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106-540: The National Sporting Club was a club founded in London in 1891, which did more to establish the sport of boxing in Great Britain than any other organisation. The club was founded on 5 March 1891 as a private club. Its premises were at 43 King Street, Covent Garden , London. The founders were John Fleming and A.F. "Peggy" Bettinson , and Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale was its first president. The Marquess of Queensberry

212-706: A Beefsteak Club , the Sublime Society of Beef Steaks, which was co-founded in 1736 by William Hogarth at the Theatre Royal (now the Royal Opera House). Covent Garden, and especially the market, have appeared in a number of works. It is the place where Job Trotter, character of the Pickwick Papers by Dickens , spends the nights. In 1867, Johann Strauss II from Austria composed "Erinnerung an Covent Garden" (Memory of Covent Garden, op. 329). Eliza Doolittle ,

318-646: A 1957 Free Cinema documentary by Lindsay Anderson , Every Day Except Christmas , which won the Grand Prix at the Venice Festival of Shorts and Documentaries. The Covent Garden Festival , also known as the BOC Covent Garden Festival due to sponsorship by BOC , is or was a festival of music and musical theatre staged across various venues in early summer each year. It was run by administrator Kenneth Richardson from 1996 to 2001. Its impending closure

424-612: A Property company in 2006. Historically, the Bedford Estate defined the boundary of Covent Garden, with Drury Lane to the east, the Strand to the south, St Martin's Lane to the west, and Long Acre to the north. However, over time the area regarded as part of Covent Garden has expanded northwards past Long Acre to High Holborn . Since 1971, with the creation of the Covent Garden Conservation Area which incorporated part of

530-399: A large scale invasion of the small kingdom of East Anglia . They overran East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria and came close to controlling most of Anglo-Saxon England. By 871 they had reached London and they are believed to have camped within the old Roman walls during the winter of that year. Although it is unclear what happened during this time, London may have come under Viking control for

636-599: A long siege and Æthelred was forced to flee abroad. Æthelred returned with his ally the Norwegian king Olaf and reclaimed London. A Norse saga tells of a battle during the Viking occupation where the English king Æthelred returned to attack Viking-occupied London. According to the saga, the Danes lined London Bridge and showered the attackers with spears. Undaunted, the attackers pulled

742-614: A meeting place for many Masonic Lodges in the London area. It is in Great Queen Street between Holborn and Covent Garden and has been a Masonic meeting place since 1775. Parts of the building are open to the public daily, and its preserved classic Art Deco style, together with its regular use as a film and television location, have made it a tourist destination. The Covent Garden area has long been associated with entertainment and shopping. Covent Garden has 13 theatres, and over 60 pubs and bars, with most south of Long Acre, around

848-489: A members club and will continue to support its members for their hospitality needs, sporting lunches and dinners. Since 2003, the club has hosted a multi-category sports book literary award now known as the British Sports Book Awards . 51°30′44″N 0°07′26″W  /  51.5121°N 0.1239°W  / 51.5121; -0.1239 Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on

954-475: A number of high-profile defendants appeared in the court, including Oscar Wilde , Dr Crippen and the Kray twins , and those facing extradition proceedings, such as Augusto Pinochet and James Earl Ray . The police station closed in 1992, with its work moving to the more modern Charing Cross police station. The court building's Grade II listed status meant it was not economic to update it to modern standards and

1060-555: A number of small kingdoms within what eventually became known as the Heptarchy . From the mid-6th century, London was incorporated into the Kingdom of Essex , which extended as far west as St Albans and for a period included Middlesex and Surrey . In 604, Sæberht of Essex was converted to Christianity and London received Mellitus , its first post-Roman Bishop of London . At this time Essex owed allegiance to Æthelberht of Kent and it

1166-685: A period. In 878, West Saxon forces led by Alfred the Great defeated the Vikings at the Battle of Ethandun and forced their leader Guthrum to sue for peace. The Treaty of Wedmore and the later Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum divided England and created the Danish-controlled Danelaw . English rule in London was restored by 886. Alfred quickly set about establishing fortified towns or burhs across southern England to improve his kingdom's defences: London

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1272-524: A posy of flowers for each head lease, and the Trust protects the property from being redeveloped. In March 2007 CapCo also acquired the shops located under the Royal Opera House. The complete Covent Garden Estate owned by CapCo consists of 550,000 sq ft (51,000 m ), and, as of 2007, has a market value of £650 million. The Royal Opera House, known as "Covent Garden", was constructed as

1378-413: A private charter from Charles II in 1670 for a fruit and vegetable market, permitting him and his heirs to hold a market every day except Sundays and Christmas Day. The original market, consisting of wooden stalls and sheds, became disorganised and disorderly, and John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford , requested an act of Parliament in 1813 to regulate it, then commissioned Charles Fowler in 1830 to design

