94-588: Regent Street is a major shopping street in the West End of London . It is named after George, the Prince Regent (later George IV) and was laid out under the direction of the architect John Nash and James Burton . It runs from Waterloo Place in St James's at the southern end, through Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus , to All Souls Church . From there Langham Place and Portland Place continue
188-693: A building named Golden Cross House. The railway station opened in 1864, fronted on the Strand with the Charing Cross Hotel. In 1865, a replacement cross was commissioned from E. M. Barry by the South Eastern Railway as the centrepiece of the station forecourt. It is not a replica, being of an ornate Victorian Gothic design based on George Gilbert Scott 's Oxford Martyrs' Memorial (1838). The Cross rises 70 feet (21 m) in three main stages on an octagonal plan, surmounted by
282-647: A commonly agreed central datum point , various points were used for this purpose. John Ogilby 's Britannia of 1675, of which editions and derivations continued to be published throughout the 18th century, used the "Standard" (a former conduit head) in Cornhill ; while John Cary 's New Itinerary of 1798 used the General Post Office in Lombard Street . The milestones on the main turnpike roads were mostly measured from their terminus which
376-481: A grand scale, designed to harmonise and produce an impressive overall effect. Strict rules governed the reconstruction. Each block had to be designed with a continuous unifying street façade and finished in Portland stone. The first redevelopment was Regent House, just south of Oxford Circus. The stylistic tone for the rebuilding was set by Sir Reginald Blomfield 's Quadrant. The architect Norman Shaw , then aged 73,
470-408: A high plinth, situated roughly where the medieval monumental cross (the 'Charing Cross') had previously stood for 353 years (since its construction in 1294) until destroyed in 1647 by the revolutionary government of Oliver Cromwell . The famously beheaded King, appearing ascendant, is the work of French sculptor Hubert Le Sueur . Charing Cross is marked on contemporary maps as the road junction around
564-479: A hotel, a theatre , and a music hall (which had lain beneath the arches of the railway station). Charing Cross Road , the main route from the north (which became the east side of Trafalgar Square), was named after the railway station, itself a major destination for traffic, rather than after the original cross. By the late 18th century, the Charing Cross district was increasingly coming to be perceived as
658-580: A junction with Cavendish Place and Mortimer Street near the BBC Broadcasting House , with the road ahead being Langham Place , followed by Portland Place . The southern section of the road is one-way northbound and part of the A4 , a major road through West London. From Piccadilly Circus northwards, it is numbered A4201, though in common with roads inside the London congestion charging zone ,
752-527: A little under 200 years. Since 2014 the premises have been occupied by Watches of Switzerland . Immediately north of Regent Street is the BBC 's headquarters, Broadcasting House , whose front entrance is in Langham Place. Several national radio stations are broadcast from this building. The site had formerly been a building on the gardens of Foley House designed by James Wyatt and called Wyatt's House. It
846-545: A man to destroy it; however he instead hid it and brought it back to the new King, Charles II (Charles I's son), and his Parliament who had the statue erected here in 1675. A prominent pillory , where malefactors were publicly flogged, stood alongside for centuries. About 200 yards to the east was the Hungerford Market , established at the end of the 16th century; and to the north was the King's Mews , or Royal Mews,
940-560: A million people crowded into Regent Street and the surrounding streets to watch a parade of Formula One cars. In 2016, the sport's chief manager, Bernie Ecclestone , speculated that a London Grand Prix may potentially happen in the future, including Regent Street as a part of the circuit. The character Lord Frederick Verisopht in Charles Dickens ' Nicholas Nickleby lived in an apartment in Regent Street. This reflected
1034-472: A monument to resemble the one lost under Cromwell's low church Britain took place in 1864 in Britain's main era of medieval revivalism. The next year the memorial was completed and Cardinal Wiseman died, having been appointed the first Archbishop of Westminster in 1850, with many Anglican churches also having restored or re-created their medieval ornamentations by the end of the century. By this time England
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#17327662834261128-513: A spire and cross. The shields in the panels of the first stage are copied from the Eleanor Crosses and bear the arms of England, Castile , Leon and Ponthieu ; above the 2nd parapet are eight statues of Queen Eleanor. The Cross was designated a Grade II* monument on 5 February 1970. The month before, the bronze equestrian statue of Charles, on a pedestal of carved Portland stone, was given Grade I listed protection. The rebuilding of
