Discovering London Street Names

Ever wondered if Cheapside really is cheap, what you do in Threadneedle Street, or who the knights of Knightsbridge were? Did you know that Piccadilly is actually an insult? And that Euston Road was built because there were too many cows on Oxford Street? Or that the River Fleet was covered over partly because of a drunken butcher? Take a trip down narrow lanes, through cobbled streets and crowded markets to discover the meanings behind the city’s place names. Meet forgotten residents whose names survive in the places where they lived, such as Sir George Downing of Downing Street, and uncover tales from London’s murky past that have shaped the modern city. From famous landmarks to forgotten rivers, grand thoroughfares to lost palaces, and ancient villages swallowed up as the city grew, Caroline Taggart explains the hidden meanings behind familiar places. If you have ever wanted to learn more about the history of London and discover the people, events and stories that shaped our capital city, then come on a journey that will show you London in a new light...

Londoners and tourists alike probably wonder about the meaning of such street names as Piccadilly, Pall Mall, Old Bailey, Houndsditch and Crutched Friars. John Wittich explains the origins of these and many other London street names which can reveal unsuspected facts about the history of the area, which occasionally dates back to Saxon times. Apparently straightforward names are not always what they seem: Cannon Street was once Candlewick Street, where the candlemakers dwelt, and Bunhill Row is 'bone hill', where human remains from St Paul's Cathedral were reinterred after its destruction in the Great Fire.

A unique gazetteer that clearly explains the fascinating origins and meanings behind the names of over 1,700 places, streets, and areas within the English capital, including the Greater London Boroughs. It also features maps, an extended introduction on the development of these place-names, a detailed glossary, and recommended web links.