1484-666: A promoter of boxing contests. In 1947 the NSC restarted and took over the Empress Club in Berkeley Street to 1951. In 1951 the club moved to the Café Royal , Regent Street . In 1982 the club moved to Grosvenor House , Park Lane , but has since moved back to the Café Royal where it held sporting events until its recent closure. The NSC is in the process of returning to its roots in the form of

1590-513: A royal burial church, consecrated on 28 December 1065, completed after his death in about 1090, and demolished in 1245 to make way for Henry III's new building, which still stands. Edward's building is shown in the Bayeux Tapestry , and was very similar to Jumièges Abbey in Normandy , which was built at the same time. Robert of Jumièges must have been closely involved in both buildings, although it

1696-530: A subsequent battle at Sherston , in Wiltshire , fought over two days left neither side victorious. Edmund was able to temporarily relieve London, driving the enemy away and defeating them after crossing the Thames at Brentford . Suffering heavy losses, he withdrew to Wessex to gather fresh troops, and the Danes again brought London under siege, but after another unsuccessful assault they withdrew into Kent under attack by

1802-625: Is a Grade I listed building . The inclusion of the adjacent old Floral Hall, previously a part of the old Covent Garden Market, created a large new public gathering place. In 1779 the pavement outside the playhouse was the scene of the murder of Martha Ray , mistress of the Earl of Sandwich , by her admirer the Rev. James Hackman . The central square in Covent Garden is simply called "Covent Garden", often marketed as "Covent Garden Piazza" to distinguish it from

1908-463: Is both Grade II listed, and on CAMRA's National Inventory, due to the quality of the etched and polished glass and the carved woodwork, summed up as "good fin de siècle ensemble". The Freemasons Arms on Long Acre is linked with the founding of the Football Association in 1863; however, the meetings took place at The Freemason's Tavern on Great Queen Street, which was replaced in 1909 by

2014-708: Is in the Parliamentary constituencies of Cities of London and Westminster and Holborn and St Pancras . For local council elections it falls within the St James's ward for Westminster, and the Holborn and Covent Garden ward for Camden. Covent Garden Market reopened in 1980 as a shopping arcade with restaurants and a pub. The central hall has shops, cafes and bars alongside the Apple Market stalls selling antiques, jewellery, clothing and gifts; there are additional casual stalls in

2120-548: Is one of the few in Central London for which platform access is only by lift or stairs. The journey from Covent Garden to Leicester Square is London's shortest tube journey, at less than 300 yards. Leicester Square tube station is on the Piccadilly and Northern lines. The Northern line links Covent Garden directly to destinations such as Waterloo , Euston , and Camden Town . Lundenwic The Anglo-Saxon period of

2226-463: Is possibly the oldest pub in the area. The first mention of a pub on the site is 1772 (when it was called the Cooper's Arms – the name changing to Lamb & Flag in 1833); the 1958 brick exterior conceals what may be an early 18th-century frame of a house replacing the original one built in 1638. The pub acquired a reputation for staging bare-knuckle prize fights during the early 19th century when it earned

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2332-506: The Covent Garden area, excavations in 1985 and 2005 have uncovered an extensive Anglo-Saxon settlement that dates back to the 7th century. The excavations show that the settlement covered about 600,000 m (6,500,000 sq ft), stretching along the north side of the Strand (i.e. "the beach") from the present-day National Gallery site in the west to Aldwych in the east. By about 600, Anglo-Saxon England had become divided into

2438-663: The Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1540 under King Henry VIII, monastic lands in England reverted to the crown, including lands belonging to Westminster Abbey such as the Convent Garden and seven acres to the north called Long Acre. In 1552 King Edward VI granted it to John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford , his late father's trusted adviser. The Russell family, who in 1694 were advanced in the peerage from Earl to Duke of Bedford , held

2544-528: The Forest of Dean . On an island near Deerhurst , Cnut and Edmund – who had been wounded – met to negotiate terms of peace. It was agreed that all of England north of the Thames was to be the domain of the Danish prince, while all to the south was kept by the English king, along with London. Accession to the reign of the entire realm was set to pass to Cnut upon Edmund's death. Edmund died on 30 November, within weeks of

2650-528: The Italianate arcaded square along with the church of St Paul's . The design of the square was new to London and had a significant influence on modern town planning, acting as the prototype for new estates as London grew. By 1654 a small open-air fruit-and-vegetable market had developed on the south side of the fashionable square. Gradually, both the market and the surrounding area fell into disrepute, as taverns, theatres, coffee houses and brothels opened up. By

2756-599: The Latin word vicus , so Lundenwic meant "London trading town". Archaeologists were for many years puzzled as to where early Anglo-Saxon London was located, as they could find little evidence of occupation within the Roman city walls from this period. However, in the 1980s, London was rediscovered, after extensive independent excavations by archaeologists Alan Vince and Martin Biddle were reinterpreted as being of an urban character. In