1222-629: A strong seller of table tennis equipment in the late 19th century, allowing the sport to become popular. The business moved to Nos. 200–202, and moved to the current address in 1981. It claims to be the largest toy shop in the world. The main London branch of the clothing store Jaeger was at Nos. 200–206 Regent Street. It was founded in 1884 by Lewis Tomalin, who was inspired by naturalist Gustav Jäger 's pioneering use of anti-animal fibre-based clothing. The first shop, on Fore Street , had "Doctor Jaeger's Sanitary Woollen System" inscribed above
1316-590: A thoroughfare linking Marylebone Park (now Regent's Park ) with the Prince Regent 's Carlton House . John Fordyce was appointed as Surveyor-General to the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests in 1793 and concluded that there should be a suitable road in place by 1811, when the lease for Marylebone Park ran out and ownership reverted to the Crown. It was hoped the road could link Pall Mall and
1410-549: A variety of events, combining creative talent with our established stores." There have been Christmas lights on Regent Street in various forms since 1882. The current regular displays date from 1948, when the Regent Street Association decorated the street with trees. Since 1954, the Regent Street Association have arranged annual Christmas lights. There is a different display every year and the switching on ceremony occurs during November. On 6 July 2004, half
1504-429: Is a distinct county ). The City of London became a centre for the banking, financial, legal and professional sectors, while Westminster became associated with the leisure, shopping, commerce, and entertainment sectors, the government, and home to universities and embassies . The modern West End is closely associated with this area of central London. Lying to the west of the historic Roman and medieval City of London,
1598-470: Is a reimagining of the medieval cross, on a larger scale, more ornate, and not on the original site. It was designed by the architect E. M. Barry and carved by Thomas Earp of Lambeth out of Portland stone , Mansfield stone (a fine sandstone) and Aberdeen granite ; and it stands 222 yards (203 metres) to the north-east of the original cross, focal to the station forecourt, facing the Strand . Since 1675
1692-511: Is home to several events throughout the year. The Regent Street Festival happens annually, and during this time, the street is closed to traffic. In September, there is a series of fashion-related events, dubbed as Fashion and Design Month (FDM), which has been running since 2015. In an interview with David Shaw, the head of the Regent Street Portfolio , he said that for FDM 2016, they worked with many "talented individuals across
1786-556: Is laid out with many notable public squares and circuses. London Underground stations in the West End include: 51°30′48″N 0°07′43″W / 51.51333°N 0.12861°W / 51.51333; -0.12861 Charing Cross Charing Cross ( / ˈ tʃ ær ɪ ŋ / CHARR -ing ) is a junction in Westminster , London, England, where six routes meet. Since the early 19th century, Charing Cross has been
1880-459: Is marked on modern maps as a road junction, and was used in street numbering for the section of Whitehall between Great Scotland Yard and Trafalgar Square. Since 1 January 1931 this segment has more logically and officially become the northern end of Whitehall. At some time between 1232 and 1236, the Chapel and Hospital of St Mary Rounceval was founded at Charing. It occupied land at the corner of
1974-562: Is mentioned in several of Arthur Conan Doyle 's Sherlock Holmes stories, including "The Sign of Four", "A Scandal in Bohemia" and "The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax". In The Hound of the Baskervilles (chapter 4), Holmes and Watson attempt to follow Stapleton down Regent Street. Offshoot crescent road Heddon Street was the location for the cover photography for 1972 David Bowie album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and
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#17327662834262068-624: The Apple Store . The Royal Polytechnic Institution, now the University of Westminster , has been based on Regent Street since 1838. Regent Street is approximately 0.8 miles (1.3 km) long and begins at a junction with Charles II Street as a continuation of Waterloo Place. It runs north to Piccadilly Circus , where it turns left before curving round the Quadrant to head north again, meeting Oxford Street at Oxford Circus . It ends at
2162-572: The Haymarket , which had declined and became downmarket. A further problem was increased congestion around Charing Cross , which would benefit from road improvements. The street was designed by John Nash (who had been appointed to the Office of Woods and Forests in 1806 and previously served as an adviser to the Prince Regent) and by developer James Burton . Nash proposed his own plans for
2256-534: The Tower Garrison and surrendered. The Eleanor Cross was pulled down, by order of Parliament, in 1647, at the time of the English Civil War , becoming the subject of a popular Royalist ballad : Methinks the common-council shou'd Of it have taken pity, 'Cause, good old cross, it always stood So firmly in the city. Since crosses you so much disdain, Faith, if I were you, For fear
