of London in the SW1P postal area.

Little George Street, SW1P

Matthew Parker Street, SW1H The Most Reverend Matthew Parker was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1559 until 1575.

Matthew Parker Street, SW1H

Municipal Insurance House, SW1H Municipal Insurance House can be found on Old Queen Street.

Municipal Insurance House, SW1H

New Street, SW1A New Street was made part of Spring Gardens in 1881.

New Street, SW1A

New Zealand House, SW1Y New Zealand House is a block on Haymarket.

New Zealand House, SW1Y

Northumberland Avenue, WC2N Northumberland Avenue runs from Trafalgar Square in the west to the Thames Embankment in the east.

Northumberland Avenue, WC2N

Northumberland House, WC2 Northumberland House is a block on Northumberland Avenue.

Northumberland House, WC2

Northumberland Street, WC2N Northumberland Street commemorates the former Northumberland House, built originally in the early 17th century for the earls of Northampton and later acquired by the earls of Northumberland.

Northumberland Street, WC2N

Oceanic House, SW1Y Oceanic House is a block on Pall Mall East.

Oceanic House, SW1Y

Old Admiralty Building, SW1A Old Admiralty Building is a block on Spring Gardens.

Old Admiralty Building, SW1A

Old Queen Street, SW1H Old Queen Street is parallel to Birdcage Walk.

Old Queen Street, SW1H

Pall Mall East, SW1A Pall Mall East is an eastern extension of Pall Mall towards Trafalgar Square.

Pall Mall East, SW1A

Parker Street, SW1H Before being renamed to Matthew Parker Street, old Parker Street was a Westminster slum.

Parker Street, SW1H

Parliament Square, SW1A Parliament Square is one of the most important squares in Westminster, home to the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.

Parliament Square, SW1A

Parliament Street, SW1A Parliament Street is the name of the southernmost stretch of Whitehall as it meets Parliament Square.

Parliament Street, SW1A

Portcullis House, SW1A Portcullis House is a building on Bridge Street.

Portcullis House, SW1A

Price’s Court, SW1P A street within the SW1P postcode

Price’s Court, SW1P

Richmond House Whitehall, SW1A Richmond House Whitehall is one of the streets of London in the SW1A postal area.

Richmond House Whitehall, SW1A

Richmond House, SW1A Richmond House is a block on Whitehall.

Richmond House, SW1A

Richmond Terrace Mews, SW1A Richmond Terrace Mews originally led to New Scotland Yard.

Richmond Terrace Mews, SW1A

Richmond Terrace, SW1A Richmond Terrace is on the site of Richmond House, destroyed by a fire on 21 December 1791.

Richmond Terrace, SW1A

Royal Opera Arcade, SW1Y Royal Opera Arcade was originally part of an opera house theatre, built by John Nash.

Royal Opera Arcade, SW1Y

Sabadell House, SW1Y Sabadell House is a block on Pall Mall.

Sabadell House, SW1Y

Spring Gardens, WC2N Spring Gardens derives its name from the Spring Garden, formed in the 16th century.

Spring Gardens, WC2N

St. Margaret Street, SW1P St Margaret Street is the road immediately outside Westminster Hall.

St. Margaret Street, SW1P

Storey’s Gate, SW1H Abraham Storey, one of Wren’s master-masons, built Storey’s Gate that now commemorates his name.

Storey’s Gate, SW1H

The Grand Building, WC2N The Grand Building is located on Strand.

The Grand Building, WC2N

The Queen’s Steps, SE1 The Queen’s Steps is a road in the SE1 postcode area

The Queen’s Steps, SE1

The Queen’s Walk, SE1 This is a street in the SE1 postcode area

The Queen’s Walk, SE1

The Queen’s Walk, SE1 The Queen’s Walk is a road in the SE1 postcode area

The Queen’s Walk, SE1

The Terrace, SW1A The Terrace is a road in the SW1A postcode area

The Terrace, SW1A

Trafalgar Square, WC2N Trafalgar Square commemorates Horatio Nelson’s 1805 victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Trafalgar Square, WC2N

Victoria Embankment, SW1A Victoria Embankment leads north out of the Westminster area.

Victoria Embankment, SW1A

Victoria Embankment, WC2N Victoria Embankment was built as part of Joseph Bazalgette’s Embankment scheme.

