The Hidden History Of Covent Garden: A Self-Guided Walk

Covent Garden is world famous with its piazza and street performers and a must see for people visiting the city. Throughout most of its history it has been a hub for trade and entertainment.

With this self-guided walk we will be delving into Covent Garden’s hidden history. Along the way we will encounter dramatic murder sites, fake doors and ancient symbols…

First a quick historical summary!

Covent Garden History

Amazingly the area of Covent Garden has been a trading spot going back to the Saxons in the 6th century. As is so often the case with London, associations with places carry through the centuries and even millennia.

In the 16th century it was used as a kitchen garden by the convent of St Peter’s, Westminster- hence where we get the name from: ‘Covent/Convent Garden’.

After the dissolution of the monasteries the land was given to the Earl of Bedford. In the early 17th century the fourth Earl decided to build a grand square with townhouses to rent and sell to his fellow aristocrats and gentlefolk. Look out for the Bedford coat of arms over the entrances to the market as you walk around.

As the century drew on the rich moved further west and the fruit and vegetable market, for which it became famed, started to encompass the whole space. The rambunctious atmosphere of the market ended up bringing with it establishments for the purveyance of pleasures such as brothels, taverns and coffee houses.

The market moved to Nine Elms in 1974 but today it retains a bustling market feel with stalls, cafes and street performers.

Join me on this self-guided walk around Covent Garden looking for clues to the area’s past and many interesting historical titbits along the way. Here is a map with a suggested route! As you can see from the map it’s not a long walk but there is history hiding in every nook and cranny!

St Paul’s Church

Where else to start our self-guided hidden history walk than in the famous piazza. St Paul’s Church was built as part of Inigo Jones’ original brief from the Bedfords to create a piazza surrounded by four streets, mansions and a church. St Paul’s Church was completed in 1633 and has become known as the Actor’s Church due to its association with the theatre industry.

Two interesting things to note about the church- firstly, it appears to be the wrong way round. Inigo Jones’ plan was for the altar to be at the West end of the church and the entrance opening onto the piazza. However, this went against Christian tradition and they had to change it last minute. The door you can see on the piazza today is therefore a fake.

The second easy to miss bit of history is the engraving on the face of the church. It marks where Samuel Pepys observed the first ever Punch and Judy show on the 9th May 1662. Turn around to see the Punch and Judy pub built in 1787, named after this event.

Russell House And The Market

Turn right to see the oldest building on the piazza: the grand Russell House. Built in 1716, it was constructed as a townhouse for the First Lord of the Admiralty, Lord Orford.

As you walk around the piazza, note the arches and grand buildings. These were built in the 19th century but give you a flavour of the original market arcades. There was an eclectic mix of townhouses but also many brothels that Covent Garden was famed for in the Georgian period. In the 18th century there was a publication called ‘Harris’s List of Covent Garden Ladies’ outlining the physical attributes and ‘special services’ of ladies of pleasure you could pay for here.

Walk now through the current market building itself which was constructed in the 1830’s. Look out for the old photographs of the market from the 1970’s!

Rules Restaurant

Rules is London’s oldest restaurant. It was opened in 1798 by Thomas Rule and remained in his family until 1918. After the Great War Charles Rule, descendant of Thomas, wanted to move to Paris. Luckily enough he met a Mr Tom Bell, who owned a restaurant in Paris and wanted to move to London. So they swapped businesses! The Bell family owned the restaurant until 1984 when it was bought by businessman John Mayhew.

It has an impressive roll call of famous customers over its four centuries of service including Dickens, Thackeray and Laurence Olivier. It also has its well-known ‘table for two’ on the 1st floor where the Prince of Wales (future King Edward VII) would have many a clandestine rendezvous his mistress Lily Langtry in the late 1870’s.

When it opened it served pies and oysters to the theatre-goers and fashionable dandies of Georgian London, now it has a rather more diverse menu. Have a look at their website here.

As you walk along Maiden Lane- feel free to poke your head down some of the little alleys leading down to the Strand- plenty of hidden history to be found down them as well!

William Terriss- Murder and Haunting

Just a few doors down, look out for the plaque to William Terriss by the stage door for the Adelphi Theatre. William Terriss was born in 1847 and was one of the most popular actors of his day. On 16th December 1897 he was stabbed to death by a deranged fellow actor Richard Archer Prince by the stage door. Prince ended up in the Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum where he died in 1937. Terriss’ ghost is said to haunt the Adelphi Theatre and Covent Garden tube station.

You can also see a plaque for where artist William Turner was born in 1775.

On this next stretch you will get a chance to see the real front of St Paul’s church. Note the lovely old gas lighting and benches dedicated to actors and performers. Read more about visiting the church itself here.

