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The ferry was owned by the Archbishop of Canterbury and was a vital river crossing at a time when there were few bridges across the Thames. As the name implies, horses and their riders were transported across the river from Westminster to Lambeth Palace on the river’s south bank.
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Aug 16, 2023 · It’s named after George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham who owned the land here and had it developed from 1670. Villiers goes down in history as one of London’s biggest egoists, however. The same development also included a George Street, a Duke Street and a Buckingham Street.
May 7, 2024 · From the bustling thoroughfares of commerce to the tranquil lanes of literary legend, each street bears witness to centuries of change and continuity. In this article, we embark on a journey through the iconic street names of London, delving into their origins, significance, and enduring legacies.
Ever wondered where some of London's more unusual street names come from? Prior to the nineteenth century, street names were typically generic and descriptive, usually named after the goods sold in them e.g. Bread Street.
- Hammersmith
- Goldhawk Road
- Shepherd's Bush Market
- Wood Lane
- Latimer Road
- Ladbroke Grove
- Westbourne Park
- Royal Oak
- Paddington
- Edgware Road
An uneasy beginning on our etymological tube ride, for nobody is quite sure as to the origins of this place name, first recorded in 1294. Some sources suggest it derives from Hammoder's Hythe (a safe haven belonging to Hammoder); others, perhaps more satisfyingly, strike a concatenation of 'hammer' and 'smithy'. Hammersmith may have been an area im...
We can be more hawkish with the next station's origins. Goldhawk Road is probably named after a John Goldhawk who owned an enviable amount of land in Fulham during the 15th century.
One of London's newest station names, Shepherd's Bush Market was so anointed in 2008, to avoid confusion with the two other Shepherd's Bush stations (Central line and Overground). The 'Market' part refers to the longstanding market alongside the H&C rail viaduct. The shepherdic origins are more woolly. Shepherd's Bush is likely to have been a rest ...
Originally known as Turvens Lane, the former home of the BBC was renamed Wood Lane at some point around 1830. Alas, the etymology is very dull. Wood Lane was named after some nearby woods.
Another tube stop named after a wealthy gentleman. Edward Latymer was a London merchant in the times of Queen Bess and King Jim. He left much of his fortune to good causes within the Hammersmith area, and founded the Latymer School, which still thrives today. Latimer Road ran through his property and eventually took his name, thence the tube statio...
Yet another wealthy individual is celebrated at this stop. James Weller Ladbroke built up the local housing in the mid-19th century and chose his own name for the main road (well, wouldn't you?). The family association goes back much further, though. JWL's ancestors had gazed out over this formerly rural land since at least the early 17th century. ...
Known as Westbourne Green from the middle ages, this area takes its name from the long-buried River Westbourne, whose name itself means western river or stream. We'll encounter it again once we've looped round to Bayswater, and almost see it at Sloane Square.
The original Royal Oak was a tree in Boscobel, Shropshire, which served as a hiding place for the future Charles II while fleeing the Roundheads. After Charles gained the throne, many English pubs took on the name of The Royal Oak in commemoration, and it remains the third most popular pub appellation in England. The one in west London gave its nam...
Named after an immigrant bear with a proclivity for marmalade. Or was it the other way around? Actually, the west-facing station and the wider area carry a name from Anglo-Saxon times, probably after a local land-owner called Padda (the exact name is uncertain), with 'ton' or 'tun' meaning 'the village of'.
The old Roman route of Watling Street takes many names along its course. Where it twists north at Marble Arch, it likes to be called Edgware Road (because, after miles of light industry and noisy slipways it does eventually reach Edgware). That name recalls an otherwise forgotten Anglo-Saxon chieftain called Ecgi, associated with a fishing pool (we...
The UK is packed with streets which have become well-known beyond their home cities, such as Downing Street in London, Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street and Manchester’s Canal Street.
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Winner of British Designer of the Year twice, in 1990 and 1991, honoured with the Order of the British Empire in 1992 and made Dame Vivienne Westwood in 2006, she drew uncommonly wide acclaim from the extremes of the street and the establishment.
