Greek Street
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Greek Street is a street in Soho, London, leading south from Soho Square to Shaftesbury Avenue. The street is famous for its restaurants.
Originally Hogs Lane, the street has been known by its present name at least from 1679. It probably takes its name from a Greek Church, which was built in 1677 in adjacent Crown Street, now part of the west side of Charing Cross Road. The church is depicted in William Hogarth's 'Noon' from Four Times of the Day[1].
Although the street has several houses from the 18th century and earlier, it is mainly 19th century in appearance.
No. 1 Greek Street is the site of the House of St Barnabas which was built in 1746. In 1811, it became the offices of the Westminster Commissioner for Works for Sewers. this is where Sir Joseph Bazalgette (the chief engineer), started to work on the construction of the London sewer system. In 1862 the house was taken over by The House of Charity, which had been established in 1846 to provide temporary accommodation for homeless poor people. Charles Dickens used the house and gardens as a model for the London lodgings of Dr Manette and Lucy in A Tale of Two Cities. [2][3]
In the mid-eighteenth century, No. 9 was the location of the Turk's Head Tavern where a well-known lodge of Free-Masons met. The Ancient Grand Lodge of England was organized there on 17 July 1751.[4]
The Coach & Horses pub, famous for the rudeness of its landlord, is at no. 29, at the corner of Romilly Street. There has been a public house of that name on the site since at least the 1720s. There has been a Pillars of Hercules pub at no. 7 since 1733.
Number 49 was the home of the legendary folk music club, Les Cousins.
In the southern part of the street (below Old Compton Street which runs perpendicularly to the street), No 28 is the site of Maison Bertaux, a renowned French patisserie, founded in 1871, which apparently now works as headquarters for artist Martin Firrell. It is also the home of the The Maison Bertaux Theatre Club, which performs within the tiny confines of the shop [5].
The street forms the setting for the 1930 film Greek Street, directed by Sinclair Hill and starring Sari Maritza and William Freshman.
The fortnightly editorial lunch of Private Eye is held in the Coach and Horses in Greek Street. The food is famously inedible.
[edit] References
- ^ British history website - although some sources claim the church is St Giles in the Fields
- ^ The Informal Education Homepage
- ^ House of st Barnabas
- ^ Coil, Henry Wilson: "Ancient Grand Lodge of England," pg. 237. Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia, publ. 1961, 1996, Macoy Publ. Co., Richmond, Va.
- ^ WCitie Destinations Guide