Goodwin’s Court

Goodwin’s Court is a magical spot and in fact is said to have inspired Diagon Alley in Harry Potter. The lovely bow-fronted cottages were built around 1690 and would have originally been little shops displaying their wares in the front windows.

The Garrick

This rather austere looking building you will pass on your left is The Garrick Club. The Garrick Club was founded in 1831, making it one of the oldest gentleman’s clubs in the world. Its alumni include Laurence Olivier, Stephen Fry and Henry Irving.

The Lamb and Flag

The Lamb and Flag became a pub in 1772 which puts it somewhere in the mix of one of the oldest in London, although the façade is much newer.

In the 19th century it was known as the ‘Bucket of Blood’ due to the bare knuckle fights that took place here.

The Lamb and Flag coat of arms with the holy lamb and a cross with a golden streamer is an ancient symbol. It is used as the badge of the Middle Temple and was originally an emblem used by the Knight’s Templar. You can see a tile with this symbol in Temple Church, the lamb represents the lamb of God, aka Jesus.

The cobbled street you are standing on is called Rose Street. It was here that on the night of 18-19 December 1679 John Dryden was attacked by thugs and nearly killed. It is thought they were hired by the Earl of Rochester as a revenge attack for a critical poem he had written. The Lamb and Flag has Dryden room bar upstairs named after this event!

Another little hidden piece of history for you- look at the brick wall opposite the pub and carved into it is the name ‘Emma Bowden’. She is thought to be an ex landlady of the pub in the Victorian period who went bankrupt.

The Lamb and Flag and Rules both feature on my Top Ten Places To See Beautiful Georgian London.

Look behind you as you head through the passage to see a lovely old sign for the pub (pictured at the top of the blog).

Long Acre- The Mercers’ Maidens

The first thing to spot on this street is the plaque at number 132 which is where John Logie Baird broadcast the first TV programme on the 30th September 1929.

Now walk along Long Acre and keep your eyes peeled for a great little hidden bit of history… these strange busts adorning various buildings. Once you spot one you’ll start seeing loads!

Long Acre was given to the Worshipful Company of Mercers in the 16th Century. They are one of the City of London’s livery companies and has existed since the 14th century. They managed the financial affairs of wealthy merchants particularly in wool and silk.

Since at least 1425 they have used the ‘Mercers’ Maiden’ as their symbol and to mark the properties they own- these are the figures we see today. They still own a lot of property on and around Long Acre as you can see from the various Mercer’s Maidens along this stretch. For my full blog post on the story behind the Mercers’ Maidens, click here.

If you pop into Mercer’s Walk you will see a tiny little model of the company’s last ceremonial barge.

Long Acre- Carriage Manufactory

Long Acre has been known for its coach and carriage making since the 17th century. Samuel Pepys records in his diary of coming here to watch his coach being varnished and prepared for him.

If you look at the top of the beautiful façade of number 30-31 you will see that it says ‘Carriage Manufactory’. This building dates back to 1878 but there had been a carriage or coach manufactory here for many years before that. The stunning Italianate style was aimed to stand out from the competitors, of which there would have been many. After the coaches and carriages, in the early 20th century, Long Acre became a hub of motor car manufacturing as well.

The Bridge Of Aspiration And The Royal Opera House

As you wander along the lovely Floral Street you will walk under a rather unusual looking bridge. Called the Bridge of Aspiration, it was built in 2003 to link the Royal Opera House with the Royal Ballet School.

The Royal Opera House first opened in 1732. The current building is the third iteration following two devastating fires in 1808 and 1856.

It was here that the first ever piano was played in a performance in Britain in 1767 and where ‘limelight’ was first used to illuminate the actors on stage. Limelight was invented in the 1820’s and was a mixture of oxygen, hydrogen and quicklime. It is where we get the phrase ‘in the limelight’ from.

Bow Street Magistrates

This building dates from 1881 but there has been a magistrates court on Bow Street since 1740. It was here that the first professional police force in the country was started by magistrate and author Henry Fielding in 1749. It consisted of 6 ‘Bow Street runners’ who patrolled the parish.

There have been many well-known figures who were tried at the Bow Street magistrates court including the Kray Twins, Emmeline Pankhurst and Oscar Wilde.

It closed as a police station in 1992 and the court in 2006. Very excitingly, this year it will be opening as a new museum on the history of policing. You can read more about it here.

Covent Garden Tube Station

I leave you by Covent Garden Tube Station built in 1907 with the classic ox-blood red tile design. A fun fact about Covent Garden tube station is that the journey from this station to Leicester Square is apparently the most expensive train journey in the world at over £4 for a 43 second journey.

Thank you for reading! More London history self-guided walks below!