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The interior of Covent Garden Market in the West End
The interior of Covent Garden Market in the West End

The West End of London is an area of Central London, England, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, businesses, headquarters and the commercial West End theatres. Covent Garden (Pronunciation kɒvʌnt is a district in London, England, located on the easternmost parts of the City of Westminster and the southwest The term Central London refers to the districts of London England which are considered closest to the centre England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London 's "Theatreland" Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross. Charing Cross is located at the junction of the Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street in Central London, England. [1] For strategic planning the area is identified as one of two international centres in the London Plan. The London Plan is a planning document written by the Mayor of London in the United Kingdom and published by the Greater London Authority. [2]


Contents

Location

Shaftesbury Avenue from Piccadilly Circus in 1949
Shaftesbury Avenue from Piccadilly Circus in 1949

Located to the west of the historic Roman and Mediaeval City of London, 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. For the racehorse see Shaftesbury Avenue (horse Shaftesbury Avenue is a major street in London, England, Piccadilly Circus is a famous road junction and public space of London 's West End in the City of Westminster,built in 1819 to connect Regent Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and 410 For London as a whole see the main article London. The City of London is a geographically It was also located close to the royal seat of power at Westminster, and is largely contained within the City of Westminster (one of the 32 London boroughs). Westminster is an area of Central London, within the City of Westminster. The City of Westminster ( is a borough of London with city status. The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. Developed in the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, it was originally built as a series of palaces, expensive town houses, fashionable shops and places of entertainment. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The areas closest to the City around Holborn, Seven Dials and Covent Garden historically contained poorer communities that were cleared and redeveloped in the nineteenth century. Holborn (ˈhoʊbɚn or /ˈhoʊbɝːn/ "ho bun" is an area of Central London, England Seven Dials is a small but well-known Road junction in the West End of London near Covent Garden where seven streets converge to form Covent Garden (Pronunciation kɒvʌnt is a district in London, England, located on the easternmost parts of the City of Westminster and the southwest

The name "West End" is a flexible term with different meanings in different contexts. It may refer to the entertainment district around Leicester Square and Covent Garden; to the shopping district centred on Oxford Street, Regent Street, and Bond Street (but the geographically distinct shopping district around Knightsbridge would also be counted as "West End Shopping" by some); or, less commonly, to the whole of that part of Central London (itself an area with no generally agreed boundaries) which lies to the west of the City of London. For the British guitarist see Lester Square. Leicester Square (ˈlɛstɚ is a Pedestrianised square in the West End Covent Garden (Pronunciation kɒvʌnt is a district in London, England, located on the easternmost parts of the City of Westminster and the southwest Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in London, England in the City of Westminster. Regent Street is one of the major shopping streets in London 's West End. Bond Street is a major shopping street in London which runs through Mayfair from Piccadilly in the south to Oxford Street in the north Knightsbridge is a road which gives its name to an exclusive district lying to the west of Central London. The term Central London refers to the districts of London England which are considered closest to the centre For London as a whole see the main article London. The City of London is a geographically

One of the local government wards within the City of Westminster is called "West End". In Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, a ward is an Electoral district The City of Westminster ( is a borough of London with city status. It is bounded by the City of London to the east, the Thames to the south east, Horseferry Road and Victoria Street to the south, Grosvenor Place to the west and Piccadilly and Long Acre to the north. For London as a whole see the main article London. The City of London is a geographically The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. Horseferry Road is a street in the City of Westminster in central London, England, running between Millbank and Greycoat Place Victoria is an informal area of inner city London, lying wholly within the City of Westminster, and named after Victoria of the United Kingdom. Piccadilly is a major London street running from Hyde Park Corner in the west to Piccadilly Circus in the east [1] This is quite a narrow boundary. However, in the United Kingdom, ward boundaries are generally only familiar to people involved in local politics and administration, and this ward carries little weight as an "official" definition of the West End, and is not intended to do so.

Activities

Her Majesty's Theatre in Haymarket, home to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera.
Her Majesty's Theatre in Haymarket, home to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera. Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre, located on The Haymarket, in the City of Westminster. Haymarket is a street in the St James's district of the City of Westminster, a London Borough

Taking a fairly broad definition of the West End, the area contains the main concentrations of most of London's metropolitan activities apart from financial services, which are concentrated primarily in the City of London. There are major concentrations of the following buildings and activities in the West End:

The annual New Year’s Day Parade takes place on the streets of the West End. A hedge fund is a private Investment fund open to a limited range of investors which is permitted by regulators to undertake a wider range of activities than other investment Whitehall is a road in Westminster in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards traditional This article describes the hotels in London England. Hotels are an important part of London 's tourism industry A learned society is an Organization that exists to promote an Academic discipline or group of disciplines The New Year's Day Parade is a parade of 10000 performers through the streets of the West End of London which takes place annually on 1 January. West End Live, a showcase of musical theatre, takes place in Leicester Square in June. For the British guitarist see Lester Square. Leicester Square (ˈlɛstɚ is a Pedestrianised square in the West End