2350-435: The "Camel's Back". Liberty later took over all of Nos. 140–150 Regent Street. In 1925, this complex was replaced by two new buildings, and a mock tudor building (built by architects Edwin T. Hall and his son Edwin S. Hall, constructed from the timbers of two ships, HMS Impregnable , and HMS Hindustan on neighbouring Great Marlborough Street connected by a footbridge over Kingly Street , which separates
2444-493: The "centre of fashion". Shops expanded into multiple properties, selling imported and exotic products to appeal to niche consumers. By the end of the century, fashions had changed and the original buildings were small and old fashioned, restricting trade. The colonnade constructed by Nash was demolished in the mid-19th century for fear it might attract "doubtful characters". Other buildings were not up to modern building standards; some had been extended and were structurally suspect. As
2538-572: The "centre" of the metropolis (supplanting the traditional heartland of the City to the east). From the early 19th century, legislation applicable only to the London metropolis used Charing Cross as a central point to define its geographical scope. Its later use in legislation waned in favour of providing a schedule of local government areas and became mostly obsolete with the creation of Greater London in 1965. Road distances from London continue to be measured from Charing Cross. Prior to its selection as
2632-597: The 'Whitehall' thoroughfare. Erect a rich and stately carved cross, Whereon her statue shall with glory shine; And henceforth see you call it Charing Cross. The name of the lost hamlet, Charing, is derived from the Old English word cierring , a river bend, in this case, referring to a bend in the Thames . A debunked folk etymology claimed the name is a corruption of chère reine ("dear queen" in French), but
2726-521: The 'alien' houses. The priory fell into a long decline from lack of money and arguments regarding the collection of tithes with the parish church of St Martin-in-the-Fields . In 1541, religious artefacts were removed to St Margaret's , and the chapel was adapted as a private house; its almshouse were sequestered to the Royal Palace. In 1608–09, the Earl of Northampton built Northumberland House on
2820-602: The 1660s, during the late 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, it was built as a series of palaces, expensive town houses, fashionable shops and places of entertainment. The areas closest to the City around Holborn , Seven Dials , and Covent Garden contained poorer communities that were cleared and redeveloped in the 19th century. As the West End is a term used colloquially by Londoners and is not an official geographical or municipal definition, its exact constituent parts are up for debate. Westminster City Council 's 2005 report Vision for
2914-579: The 99-year leases came to an end, Regent Street was redeveloped between 1895 and 1927 under the control of the Office of Woods, Forests and Land Revenues (now known as the Crown Estate ). The modern Regent Street is the result of this redevelopment. No original structures survive except south of Oxford Circus for some Nash-designed sewers. The current design is an example of the Beaux Arts approach to urban design: an assembly of separate buildings on
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3008-615: The City. Some of these structures were later moved or destroyed, but reference to them persisted as if they still remained in place. An exaggerated but well-meaning criticism was that "all the Books of Roads ... published, differ in the Situation of Mile Stones, and instead of being a Guide to the Traveller, serve only to confound him". William Camden speculated in 1586 that Roman roads in Britain had been measured from London Stone ,
3102-576: The King should rule again, I'd pull down Tiburn too. At the Restoration (1660 or shortly after) eight of the regicides were executed here, including the notable Fifth Monarchist , Colonel Thomas Harrison . A statue of Charles I was, likewise in Charles II's reign, erected on the site. This had been made in 1633 by Hubert Le Sueur , in the reign of Charles I, but in 1649 Parliament ordered
3196-544: The Place Vendome in Paris, between 1815 and 1816. The vast majority of the street was designed by Nash or Burton. However, a few buildings were designed by Charles Robert Cockerell , Sir John Soane , or others. By 1819, the Crown was receiving regular rent and the street was becoming established. At first, it was named New Street and became a dividing line between Soho , which had declined socially and economically, and
3290-656: The Spiders from Mars . A blue plaque has been placed to mark the spot where Bowie posed for the front cover. Notes Citations Sources West End of London The West End of London (commonly referred to as the West End ) is a district of Central London , London, England, west of the City of London and north of the River Thames , in which many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings and entertainment venues, including West End theatres , are concentrated. The term
3384-482: The West End included the following areas in its definition: Covent Garden , Soho , Chinatown , Leicester Square , the shopping streets of Oxford Street , Regent Street and Bond Street , the area encompassing Trafalgar Square , the Strand and Aldwych , and the district known as Theatreland . The Edgware Road to the north-west and the Victoria Embankment to the south-east were also covered by