2862-732: The Place des Vosges in Paris. The centrepiece of the project was the large square, the concept of which was new to London, and this had a significant influence on modern town planning as the metropolis grew, acting as the prototype for the design of new estates, such as the Ladbroke Estate and the Grosvenor Estate . Isaac de Caus , the French Huguenot architect, designed the individual houses under Jones's overall design. The church of St Paul's

2968-632: The Rock Garden music venue was popular with up-and-coming punk rock and new wave artists. The market halls and several other buildings in Covent Garden were bought by Capital & Counties Properties (now known as Shaftesbury Capital ) in partnership with GE Real Estate in August 2006 for £421 million, on a 150-year head lease . The buildings are let to the Covent Garden Area Trust, who pay an annual peppercorn rent of one red apple and

3074-658: The Royal Courts of Justice on The Strand . Performances at the festival include: The Garden Cinema, which opened in March 2022, is located in Parker Street. The cinema is designed in Art Deco style, inside and out. It was founded by retired legal publisher Michael Chambers, of Orbach and Chambers , who bought the office building in 2010 and, after selling his business in 2018, had it converted by architects Burrell Foley Fischer. It

3180-623: The history of London dates from the end of the Roman period in the 5th century to the beginning of the Norman period in 1066. Romano-British Londinium had been abandoned in the late 5th century, although the London Wall remained intact. There was an Anglo-Saxon settlement by the early 7th century, called Lundenwic , about one mile west of Londinium, to the north of the present Strand . Lundenwic came under direct Mercian control in about 670. After

3286-425: The "Great Piazza" and that to the south of Russell Street as the "Little Piazza". None of Inigo Jones's houses remains, though part of the north group was reconstructed in 1877–79 as Bedford Chambers by William Cubitt to a design by Henry Clutton . The first record of a "new market in Covent Garden" is in 1654 when market traders set up stalls against the garden wall of Bedford House. The Earl of Bedford acquired

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3392-579: The "Theatre Royal" in 1732 to a design by Edward Shepherd . During the first hundred years or so of its history, the theatre was primarily a playhouse, with the Letters Patent granted by Charles II giving Covent Garden and Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, exclusive rights to present spoken drama in London. In 1734, the first ballet was presented; a year later Handel 's first season of operas began. Many of his operas and oratorios were specifically written for Covent Garden and had their premières here. It has been

3498-565: The "essential guide and accessory for any serious gentleman of pleasure". In 1830 a market hall was built to provide a more permanent trading centre. In 1913 Herbrand Russell, 11th Duke of Bedford agreed to sell the Covent Garden Estate for £2 million to the MP and land speculator Harry Mallaby-Deeley , who sold his option in 1918 to the Beecham family for £250,000. The Covent Garden Estate

3604-539: The 18th century it had become notorious for its abundance of brothels . An act of Parliament was drawn up to control the area, and Charles Fowler 's neo-classical building was erected in 1830 to cover and help organise the market. The market grew and further buildings were added: the Floral Hall, Charter Market, and in 1904 the Jubilee Market . By the end of the 1960s traffic congestion was causing problems, and in 1974

3710-536: The 1960s, traffic congestion was causing problems for the market, which required increasingly large lorries for deliveries and distribution. The redevelopment was considered, but protests from the Covent Garden Community Association in 1973 prompted the Home Secretary, Robert Carr , to give dozens of buildings around the square listed-building status, preventing redevelopment. The following year

3816-449: The 19th and 20th centuries as well as artefacts and exhibits related to the operation and marketing of passenger services and the impact that the developing transport network has had on the city and its population. St Paul's, commonly known as the Actors' Church, was built in 1633, at a cost of £4,000, though was not consecrated until 1638. In 1645 Covent Garden was made a separate parish and

3922-581: The Abbot of Westminster Abbey for use as arable land and orchards, later referred to as "the garden of the Abbey and Convent", and later "the Convent Garden". Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries it was granted in 1552 by the young King Edward VI to John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford ( c. 1485–1555), the trusted adviser to his father King Henry VIII . The 4th Earl commissioned Inigo Jones to build some fine houses to attract wealthy tenants. Jones designed

4028-793: The Angel and Crown on St Martin's Lane. There is a wide range of restaurants, mainly in Covent Garden's central area around the piazza, and in the St Martin's Lane area bordering the West End; some of these with international reputations. Among the restaurants are the historic theatrical eating places, the oldest of which is Rules , which was founded in 1798, making it the oldest restaurant in London, followed by J. Sheekey, an oyster bar and fish restaurant founded in 1893 by market-stall holder Josef Sheekey in Lord Salisbury 's St Martin's Court, and The Ivy , which

4134-452: The Confessor became king in 1042. Following Harthacnut's death on 8 June 1042, Godwin, the most powerful of the English earls, supported Edward, who succeeded to the throne. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle describes the popularity he enjoyed at his accession — "before he [Harthacnut] was buried, all the people chose Edward as king in London." Edward was crowned at the cathedral of Winchester ,