Victoria Embankment, WC2N

Warwick House Street, SW1A Warwick House Street formerly approached Warwick House, built in the 17th century for Sir Philip Warwick.

Warwick House Street, SW1A

Waterloo Place, SW1Y Waterloo Place, an extension of Regent Street, is awash with statues and monuments that honour heroes of the British Empire.

Waterloo Place, SW1Y

Westminster Bridge, SE1 Westminster Bridge links Westminster on the west side with Lambeth on the east side.

Westminster Bridge, SE1

Westminster Central Hall, SW1H Westminster Central Hall is one of the streets of London in the SW1H postal area.

Westminster Central Hall, SW1H

Westminster Pier, SW1A Westminster Pier is one of the streets of London in the SW1A postal area.

Westminster Pier, SW1A

Whitehall Court, SW1A Whitehall Court runs north from Horse Guards Avenue.

Whitehall Court, SW1A

Whitehall Gardens, SW1A Whitehall Gardens is a road in the SW1A postcode area

Whitehall Gardens, SW1A

Whitehall House, SW1 Whitehall House is sited on Whitehall.

Whitehall House, SW1

Whitehall House, SW1A Whitehall House is a block on Whitehall.

Whitehall House, SW1A

Whitehall Place, SW1A Whitehall Place is one of the streets of London in the SW1A postal area.

Whitehall Place, SW1A

Whitehall, SW1A Whitehall is recognised as the centre of the government of the United Kingdom.

Whitehall, SW1A

NEARBY PUBS

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Westminster

Westminster - heart of government.

While the underground station dates from 1868, Westminster itself is almost as old as London itself. It has a large concentration of London’s historic and prestigious landmarks and visitor attractions, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral.

Historically part of the parish of St Margaret in the City and Liberty of Westminster and the county of Middlesex, the name Westminster was the ancient description for the area around Westminster Abbey – the West Minster, or monastery church, that gave the area its name – which has been the seat of the government of England (and later the British government) for almost a thousand years.

Westminster is the location of the Palace of Westminster, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which houses the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

The area has been the seat of the government of England for almost a thousand years. Westminster is thus often used as a metonym for Parliament and the political community of the United Kingdom generally. The civil service is similarly referred to by the area it inhabits, Whitehall, and Westminster is consequently also used in reference to the ’Westminster System’, the parliamentary model of democratic government that has evolved in the United Kingdom.

The historic core of Westminster is the former Thorney Island on which Westminster Abbey was built. The Abbey became the traditional venue of the coronation of the kings and queens of England. The nearby Palace of Westminster came to be the principal royal residence after the Norman conquest of England in 1066, and later housed the developing Parliament and law courts of England. It can be said that London thus has developed two distinct focal points: an economic one in the City of London; and a political and cultural one in Westminster, where the Royal Court had its home. This division is still very apparent today.

The monarchy later moved to the Palace of Whitehall a little towards the north-east. The law courts have since moved to the Royal Courts of Justice, close to the border of the City of London.

The Westminster area formed part of the City and Liberty of Westminster and the county of Middlesex. The ancient parish was St Margaret; after 1727 split into the parishes of St Margaret and St John. The area around Westminster Abbey formed the extra-parochial Close of the Collegiate Church of St Peter surrounded by—but not part of—either parish. Until 1900 the local authority was the combined vestry of St Margaret and St John (also known as the Westminster District Board of Works from 1855 to 1887), which was based at Westminster City Hall on Caxton Street from 1883. The Liberty of Westminster, governed by the Westminster Court of Burgesses, also included St Martin in the Fields and several other parishes and places. Westminster had its own quarter sessions, but the Middlesex sessions also had jurisdiction. The area was transferred from Middlesex to the County of London in 1889 and the local government of Westminster was reformed in 1900 when the court of burgesses and parish vestries were abolished, to be replaced with a metropolitan borough council. The council was given city status, allowing it to be known as Westminster City Council.

The underground station was opened as Westminster Bridge on 24 December 1868 by the steam-operated Metropolitan District Railway (MDR) (now the District line) when the railway opened the first section of its line from South Kensington. It was originally the eastern terminus of the MDR and the station cutting ended at a concrete wall buffered by timber sleepers. The approach to the station from the west runs in cut and cover tunnel under the roadway of Broad Sanctuary and diagonally under Parliament Square. In Broad Sanctuary the tunnel is close to Westminster Abbey and St Margaret’s church and care was required to avoid undermining their foundations when excavating in the poor ground found there.