3478-466: The West End was long favoured by the rich elite as a place of residence because it was usually upwind of the smoke drifting from the crowded City. It was close to the royal seat of power at the Palace of Westminster (now home to parliament ), and is largely contained within the City of Westminster (one of the 32 London boroughs ). Following initial development by Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of St Albans in
3572-474: The air with dust. Existing tenants had first offer to purchase leases on the new properties. The Treasury supported the proposal because, in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars , there was an urgent need for the government to create jobs. Government expenditure was low because the design relied heavily on private developers, such as Nash himself. The buildings were let on 99-year leases, as was common at
3666-526: The arch – crash – knock – children look round – mother's head off – sandwich in her hand – no mouth to put it in – head of family off." The story echoes an accident of 11 April 1800, when the Chatham and Rochester coach was emerging from the gateway of the Golden Cross, and "a young woman, sitting on the top, threw her head back, to prevent her striking against the beam; but there being so much luggage on
3760-644: The café about his proposal to sue the Marquess of Queensberry for libel over Wilde's alleged homosexuality. Wilde went ahead with the trial, which ultimately led to his own arrest and imprisonment. The present building, by Sir Reginald Blomfield, dates from 1928 and is Grade II listed. It was closed in 2008 and the building which houses the café was bought by a subsidiary of Alrov Group , as a part of Crown Estate's plans to redevelop this part of Regent Street. Veeraswamy , London's oldest extant Indian restaurant, has been at 99-101 Regent Street since 1926. Regent Street
3854-453: The damage, it survived the war and became one of the best known buildings associated with radio broadcasting. Subsequently, the BBC expanded with additional studios at Maida Vale , followed by the former headquarters of BBC Television , BBC Television Centre at Wood Lane . In the 2000s, Broadcasting House was expanded to include a new wing and modernise the site, replacing earlier extensions. It
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3948-407: The document but were treated as "adjacent areas" to the West End. According to Ed Glinert's West End Chronicles (2006) the districts falling within the West End are Mayfair , Soho , Covent Garden , Fitzrovia and Marylebone . By this definition, the West End borders Temple , Holborn and Bloomsbury to the east, Regent's Park to the north, Paddington , Hyde Park and Knightsbridge to
4042-566: The door. Oscar Wilde was a regular visitor to the shop. Henry Morton Stanley is known to have worn Jaeger clothing during his search for David Livingstone in Africa, as is Robert Falcon Scott on his fated trip to the South Pole . The company moved to Regent Street in 1935; it moved out in January 2016. The Apple Store opened on Regent Street on 20 November 2004. At the time, this was
4136-603: The east side of Whitehall ). A variant from the hazy Middle English orthography of the late fourteenth century is Cherryngescrouche . The stone cross was the work of the medieval sculptor, Alexander of Abingdon . It was destroyed in 1647 on the orders of the purely Parliamentarian phase of the Long Parliament or Oliver Cromwell himself in the Civil War . A 70 ft (21 m)-high stone sculpture in front of Charing Cross railway station , erected in 1865,
4230-551: The east side of Regent Street in 1821, and the west side of Regent Street, specifically the part between the Quadrant and Oxford Street , and its archways, in 1822. Burton built north of Old Burlington Street , and the east side of the street between Chapel Court and the entrance to the King Street Chapel SW1, in 1822. Burton also designed and built Regent Street St. James (Lower Regent Street) , and Waterloo Place, St. James's , whose facades he modelled on those of
4324-588: The eastern portion of the property. In June 1874, the duke's property at Charing Cross was purchased by the Metropolitan Board of Works for the formation of Northumberland Avenue. The frontage of the Rounceval property caused the narrowing at the end of the Whitehall entry to Charing Cross, and formed the section of Whitehall formerly known as Charing Cross, until road widening in the 1930s caused
4418-447: The fashionable squares and streets of Mayfair to the west. Carlton House was demolished after completion of the works in 1829 and was replaced by Carlton House Terrace , designed by Nash and the son of James Burton, Decimus Burton . Regent Street was the first shopping area in Britain to support late night opening in 1850, when shopkeepers agreed to keep stores open until 7pm. During the 19th century, Regent Street became established as