4240-778: The Connaught Rooms. Other Grade II listed pubs include three 19th century rebuilds of 17th century/18th century houses, the Nell Gwynne Tavern in Bull Inn Court, the Nag's Head on James Street, and the White Swan on New Row; a Victorian pub built by lessees of the Marquis of Exeter, the Old Bell on the corner of Exeter Street and Wellington Street; and a late 18th or early 19th century pub

4346-474: The English, with a battle fought at Otford . On 18 October 1016, the Danes were engaged by Edmund's army as they retired towards their ships, leading to the Battle of Assandun . In the ensuing struggle, Eadric Streona , whose return to the English side had perhaps only been a ruse, withdrew his forces from the fray, bringing about a decisive English defeat. Edmund fled westwards, and Cnut pursued him into Gloucestershire , with another battle probably fought near

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4452-521: The Jubilee Hall Market on the south side of the square. In 2010, what was then the largest Apple Store in the world opened in The Piazza. Long Acre has clothes shops and boutiques, and Neal Street is noted for its numerous shoe shops. London Transport Museum and the side entrance to the Royal Opera House box office and other facilities are also located on the square. During the late 1970s and 1980s

4558-683: The LGOC was taken over by the London Electric Railway (LER), the collection was expanded to include rail vehicles. It continued to expand after the LER became part of the London Passenger Transport Board in the 1930s and as the organisation passed through various successor bodies up to TfL , London's transport authority since 2000. The Covent Garden building has on display many examples of buses, trams, trolleybuses and rail vehicles from

4664-412: The Roman walls, the original Lundenwic was largely abandoned and in time gained the name of Ealdwic, 'old settlement', a name which survives today as Aldwych . Alfred appointed his son-in-law Earl Æthelred of Mercia , the heir to the destroyed kingdom of Mercia, as Governor of London and established two defended Boroughs to defend the bridge, which was probably rebuilt at this time. The southern end of

4770-548: The Romanised Britons to look after themselves. By 457, the city appears to have become almost completely abandoned. Over the next few centuries, settlers arrived from modern-day Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark, who are now referred to as " Anglo-Saxons ". Rather than continuing Romano-British culture, Anglo-Saxons introduced their own building styles, pottery, language , place names and religion . Cemeteries from this early Anglo-Saxon period have been found at Mitcham , Greenwich , Croydon , and Hanwell . Rather than occupy

4876-565: The Year in 2008 by the Society for the Preservation of Beers from the Wood , and National Pub of the Year by CAMRA in 2010. It was at one time owned by the Charrington Brewery , when it was known as The Welsh Harp; in 1995 the name was abbreviated to just The Harp, before Charrington sold it to Punch Taverns in 1997. It was eventually purchased by the landlady Binnie Walsh around 2010 then subsequently sold by her to Fuller's Brewery in 2014. It continues to win regular CAMRA pub awards under its new owners. The Lamb and Flag in Rose Street

4982-518: The abandoned, overgrown Roman city, Anglo-Saxons at first preferred to settle outside the walls, only venturing inside to scavenge or explore. One Saxon poet called the Roman ruins "the work of giants". Instead, by the 670s the port town of Lundenwic was developing in the area of Covent Garden . In the early 8th century, Lundenwic was described by the Venerable Bede as "a trading centre for many nations who visit it by land and sea". The Old English term wic or "trading town" ultimately derived from

5088-421: The agreement. Some sources claim Edmund was murdered, although the circumstances of his death are unknown. In accord with the treaty, Cnut was left as king of all of England. His coronation was in London, at Christmas, with recognition by the nobility in January the next year at Oxford. Cnut was succeeded briefly by his sons, Harold Harefoot and Harthacnut , after which the Saxon line was restored when Edward

5194-453: The ancient parish of St Giles in the Fields and outside the Liberty of Westminster. They were from 1855 to 1900 part of the St Giles District and from 1900 part of the Metropolitan Borough of Holborn . Covent Garden came within the area of responsibility of the Metropolitan Board of Works from 1855 and in 1889 became part of the County of London . Since 1965 Covent Garden falls within the London boroughs of Westminster and Camden , and

5300-420: The area between St Martin's Lane and Charing Cross Road, Charing Cross Road has sometimes been taken as its western boundary. Long Acre is the main thoroughfare, running north-east from St Martin's Lane to Drury Lane. Shelton Street, running parallel to the north of Long Acre, marks the London borough boundary between Camden and Westminster. The area to the south of Long Acre contains the Royal Opera House ,

5406-433: The bridge was established as the Southwark or Suthringa Geworc ('defensive work of the men of Surrey'). From this point, the city of London began to develop its own unique local government. After Æthelred's death, London came under the direct control of English kings. Alfred's son Edward the Elder won back much land from Danish control. By the early 10th century, London had become an important commercial centre. Although

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5512-406: The central character in George Bernard Shaw 's play, Pygmalion , and the musical adaptation by Alan Jay Lerner , My Fair Lady , is a Covent Garden flower seller. Alfred Hitchcock 's 1972 film Frenzy about a Covent Garden fruit vendor who becomes a serial sex killer, was set in the market where his father had been a wholesale greengrocer. The daily activity of the market was the topic of

