THE HISTORY OF COVENT GARDEN

Covent Garden London

The heart of London's West End

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THE HISTORY OF COVENT GARDEN - A COMMUNITY VIEW

Short Summary

To the visitor at the beginning of the 21st century the name 'Covent Garden' may mean the collection of shops around the traffic-free Piazza. Others may think of it as streets of designer-label boutiques and, in the evening, a place for eating and drinking. In reality, it is home to more than 6,000 people who, in the last 20 years, have had to learn to live with an explosion of retail and drinking outlets.

The history of the area can be traced back to AD 600, when the Anglo-Saxons established a trading town on most of present-day Covent Garden. When they moved into the old Roman town nearby for safety, it reverted to a market garden until the 17th century. Over the centuries since then it has developed as a residential, commercial and entertainment area. For most of the time it was the main fruit, vegetable and flower market for the fast-growing Capital.

Covent Garden occupies a sloping location to the north of the river Thames. It is located between the City - the commercial centre of London, and Westminster - the political centre. This has determined the commercial, residential and entertainment role of our neighbourhood.

There have been three distinct periods in the history of the area: an Anglo Saxon trading centre, a medieval monastic farm and market garden, and finally, in modern times, a mixed residential, commercial and entertainment area.

Early History

Little is known about the pre-history of the area. In Roman times it was probably farm land crossed by roads and tracks to the thriving, fortified, colonial outpost of Londinium to the east. The Romans left Britain at the beginning of the 5th century. Two hundred years later the first commercial development of our locality began. The Anglo Saxons did not occupy old Roman sites; they established a trading town of modest buildings, called Lundnwic, in what is now Covent Garden. Current archaeological evidence suggests that for about 300 years, from 600AD, the town thrived. However, it was easily attacked by Vikings and finally abandoned for the remains of the more secure old Roman town.

The buildings quickly disintegrated and the foundations of the town disappeared under fields. From 1200 much of the area became the property of St Peter's Convent - Westminster Abbey. For over 300 years the land was used for the production of food for the Abbey, with the surplus sold. It was a kitchen garden and mixed farm with animals, cereals and fodder. Over time, the convent's garden was called Covent Garden. The years of political and religious turmoil from 1530 to 1550 saw the end of church ownership. Through the dissolution of the religious houses and the intervention of the Crown, much of the land eventually became the property of the Bedford family, who retained it for the next 350 years.

Commercial Development

At this time, the Strand was a country road along the much wider river Thames, linking London and Westminster. Both Queen Elizabeth and King James the First limited development around London. For the next 70 years, the only buildings were large mansions along the Strand, including the London home of the Bedford family. These controls could not survive the pressures to expand and develop the capital. In 1630 the fourth Earl of Bedford successfully obtained a licence from the crown to build a speculative residential development on part of his Covent Garden estate. In modern terms, the 'planning gain' was the first London Square, the Piazza, St Paul's Church and much of the street pattern of the southern part of the area. This was the largest development London had seen. It was devised by the leading architect of the day, Inigo Jones. He was also architect to the Crown, so there was considerable control over the design.

The high-class residential area did not survive the upheavals of the Civil war. The original residents did not return, as the new squares in Bloomsbury were more attractive. Lucrative commercial ventures soon appeared. Shops opened at street level and market traders appeared in the Piazza. In 1670 the fifth Earl was granted a charter for a market - in modern terms 'retrospective planning permission' and the arrival of the modern mix of commercial and residential uses. Entertainment also came as coffee and ale houses opened. The first Theatre Royal opened in 1663 and the first theatre on the Opera House site in 1732. These became the resort of the new, affluent middle class, artists and local craftsmen. The remaining area of the present Covent Garden quickly became built over, often with poor quality developments. There was a wide range of craftsmen and small workshops such as engravers, printers, bookbinders and carriage makers. Many lived and worked in the area, while many others from Samuel Pepys and William Hogarth onwards sought out the area for their pleasure or inspiration.

The 18th and 19th Centuries

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries and well into the 20th, the area retained this rich mix. The area had the largest wholesale flower, fruit and vegetable market in London. It moved outwards from the Piazza, taking over streets and buildings. The present market buildings appeared in the Piazza in 1830 and were joined by roofs in 1870. There was severe overcrowding in the poor quality slum housing. It was rarely quiet, with the market working most of the night and the places of entertainment open late.

As the 19th century drew to a close, the entertainment industry expanded and changed with the building of many more theatres. Printing became a major employer in the area. Housing began to improve, as major road schemes around the perimeter, such as Kingsway and Shaftesbury Avenue, resulted in some slum clearance and the erection of workers' housing. The Peabody Trust also built two estates. These developments were accompanied by a general quietening down of the area, as it ceased to be the fashionable place to find entertainment.

Recent History

A large wholesale market in a central location, in out-dated buildings, clogging up the streets with traffic, was an anachronism, and much of the first half of the 20th century was devoted to finding a solution. Delayed by the two world wars, the market finally moved to Vauxhall in 1974. This left the Piazza, the surrounding streets and many of the buildings deserted by the market traders, ready for development. The Earls of Bedford had progressively sold off their interest in the area, but the long delay in relocating the market meant that a significant part of central London had remained relatively unchanged for over 70 years.

The planners began work in the 1960's and devised a comprehensive redevelopment scheme. A central 'character route', including most of the streets planned by Inigo Jones, would have been kept. Most of the buildings and streets in the north and south of the area would have been destroyed. These areas contained most of the housing. They were to be replaced by four lane highways to speed up traffic, brutalist blocks including large offices, a hotel, a conference centre and new high-rise housing. All would be serviced by underground roads

The planners did not take into account the wide range of people with an interest in the area. Covent Garden had many diverse activities, interest groups and over 3,000 residents in a relatively small area. This combination meant that, during the 1970's, one of the most successful community actions seen in Britain defeated the plan. Most of the buildings and the housing in a significant part of central London were saved. A full consultation led to a new plan in 1978 that, at the time, did not result in a comprehensive redevelopment.

Saving and restoring the fabric in the area attracted commercial interests and Covent Garden became a honey pot for tourists. Over five million people visit the Piazza every year. The commercial interest began with the conversion of the Central Market into a shopping complex, which opened in 1980, and led the way to streets of trendy boutiques opening in the next two decades. The catering trade and brewing industry saw the area as an ideal location for very large drinking establishments. Once again, the area is no longer quiet. When the trendy, music-playing shops close for the night, the bars and drinking establishments turn up their sound systems.

The residents stayed and the population has increased to well over 6,000. New social housing has been built. The Victorian housing stock has been renovated. For the first time, most residents have modern heating and hot water systems and many have lifts. Commercial residential accommodation has been built, some in recycled warehouses and an old hospital.

Over the last 30 years, the Covent Garden Community Association has helped to establish a social centre, a sports hall, various housing schemes and gardens. All these projects are now independent and add to the quality of life for residents of the area. Some shops providing for the basic needs of the residents remain or have been established. There is now a health centre and the two primary schools are thriving in the original Victorian buildings. The playgrounds are in the basement and on the roof.

Today

The Covent Garden Community Association continues to campaign to prevent unsuitable developments and control the traffic. Most of Covent Garden is in designated conservation areas in either the City of Westminster or the London Borough of Camden. We try to prevent unauthorised developments that detract from the appearance of the area, , and often have a severely detrimental effect on the amenity of nearby residents. We also campaign to stop licensed premises opening very late because of the noise and traffic generated.

Some of the old pubs from the 19th century remain and the theatres are still here. This time there is no Pepys or Hogarth to record the changes.

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