4512-884: The first such store in Europe, with the others being in the United States and Japan. It was the largest Apple store worldwide until the opening of an even larger store in Covent Garden in August 2010. The building that houses the store is a grade II listed building built in 1898 for Venetian mosaicist Antonio Salviati. Austin Reed 's flagship store was at Nos. 103–113 Regent Street for more than 85 years, having moved there in 1911. It had an atrium at its centre, housing glass lifts allowing viewing across all floors. The lower ground floor sold womenswear and also housed Austin's,
4606-496: The hamlet of Charing, Westminster , which later gave way to government property; a little of the Strand; and Trafalgar Square. The cross in its various historical forms has also lent its name to its locality, including Charing Cross Station . On the forecourt of this terminus station stands the ornate Queen Eleanor Memorial Cross , a taller emulation of the original, and built to mark the station's opening in 1864. A bronze equestrian statue of Charles I , erected in 1675, stands on
4700-423: The latter, the dangers to public safety of the quite low archway to access the inn's coaching yard were memorably pointed out by Mr Jingle : "Heads, heads – take care of your heads", cried the loquacious stranger as they came out under the low archway which in those days formed the entrance to the coachyard. "Terrible place – dangerous work – other day – five children – mother – tall lady, eating sandwiches – forgot
4794-512: The mediaeval layout, had been planned since just after the Great Fire of London (1666) when Sir Christopher Wren and John Evelyn drew plans for rebuilding the city on the classical formal model. After a lack of progress, houses were rebuilt on the old street network anyway. In 1766, John Gwynn complained in London and Westminster Improved that there was a lack of planning throughout the West End and that it would be useful to construct
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#17327662834264888-471: The modern Whitehall and into the centre of Northumberland Avenue , running down to a wharf by the river. It was an Augustinian house, tied to a mother house at Roncesvalles in the Pyrenees . The house and lands were seized for the king in 1379, under a statute "for the forfeiture of the lands of schismatic aliens". Protracted legal action returned some rights to the prior, but in 1414, Henry V suppressed
4982-653: The monarch, started a major redevelopment programme. In 2013 the Estate sold a quarter of the 270,000-square-foot (25,000 m) Regent Street Quadrant 3 building to the Norwegian Oil Fund , while later that year, Hackett London bought the lease for the Ferrari store on Regent Street for £4m. Smaller shops have been replaced by larger units; the street is now the flagship location of several major brands, including Apple and Banana Republic . The largest part of
5076-417: The most expensive locations in the world in which to rent commercial and office space. Medieval London comprised two adjacent cities – the City of London in the east, and the City of Westminster in the west. Over time they came to form the centre of modern London, although each kept its own distinct character and its separate legal identity (for example, the City of London has its own police force and
5170-531: The name pre-dates Queen Eleanor's death by at least a hundred years. The suffix "Cross" refers to the Eleanor cross made during 1291–94 by order of King Edward I as a memorial to his wife, Eleanor of Castile . This place latter comprised little more than wayside cottages serving the Royal Mews in the northern area of Trafalgar Square , and built specifically for the Palace of Whitehall (much of
5264-428: The name was derived from the hamlet of Charing ('Riverbend') that occupied the area of this important road junction in the middle ages, together with the grand Eleanor cross that once marked the site. The medieval monumental cross, the Charing Cross (1294–1647), was the largest and most ornate instance of a chain of medieval Eleanor crosses running from Lincoln to this location. It was a landmark for many centuries of
5358-649: The nature of the street in the mid-19th century when it was still a fashionable residence for the upper class. In August 1839, the first British commercial production of daguerreotype photographs were carried out in a property on Regent Street, shortly after the process had been publicly documented. Regent Street is a location on the British version of Monopoly as a group of three green squares with Oxford Street and Bond Street . The three properties are grouped together as they are all known for their retail and commercial backgrounds. The Langham Hotel on Regent Street
5452-407: The newly-developed Regent Street in the 1820s; they first opened at number 49, and by 1848 had expanded into 45-51. The premises, which included a prominent frontage on Piccadilly Circus, were rebuilt by Sir Reginald Blomfield in 1910-20. The department store closed down in 1982. Hedges and Butler, wine and spirits merchant established in 1667, moved into 153 Regent Street in 1819 and stayed there for
5546-598: The notional "centre of London " and became the point from which distances from London are measured . Clockwise from north, the routes that meet at Charing Cross are: the east side of Trafalgar Square leading to St Martin's Place and then Charing Cross Road ; the Strand leading to the City ; Northumberland Avenue leading to the Thames Embankment ; Whitehall leading to Parliament Square ; The Mall leading to Admiralty Arch and Buckingham Palace ; and two short roads leading to Pall Mall . Historically,