5618-463: The church was dedicated to St Paul . How much of Jones's original building is left is unclear, as the church was damaged by fire in 1795 during restoration work by Thomas Hardwick ; the columns are thought to be original but the rest is mostly Georgian or Victorian reconstruction. The building, opposite the Royal Opera House , was opened in 1881 to house both a Magistrates' Court and a police station . As well as dealing with local petty criminals,

5724-425: The club moved to the Hotel Splendide, Piccadilly , but the war came and the club closed temporarily. In 1929, a new organisation, the British Boxing Board of Control , was formed to control the sport. Most of the board of the new organisation were senior members of the N.S.C. The N.S.C. was given a permanent seat on the new Board of Control and retained this privilege until 1937. After this time it became regarded as

5830-399: The comedy troupe Monty Python (who recorded a concert album there), and musical composer and performer Ivor Novello . Since November 2008 the theatre has been owned by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and generally stages popular musical theatre. It is a Grade I listed building. The London Transport Museum is in a Victorian iron and glass building on the east side of the market square. It

5936-465: The court closed in July 2006. Sold to developers, planning permission was obtained to convert the building into a hotel and museum. A 91-room hotel and a public restaurant, run by the New York based NoMad chain , opened in May 2021, as did a museum of local police history in the former police station. Freemasons' Hall is the headquarters of the United Grand Lodge of England and the Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England , as well as

6042-438: The day and are about 30 minutes in length. In March 2008, the market owner, CapCo, proposed to reduce street performances to one 30-minute show each hour. The Covent Garden area has over 60 pubs and bars; several of them are listed buildings, with some also on CAMRA 's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors ; some, such as The Harp in Chandos Place, have received consumer awards. The Harp's awards include London Pub of

6148-404: The death of Offa of Mercia in 796, it was disputed between Mercia and Wessex . Viking invasions became frequent from the 830s, and a Viking army is believed to have camped in the old Roman walls during the winter of 871. Alfred the Great reestablished English control of London in 886, and renewed its fortifications. The old Roman walls were repaired and the defensive ditch was recut, and

6254-411: The death of Offa of Mercia in 796, it was disputed between Mercia and Wessex. London suffered attacks from Vikings , which became increasingly common from around 830 onwards. It was attacked in 842 in a raid that was described by a chronicler as "the great slaughter". In 851, another raiding party, reputedly involving 350 ships, came to plunder the city. In 865, the Viking Great Heathen Army launched

6360-441: The eastern fringes of the West End , between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane . It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and with the Royal Opera House , itself known as "Covent Garden". The district is divided by the main thoroughfare of Long Acre , north of which is given over to independent shops centred on Neal's Yard and Seven Dials , while

6466-407: The eighteenth century. Covent Garden is licensed for street entertainment, and performers audition for timetabled slots in a number of venues around the market, including the North Hall, West Piazza, and South Hall Courtyard. The courtyard space is dedicated to classical music only. There are street performances at Covent Garden Market every day of the year, except Christmas Day. Shows run throughout

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6572-444: The eponymous surrounding area. Designed and laid out in 1630, it was the first modern square in London—originally a flat, open space or piazza with low railings. From about 1635 onwards there were many private residents of note , including the nobility, living in the Great Piazza. A casual market started on the south side, and by 1830 the present market hall had been built. The space is popular with street performers, who audition with

6678-413: The first Palace of Westminster . These were located just up-river from the city. Edward's death led to a succession crisis, and ultimately the Norman invasion of England . The average height for Londoners reached a pre-20th century peak, with the male average at 5'8" (173 cm) and the female average at 5'4¼" (163cm). In the first half of the 5th century, Roman oversight in London collapsed, leaving

6784-424: The first of which opened in 1663, making it the oldest continuously used theatre in London. For much of its first two centuries, it was, along with the Royal Opera House, a patent theatre granted rights in London for the production of drama, and had a claim to be one of London's leading theatres. The first theatre, known as "Theatre Royal, Bridges Street", saw performances by Nell Gwyn and Charles Hart . After it

6890-411: The home of The Royal Opera since 1945, and the Royal Ballet since 1946. The current building is the third theatre on the site following destructive fires in 1808 and 1857. The façade, foyer and auditorium were designed by Edward Barry , and date from 1858, but almost every other element of the present complex dates from an extensive £178 million reconstruction in the 1990s. The main auditorium

6996-411: The king". When Edward appointed Robert of Jumièges as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1051, he chose the leading craftsman Spearhafoc to replace Robert as bishop of London, but he was never consecrated. Edward's Norman sympathies are most clearly seen in the major building project of his reign, Westminster Abbey , the first Norman Romanesque church in England. This was commenced between 1042 and 1052 as