Districts in the West End

Trafalgar Square viewed from the northeast corner.
Trafalgar Square viewed from the northeast corner. Trafalgar Square is a square in central London, England. With its position in the heart of London it is a tourist attraction its trademark is Nelson's

Using the broadest definition, these are the inner districts of the West End, which were all developed by about 1815:

The districts to the south, north and west of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens were developed between the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 and the late 19th century, in some cases based on existing villages. Bloomsbury is an area of central London in the south of the London Borough of Camden, developed by the Russell family in the 17th and 18th centuries into Covent Garden (Pronunciation kɒvʌnt is a district in London, England, located on the easternmost parts of the City of Westminster and the southwest Fitzrovia is an area of Central London, near London's West End. Holborn (ˈhoʊbɚn or /ˈhoʊbɝːn/ "ho bun" is an area of Central London, England Marylebone (sometimes written St Marylebone or Mary-le-bone, or in archaic use Marybone) is an area of central London, England in Mayfair is an area of central London, England, within the City of Westminster. Seven Dials is a small but well-known Road junction in the West End of London near Covent Garden where seven streets converge to form This article is about an area of Manhattan, New York City. For the area in London UK see Soho. St James's is an area of central London in the City of Westminster. The City of Westminster ( is a borough of London with city status. Hyde Park is one of the largest Parks in central London, England and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner See also Kensington Gardens South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide, Australia Kensington Gardens, once the private gardens of Kensington The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions The more fashionable of them were generally regarded as being in the West End at that time, but the extension of the term to these areas west of Park Lane is less common nowadays. Park Lane is a major Road (designated A4202) in the City of Westminster, in Central London. The last two listed especially are fringe cases:

Famous streets in the West End

Notable squares and circuses in the West End

Marble Arch
Marble Arch

The West End is laid out with many notable public squares and circuses, the later being the original name for roundabouts in London. Knightsbridge is a road which gives its name to an exclusive district lying to the west of Central London. The London Plan is a planning document written by the Mayor of London in the United Kingdom and published by the Greater London Authority. Belgravia is a district of central London in the City of Westminster, situated to the south-west of Buckingham Palace. Pimlico is a small area of central London in the City of Westminster that is primarily residential and well known for its collection of small hotels and impressive Chelsea is an area of south-west London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along South Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. Bayswater is an area of west London in the City of Westminster. Paddington is an area of the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Notting Hill is an area in West London, England close to the north-western corner of Hyde Park, and lying within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Holland Park is a district and a public park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, in west central London in England. Albemarle Street is a street in Mayfair in central London, off Piccadilly. Baker Street is a street in the Marylebone district of the City of Westminster in London. Bond Street is a major shopping street in London which runs through Mayfair from Piccadilly in the south to Oxford Street in the north Carnaby Street is a pedestrianised shopping street in London, United Kingdom, located in the area of 'Carnaby' in the district of Soho Charing Cross Road is a London street which runs immediately north of St Martin-in-the-Fields to St Giles' Circus (the intersection with Oxford Street Denmark Street is a short narrow road in central London, notable for its connections with British Popular music, and is known as the British Tin Pan Gower Street may refer to Gower Street (London Gower Street (Hollywood Great Marlborough Street runs west to east through the western part of Soho in London. Great Portland Street is a street in the West End of London. Linking Oxford Street with Albany Street and the busy A501 Harley Street is a road in the City of Westminster in London, England. Haymarket is a street in the St James's district of the City of Westminster, a London Borough High Holborn is a road in Holborn in central London, England. Kingsway is a major road in central London in the United Kingdom, designated as part of the A4200. Old Compton Street runs east-west through Soho, London, England. Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in London, England in the City of Westminster. Park Lane is a major Road (designated A4202) in the City of Westminster, in Central London. Piccadilly is a major London street running from Hyde Park Corner in the west to Piccadilly Circus in the east Regent Street is one of the major shopping streets in London 's West End. For the racehorse see Shaftesbury Avenue (horse Shaftesbury Avenue is a major street in London, England, The Strand is a street in the City of Westminster, London, England. Tottenham Court Road is a road in Central London, England, running from St Giles' Circus (the junction of Oxford Street and Charing Cross Wardour Street in a street located in London 's Soho, running one-way south to north from Leicester Square, passing through Chinatown, across Marble Arch is a white Carrara Marble monument near Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park, at the western end of Oxford Street in London has had a long history with squares. Of London 's squares a few such as Trafalgar Square, were built as public open spaces like the City squares

Transport

London Underground Stations in the West End

National Rail Station in the West End

See also

References

  1. ^ Mills, A. West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London 's "Theatreland" , Oxford Dictionary of London Place Names, (2001)
  2. ^ a b Greater London Authority, The London Plan: The Sub Regions

External links

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