5640-455: The number does not appear on signs. Nearby tube stations are Charing Cross , Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus ; the lattermost being one of the busiest underground stations in London, and is where three main lines ( Central , Bakerloo and Victoria ) meet. Several bus routes, such as 6, 12, and 13, run along Regent Street. Regent Street was one of the first planned developments of London. An ordered structure of London streets, replacing
5734-457: The plan was the reconstruction of the Quadrant close to Piccadilly Circus, which was completed in 2011. It offers 200,000 square feet (19,000 m) of office space spanning over seven floors. Two Art Deco -designed restaurants have also been restored, and the development includes a small number of apartments. The Crown Estate moved its own headquarters from Carlton House Terrace to Regent Street in 2006. The department store Dickins and Jones
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#17327662834265828-415: The properties. The toy store Hamleys is at No. 188 Regent Street, just south of Oxford Circus. It was founded as Noah's Ark at No. 231 High Holborn in 1760. An additional branch opened at Nos. 64–66 Regent Street in 1881, while the original High Holborn building burned down in 1901, moving to Nos. 86–87. The store was frequently the first to market the latest games and toys, and became
5922-418: The rebuilding of the south side of the street which created a wide thoroughfare. In 1554, Charing Cross was the site of the final battle of Wyatt's Rebellion . This was an attempt by Thomas Wyatt and others to overthrow Queen Mary I of England , soon after her accession to the throne, and replace her with Lady Jane Grey . Wyatt's army had come from Kent, and with London Bridge barred to them, had crossed
6016-602: The refurbished Art Deco Barber Shop. In May 2011, the British fashion retailer Superdry announced it would move into the building, paying £12m for the lease. In return, Austin Reed moved to the former Aquascutum shop on the other side of the road. In 2016, Austin Reed filed for administration , ending over 100 years' presence on Regent Street. Aquascutum , first established in Mayfair in 1851, opened its flagship store at 100 Regent Street in 1895. It closed on 7 August 2011. Swan and Edgar moved their haberdashery business into
6110-517: The river by what was then the next bridge upstream, at Hampton Court . Their circuitous route brought them down St Martin's Lane to Whitehall. The palace was defended by 1000 men under Sir John Gage at Charing Cross; they retreated within Whitehall after firing their shot, causing consternation within, thinking the force had changed sides. The rebels – themselves fearful of artillery on the higher ground around St James's – did not press their attack and marched on to Ludgate , where they were met by
6204-460: The roof of the coach as to hinder her laying herself sufficiently back, it caught her face, and tore the flesh in a dreadful manner." The inn and its yard, pillory, and what remained of the Royal Mews, made way for Trafalgar Square, and a new Golden Cross Hotel was built in the 1830s on the triangular block fronted by South Africa House . A nod to this is made by some offices on the Strand, in
6298-509: The route to Regent's Park . The street's layout was completed in 1825 and was an early example of town planning in England, replacing earlier roads including Swallow Street . Nash and Burton's street layout has survived, although all the original buildings except All Souls Church have been replaced following reconstruction in the late 19th century. The street is known for its flagship retail stores, including Liberty , Hamleys , Jaeger and
6392-633: The site of the cross has been occupied by a statue of Charles I , the king beheaded during the Cromwellian era, mounted on a horse. The site is recognised by modern convention as the centre of London for determining distances (whether geodesically or by road network) in preference to other measurement points (such as St Paul's Cathedral which remains the root of the English and Welsh part of the Great Britain road numbering scheme ). Charing Cross
6486-518: The stables for the Palace of Whitehall and thus the King's own presence at the Houses of Parliament (Palace of Westminster). The whole area of the broad pavements of what was a three-way main junction with private (stables) turn-off was a popular place of street entertainment. Samuel Pepys records in his diaries visiting the taverns and watching the entertainments and executions that were held there. This
6580-401: The statue's traffic island, though it is also a thoroughfare in postal addresses: Drummonds Bank , on the corner with The Mall, retains the address 49 Charing Cross and 1-4 Charing Cross continues to exist. The name previously applied to the whole stretch of road between Great Scotland Yard and Trafalgar Square, but since 1 January 1931 most of this section of road has been designated part of
6674-470: The store by buying the Harrods group. In 2005, House of Fraser announced that the store would close the following year, after it had been making a loss for several years and not kept up with more fashion-conscious department stores elsewhere. The building has been redeveloped with small shop units on the lower floors and flats and offices above. The Liberty department store is based at Nos. 210–220. It