7102-463: The land until 1918. Russell built Bedford House and garden on part of the land, with an entrance on the Strand, the large garden stretching back along the south side of the old walled-off convent garden. In 1630 Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford commissioned the architect Inigo Jones to design and build a church and three terraces of fine houses around a large square or piazza. This had been prompted by King Charles I having taken offence at

7208-445: The larger part of the 7th century, and the bishop's seat was occupied only intermittently, by Cedd between 653 and 664, and by Wine between 666 and c.  672 . The bishopric of London was re-established for good in 675, when the Archbishop of Canterbury , Theodore of Tarsus , installed Earconwald as bishop. Lundenwic came under direct Mercian control in about 670, as Essex became gradually reduced in size and status. After

7314-491: The main shopping area of the old market. The Seven Dials area in the north of Covent Garden was home to the punk rock club The Roxy in 1977, and the area remains focused on young people with its trendy mid-market retail outlets. Street entertainment at Covent Garden was noted in Samuel Pepys 's diary in May 1662, when he recorded the first mention of a Punch and Judy show in Britain. Impromptu performances of song and swimming were given by local celebrity William Cussans in

7420-417: The market and central square, and most of the elegant buildings, theatres and entertainment facilities, including the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane , and the London Transport Museum; while the area to the north of Long Acre is largely given over to independent retail units centred on Neal Street, Neal's Yard and Seven Dials ; though this area also contains residential buildings such as Odhams Walk, built in 1981 on

7526-448: The market moved to a new site in Nine Elms, between Battersea and Vauxhall in southwest London. The square languished until its central building re-opened as a shopping centre in 1980. After consulting with residents and local businesses, Westminster Council drew up an action plan to improve the area while retaining its historic character in 2004. The market buildings, along with several other properties in Covent Garden, were bought by

7632-578: The market relocated to its new site, New Covent Garden Market, about three miles (5 km) south-west at Nine Elms . The central building re-opened as a shopping centre in 1980, with cafes, pubs, small shops and a craft market called the Apple Market. Among the first shops to relocate here was Benjamin Pollock's Toy Shop . Another market, the Jubilee Market, is held in the Jubilee Hall on the south side of

7738-482: The market relocated to the New Covent Garden Market about three miles (5 km) southwest at Nine Elms . The central building re-opened as a shopping centre in 1980 and is now a tourist location containing cafes, pubs, small shops, and a craft market called the Apple Market, along with another market held in the Jubilee Hall. Covent Garden falls within the London boroughs of Westminster and Camden and

7844-435: The market, were sold to the newly established government-owned Covent Garden Authority for £3,925,000. By the end of the 1960s, traffic congestion had reached such a level that the use of the square as a modern wholesale distribution market was becoming untenable, and significant redevelopment was planned. Following a public outcry, buildings around the square were protected in 1973, preventing redevelopment. The following year

7950-401: The name "Covent"—an Anglo-French term for a religious community, equivalent to "monastery" or "convent" —appears in a document in 1515, when the Abbey, which had been letting out parcels of land along the north side of the Strand for inns and market gardens, granted a lease of the walled garden, referring to it as "a garden called Covent Garden". This is how it was recorded from then on. After

8056-448: The neo-classical market building that is the heart of Covent Garden today. The "greater part of the pillars" were built from granite quarried from Cairngall in today's Aberdeenshire . The contractor was William Cubitt and Company . Further buildings were added—the Floral hall, Charter Market, and in 1904 the Jubilee Market for foreign flowers was built by Cubitt and Howard. By the end of

8162-480: The nickname "Bucket of Blood". The alleyway beside the pub was the scene of an attack on John Dryden in 1679 by thugs hired by John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester , with whom he had a long-standing conflict. The Salisbury in St Martin's Lane was built as part of a six-storey block around 1899 on the site of an earlier pub that had been known under several names, including the Coach & Horses and Ben Caunt's Head; it

8268-515: The old Roman city became the main site of population. The city now became known as Lundenburg , marking the beginning of the history of the City of London . Sweyn Forkbeard attacked London unsuccessfully in 996 and 1013, but his son Cnut the Great finally gained control of London, and all of England, in 1016. Edward the Confessor became king in 1042. He built Westminster Abbey , the first large Romanesque church in England, consecrated in 1065, and

8374-673: The old town, and the site returned to fields. The first mention of a walled garden comes from a document, c.  1200 AD , detailing land owned by the Benedictine monks of the Abbey of St Peter, Westminster . A later document, dated between 1250 and 1283, refers to "the garden of the Abbot and Convent of Westminster". By the 13th century this had become a 40-acre (16 ha) quadrangle of mixed orchard, meadow, pasture and arable land, lying between modern-day St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane , and Floral Street and Maiden Lane . The use of

8480-502: The parliamentary constituencies of Cities of London and Westminster and Holborn and St Pancras . The area has been served by the Piccadilly line at Covent Garden tube station since 1907; the 300-yard (270 m) journey from Leicester Square tube station is the shortest in London. During the Roman period , what is now the Strand – running along the southern boundary of the area that