The station was completely rebuilt to incorporate new deep-level platforms for the Jubilee line when it was extended to the London Docklands in the 1990s. During the works, the level of the sub-surface platforms was lowered to enable ground level access to Portcullis House. This was achieved in small increments carried out when the line was closed at night.

LOCAL PHOTOS

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William Shakespeare TUM image id: 1509551019 Licence: CC BY 2.0	Overflow of the Thames at Lambeth Stairs on Tuesday 29 January 1850. Lambeth Stairs was near to Lambeth Palace. Poor river wall maintenance meant that the area was flooded whenever there was an unusually high tide. Credit: Illustrated London News TUM image id: 1623706174 Licence:	Trafalgar Square was a former station on the Bakerloo Line before it combined with Strand station on the Northern Line to become the new Charing Cross underground station. Credit: The Underground Map TUM image id: 1624972963 Licence:	Strand stretches along the River Thames between Trafalgar Square and Aldwych Credit: The Underground Map TUM image id: 1625131830 Licence:	1893 programme cover - Canterbury Theatre Credit: London Borough of Lambeth TUM image id: 1513437589 Licence: CC BY 2.0
Waterloo Bridge on an 1810 map. TUM image id: 1556885410 Licence: CC BY 2.0	Hungerford Stairs circa 1828 TUM image id: 1557403389 Licence: CC BY 2.0	Buses outside the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. Date of photo unknown Credit: Stockholm Transport Museum TUM image id: 1557142527 Licence:	The Sea Life London Aquarium is located on the ground floor of County Hall on the South Bank of the River Thames, near the London Eye. It opened in March 1997 as the London Aquarium and hosts about one million visitors each year. TUM image id: 1557161405 Licence: CC BY 2.0	Westminster Abbey with a procession of Knights of the Bath (1749) Credit: Canaletto TUM image id: 1557315488 Licence:
The Royal Opera House, Bow Street frontage, with the statue of Dame Ninette de Valois in the foreground Credit: Russ London TUM image id: 1557227200 Licence:	London Hippodrome in 2017 Credit: Ethan Doyle White TUM image id: 1528649183 Licence: CC BY 2.0	Sectional view of Wyld’s Great Globe, which stood in Leicester Square, London 1851–62 Credit: Illustrated London News TUM image id: 1490829375 Licence:	De Hems, 11 Macclesfield Street and the entrance to Horse & Dolphin Yard. Credit: Colonel Warden TUM image id: 1526658322 Licence: CC BY 2.0	Trafalgar Square (1905) The steeplejack firm of W. Larkins Co Ltd. are at work cleaning Nelson’s Column for the first time since it was erected in 1843. The firm had been founded by Willliam Larkins in 1897 and he is pictured at the top next to Lord Nelson. TUM image id: 1663086959 Licence: CC BY 2.0

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William Shakespeare
Licence: CC BY 2.0

Trafalgar Square was a former station on the Bakerloo Line before it combined with Strand station on the Northern Line to become the new Charing Cross underground station.
Credit: The Underground Map
Licence:

Strand stretches along the River Thames between Trafalgar Square and Aldwych
Credit: The Underground Map
Licence:

Hungerford Stairs circa 1828
Licence: CC BY 2.0

Buses outside the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. Date of photo unknown
Credit: Stockholm Transport Museum
Licence:

The Sea Life London Aquarium is located on the ground floor of County Hall on the South Bank of the River Thames, near the London Eye. It opened in March 1997 as the London Aquarium and hosts about one million visitors each year.
Licence: CC BY 2.0

Westminster Abbey with a procession of Knights of the Bath (1749)
Credit: Canaletto
Licence:

Sectional view of Wyld’s Great Globe, which stood in Leicester Square, London 1851–62
Credit: Illustrated London News
Licence:

Trafalgar Square (1905) The steeplejack firm of W. Larkins Co Ltd. are at work cleaning Nelson’s Column for the first time since it was erected in 1843. The firm had been founded by Willliam Larkins in 1897 and he is pictured at the top next to Lord Nelson.
Licence: CC BY 2.0

The Strand frontage of Northumberland House (1752) The Percy Lion is atop the central façade and the statue of Charles I at right survives to this day The pedestrianised area in the foreground became the site of Trafalgar Square - back then it was the Royal Mews
Credit: Giovanni Canaletto
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