6768-474: The street in 1810 following the death of Fordyce, envisioning broad, architecturally distinguished thoroughfares and public spaces, and planned to construct a straight boulevard as seen in French cities, but this was not possible because of land ownership issues. Nash's final design resulted in a road situated further west than on previous plans, and Nash believed the road would run down a de facto line separating
6862-408: The street. The central section, known as the Quadrant, was designed for "shops appropriated to articles of fashion and taste," and was Nash's centrepiece for the street. It was built with a colonnade of cast-iron columns, allowing commuters to walk along the street without having to face bad weather. The buildings along the Quadrant had different facades, a deliberate choice by Nash to break away from
6956-583: The theatre in 1995. The University of Westminster 's main campus is at No. 309 Regent Street. Founded in 1838 under the chairmanship of George Cayley , it is one of the oldest educational institutions in Central London. It began life as the Royal Polytechnic Institution (after a royal charter had been formally received in August 1839 Prince Albert became a patron to the institution). The Polytechnic closed in 1881, but
7050-648: The time, and income could be recouped in the form of ground rent. James Burton, the pre-eminent Georgian London property developer , designed and constructed 191 of the houses of Regent Street, and their joining archways. Five of the largest blocks of Regent Street were purchased by Burton in 1817. Burton's houses on Regent Street are No. 4 to No. 12; No. 17 to No. 25; No. 106 to No. 128; No. 132 to No. 154; No. 133 to No. 167; No. 171 to No. 195; and No. 295 to No. 319. These were built, together with Carlton Chambers, between 1817 and 1820. Burton also built between Leicester Street and No. 129 Swallow Street in 1820. Burton built
7144-530: The uniform design of the previous century and a pragmatic means of using what building materials were available and what clients wanted. The road was planned to end outside Carlton House in Pall Mall, the residence of the Prince of Wales. Nash insisted that businesses on the street would be of high-quality to rival nearby Bond Street ; common trades such as butchers or greengrocers were not allowed. The design
7238-599: The upper classes and nobility in Mayfair with the working class in Soho . The construction of the northern section of the New Street involved demolishing most of the existing Swallow Street , which had become run down and was an ideal candidate for regeneration. The road was designed to curve east between Oxford Street and Piccadilly so that it did not meet St James's Square , and the circuses allowed visual continuity down
7332-401: The west, and Victoria and Westminster to the south. Other definitions include Bloomsbury within the West End. One of the City of Westminster wards is called " West End ". This electoral unit includes some of the most prosperous areas of the borough, including Soho , Mayfair and parts of southern Marylebone . The population of this ward at the 2011 Census was 10,575. The West End
7426-526: Was adopted by an act of Parliament, the New Street Act 1813 ( 53 Geo. 3 . c. 121), which permitted the commissioners to borrow £600,000 for building and construction. The street was intended for commercial purposes and it was expected that most of the income would come from private capital. Nash took responsibility for design and valuation of all properties. Construction of the road required demolishing numerous properties, disrupting trade and polluting
7520-572: Was brought in to draw up proposals for the Circus and the Quadrant after early plans were considered unsatisfactory. His scheme was approved in principle but subject to indecision and dispute, both on property acquisition and retailers' demand for bigger display windows. Shaw's design for the Piccadilly Hotel was completed in 1908 with modifications, while the Quadrant was rebuilt by Blomfield, adapting Shaw's designs. The work started in 1923 and
7614-666: Was combined with the south of the mews when Trafalgar Square was built on the site in 1832, the rest of the stable yard becoming the National Gallery primarily. A major London coaching inn, the "Golden Cross" – first mentioned in 1643 – faced this junction. From here, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, coaches linked variously terminuses of: Dover , Brighton , Bath , Bristol, Cambridge , Holyhead and York . The inn features in Sketches by Boz , David Copperfield and The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens . In
7708-404: Was completed by 1928. Significantly, no accommodation was built above any of the retail properties, contributing to the demise of the West End as a place of residence. A limited number of architects were responsible for the redesigned street, including Sir John James Burnet , Arthur Joseph Davis and Henry Tanner . The Work was delayed by World War I and not finished until 1927. Its completion