8586-530: The political centre of England was Winchester , London was becoming increasingly important. Æthelstan held many royal councils in London and issued laws from there. Æthelred the Unready favoured London as his capital, and issued his Laws of London from there in 978. It was during the reign of Æthelred that Vikings resumed their raids, led by Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark . London was attacked unsuccessfully in 994, but numerous raids followed. In 1013, London underwent

8692-529: The poor condition of the road and houses along Long Acre, which were the responsibility of Russell and Henry Carey, 2nd Earl of Monmouth . Russell and Carey complained that under the 1625 Proclamation concerning Buildings, which restricted building in and around London, they could not build new houses. For a fee of £2,000, the King then granted Russell a licence to build as many new houses on his land as he "shall thinke fitt and convenient". The houses initially attracted

8798-425: The roofs off nearby houses and held them over their heads in the boats. Thus protected, they were able to get close enough to the bridge to attach ropes to the piers and pull the bridge down, defeat the Vikings and end the occupation of London. There is some speculation that the nursery rhyme " London Bridge is Falling Down " stems from this incident. Following Æthelred's death on 23 April 1016, his son Edmund Ironside

8904-498: The royal seat of the West Saxons, on 3 April 1043. Modern historians reject the traditional view that Edward mainly employed Norman favourites, but he did have foreigners in his household. Chief among them was Robert of Jumièges , who came to England in 1041, becoming Bishop of London in 1043. According to the Vita Ædwardi Regis , he became "always the most powerful confidential adviser to

9010-500: The site of the Odhams print works, and is home to 7,000 residents. For a list of street name etymologies in Covent Garden see: Street names of Covent Garden . The Covent Garden estate was originally under the control of Westminster Abbey and lay in the parish of St Margaret . During a reorganisation in 1542 it was transferred to St Martin in the Fields , and then in 1645 a new parish

9116-693: The site's owners for an allocated slot. The square was originally laid out when the 4th Earl of Bedford, Francis Russell, commissioned Inigo Jones to design and build a church and three terraces of fine houses around the site of a former walled garden belonging to Westminster Abbey. Jones's design was informed by his knowledge of modern town planning in Europe, particularly Piazza d'Arme, in Leghorn, Tuscany , Piazza San Marco in Venice, Piazza Santissima Annunziata in Florence, and

9222-651: The south contains the central square with its street performers and most of the historical buildings, theatres and entertainment facilities, including the London Transport Museum and the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane . The area was fields until briefly settled in the 7th century when it became the heart of the Anglo-Saxon trading town of Lundenwic , then abandoned at the end of the 9th century after which it returned to fields. By 1200 part of it had been walled off by

9328-406: The square. The market halls and several other buildings in Covent Garden have been owned by the property company Capital & Counties Properties (CapCo) since 2006. In 1980 the London Transport Museum opened in part of the old flower market buildings, and these were refurbished in around 2005 to re-open in 2007. The current Theatre Royal on Drury Lane is the most recent of four incarnations,

9434-452: The two daughters and co-heiresses of Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton (1607-1667). Rachel's son and heir was Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford (1680–1711). By the 18th century, Covent Garden had become a well-known red-light district, attracting notable prostitutes such as Betty Careless and Jane Douglas . Descriptions of the prostitutes and where to find them were provided by Harris's List of Covent Garden Ladies ,

9540-564: The wealthy, although they moved out when a market developed on the south side of the square around 1654, and coffee houses, taverns, and prostitutes moved in. The Bedford Estate was expanded by the inheritance of the former manor of Bloomsbury to the immediate north of Covent Garden following the marriage of William Russell, Lord Russell (1639–1683) (third son of William Russell, 1st Duke of Bedford of Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire ) to Rachel Wriothesley , heiress of Bloomsbury, younger of

9646-405: The west of the old Roman town of Londinium were borne out by excavations in 1985 and 2005. These revealed that a trading town, called Lundenwic , developed around 600 AD, stretching from Trafalgar Square to Aldwych , with Covent Garden at the centre. Alfred the Great gradually shifted the settlement into the old Roman town of Londinium from around 886 AD onwards, leaving no mark of

9752-588: The world. In 1909, the club's president introduced the Lonsdale Belt as a prize to be awarded to the British champion at each weight. The belts were made from porcelain and twenty-two carat gold. In the 1920s boxing became a sport with mass appeal. Boxers could appear at large venues and earn more money than at the N.S.C. As a result, the club was forced to open its doors to the public in October 1928. However, in 1929, it

9858-484: Was also involved and first introduced the world renowned "Queensberry Rules" to boxing through The National Sporting Club. The club was run under very strict rules regarding both the boxers and the members. Bouts would take place after dinner, before about 1,300 members and guests. The bouts would be fought in silence as no talking was permitted during the rounds. The club built up a great tradition of sportsmanship and fair play and predominately ran boxing Uk and throughout