7802-475: Was demolished in 1928 (with much of the fixtures ending up in the Victoria and Albert Museum ) to construct Broadcasting House. Construction was challenging because the building had to be visually similar to other properties on Regent Street, yet also contain over twenty soundproofed studios. The exterior is built of Portland stone and above the front entrance is a sculpture by Eric Gill . Broadcasting House
7896-639: Was designed by MacCormac Jamieson Prichard . Originally named the Egton House, it was renamed to the John Peel Wing in 2012, in memory of the radio broadcaster. The Paris Theatre was located in a converted cinema in Lower Regent Street, near other BBC buildings. Several rock groups performed live concerts here, including The Beatles , Queen and Pink Floyd , which were simultaneously recorded for broadcast. The BBC stopped using
7990-527: Was established at No. 54 Oxford Street as Dickins and Smith before moving to Nos. 232–234 Regent Street in 1835. It was renamed to Dickins and Jones in the 1890s after John Pritchard Jones became a business partner, and by the turn of the 20th century employed over 200 people. It became part of the Harrods group in 1914, and expanded to cover Nos. 224–244 in 1922, in a new building designed by Sir Henry Tanner . In 1959, House of Fraser took over
8084-546: Was first used by the BBC on 2 May 1932, and total construction costs were £350,000. It was too small for all services, and St George's Hall, next to All Souls, was used for variety broadcasts until it was demolished during the Blitz . On 15 October 1940, the building took a direct hit, killing seven people, and later that year a landmine exploded on Portland Place, causing widespread fires in Broadcasting House. Despite
8178-468: Was first used in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross . The West End covers parts of the boroughs of Westminster and Camden . While the City of London is the main financial district in London, the West End is the main commercial and entertainment centre of the city. It is the largest central business district in the United Kingdom. It is one of
8272-424: Was founded by entrepreneur Arthur Lasenby Liberty , who had been inspired by the 1862 International Exhibition and wanted to open an oriental warehouse. He opened his first shop, East India House in 1875 at No. 218a, selling silk garments and various oriental goods. The shop expanded into other properties on Regent Street in the 1880s, separated by a jeweller's shop which was bridged by a double staircase called
8366-623: Was marked by King George V and Queen Mary driving in state along its length. The only remaining Nash building is All Souls Church and all the buildings on the street are at least Grade II listed . All the properties are in the Regent Street Conservation Area. Meanwhile, the Bakerloo line of the London Underground was built running under the street for part of its course from 1902 until 1906, when it
8460-450: Was opened on 10 March that year. The line's entrance at Oxford Circus tube station, near Argyll Street, was designed by Leslie W. Green using glazed terracotta as a facing material. By the 1970s, Regent Street had started to decline because of under-investment and competition from neighbouring areas such as Oxford Street or shopping centres away from Central London. In 2002, the Crown Estate , which owns most of Regent Street on behalf of
8554-635: Was peripheral to the free-passage urban, London roads. Ten of these are notable: Hyde Park Corner , Whitechapel Church , the southern end of London Bridge , the east end of Westminster Bridge , Shoreditch Church , Tyburn Turnpike (Marble Arch), Holborn Bars , St Giles's Pound , Hicks Hall (as to the Great North Road ), and the Stones' End in The Borough . Some roads into Surrey and Sussex were measured from St Mary-le-Bow church in
8648-825: Was promptly re-founded by Quintin Hogg as The Polytechnic at Regent Street. In 1970 it was amalgamated with Holborn College of Law, Languages and Commerce to become the Polytechnic of Central London (PCL), which in turn became the University of Westminster in 1992. The university houses the Regent Street Cinema which acted as a platform for major scientists, artists and authors such as Charles Dickens , John Henry Pepper , and The Lumière Brothers ( Auguste and Louis Lumière ) where public and private screenings of Cinématographe were shown to an audience. The cinema
8742-536: Was restored and reopened to the public in May 2015. All Souls Church is at the top of Regent Street next to Broadcasting House. It was built in 1823 out of Bath stone and consecrated in 1824, and is the only surviving building in Regent Street that was designed by John Nash. The Café Royal , located at 68 Regent Street in the Quadrant, was opened in 1865 by Daniel Nicols and became an institution of London high society. In 1895 Oscar Wilde argued with Frank Harris in
8836-525: Was the epicentre of the Gothic Revival . It was intertwined with deeply philosophical movements associated with a re-awakening of "High Church" or Anglo-Catholic self-belief (and by the Catholic convert Augustus Welby Pugin ) concerned by the growth of religious nonconformism. The cross, having been revived, gave its name to a railway station , a tube station , a police station, a hospital ,
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