9964-594: Was announced in late 2001, owing to lack of sponsorship for 2002. However, official company records show incorporation in 1989 and ongoing registration as of 2022 . Venues used for the festival have included the Bow Street Magistrates' Court ; the Covent Garden piazza; the Royal Opera House ; Cochrane Theatre , Holborn ; Peacock Theatre in Kingsway WC2 , venues at Lincoln's Inn and The Temple ; and

10070-634: Was created, splitting governance of the estate between the parishes of St Paul Covent Garden and St Martin, both still within the Liberty of Westminster . St Paul Covent Garden was completely surrounded by the parish of St Martin in the Fields. It was grouped into the Strand District in 1855. In 1900 it became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Westminster and was abolished as a civil parish in 1922. The northern reaches of Covent Garden were within

10176-487: Was declared king. Sweyn's son Cnut the Great continued the attacks, harrying Warwickshire and pushing northwards across eastern Mercia in early 1016. Edmund remained in London, still unsubdued behind its famous walls, and was elected king after the death of Aethelred, but Cnut returned southward and the Danish army evidently divided, some dealing with Edmund, some besieging London. A battle at Penselwood , in Somerset and

10282-505: Was designed as a dedicated flower market by William Rogers of William Cubitt and Company in 1871, and was first occupied by the museum in 1980. Previously the transport collection had been held at Syon Park and Clapham . The first parts of the collection were brought together at the beginning of the 20th century by the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC) when it began to preserve buses being retired from service. After

10388-654: Was destroyed by fire in 1672, English dramatist and theatre manager Thomas Killigrew constructed a larger theatre on the same spot, which opened in 1674. Killigrew's theatre lasted nearly 120 years, under leadership including Colley Cibber , David Garrick , and Richard Brinsley Sheridan . In 1791, under Sheridan's management, the building was demolished to make way for a larger theatre which opened in 1794. However, that survived only 15 years, burning down in 1809. The building that stands today opened in 1812. It has been home to actors as diverse as Shakespearean actor Edmund Kean , child actress Clara Fisher , comedian Dan Leno ,

10494-535: Was forced to close its premises in Covent Garden and move for a while to The Stadium Club , Holborn before finally moving to 21 Soho Square in January 1930. In 1930 to try to revive the club's fortunes, and there were ambitious plans to build new headquarters but these came to nothing. In 1936, an enthusiast, John Harding, set up a new committee, which took over the Empress Hall and put on boxing shows there. In 1938

10600-424: Was founded as an unlicensed Italian cafe by Abel Giandellini in 1917. Other restaurants include Gaby's Deli , a Jewish cafe and restaurant serving falafels and salt beef sandwiches since 1965, and Mon Plaisir, founded in 1943, one of the oldest French restaurants in London. Covent Garden was home to some of London's earliest coffee shops, such as Old Slaughter's Coffee House , which ran from 1692 until 1843, and

10706-408: Was no exception. Within ten years, the settlement within the old Roman walls was re-established, now known as Lundenburg. The old Roman walls were repaired and the defensive ditch was re-cut. These changes effectively marked the beginning of the present City of London, the boundaries of which are still to some extent defined by its ancient city walls. As the focus of Lundenburg was moved back to within

10812-460: Was part of Beecham Estates and Pills Limited from 1924 to 1928, after which it was managed by a successor company called Covent Garden Properties, owned by the Beechams and other private investors. This new company sold some properties at Covent Garden, while becoming active in property investment in other parts of London. In 1962 the bulk of the remaining properties in the Covent Garden area, including

10918-594: Was ready by 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed its opening. The cinema partners with a number of film festivals and other organisations, as well as hosting Q&As, live music, and poetry recitals. Covent Garden tube station is situated on the corner of Long Acre and James Street. It is served by Piccadilly line trains, which link the area directly to important Central London destinations including King's Cross St Pancras , South Kensington , and Heathrow Airport ( [REDACTED] ). The station opened in 1907, and

11024-488: Was the first building and was begun in July 1631 on the western side of the square. The last house was completed in 1637. Seventeen of the houses had arcaded portico walks organised in groups of four and six either side of James Street on the north side, and three and four either side of Russell Street. These arcades, rather than the square itself, took the name Piazza; the group from James Street to Russell Street became known as

11130-546: Was to become Covent Garden – was part of the route to Silchester , known as "Iter VII" on the Antonine Itinerary . Excavations in 2006 at St Martin-in-the-Fields revealed a group of late Roman graves, suggesting the site had been sacred since at least 350 AD. The area to the north of the Strand was long thought to have remained as unsettled fields until the 16th century, but theories by Alan Vince and Martin Biddle that there had been an Anglo-Saxon settlement to

11236-548: Was under Æthelberht that Mellitus founded the first cathedral of the East Saxons , which is traditionally said to be on the site of an old Roman temple of Diana (although the 17th century architect Christopher Wren found no evidence of this). The original building would have been only a modest church at first and it may well have been destroyed after Mellitus was expelled from the city by Sæberht's pagan successors in 616. The majority of London's population remained pagan during

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