Covent Garden
The Covent Garden area has had a long and chequered
history, having been a stomping ground for the
aristocracy in the seventeenth century, a red
light district in the eighteenth, a fruit and
vegetable market in the nineteenth, and in slow decline
for much of that time. Facing demolition in the 1970's,
the Piazza and surrounding streets have gone through
a remarkable rejuvenation, and are now one
of the liveliest enclaves in London.
Covent Garden comes into its own during summer
- with an amazing array of buskers, street performers,
and festivals all keeping the crowds entertained.
The Piazza itself hums with arts and crafts stalls,
cafes, pubs, and boutique stores. Locals and tourists
converge here every day of the week, but there are
plenty of interesting side streets or shops from which
to escape the crowds.
Nearby Neal Street also siphons off a fair proportion
of the Covent Garden crowd, with its mix of street
fashion and specialist stores.
Highlights of a visit to the Covent Garden
area:
- The shops, open-air cafes, stalls, and markets
of the Piazza
- The buskers, (which regularly include acrobats,
string quartets, and opera singers)
- St. Paul's (the "Actor's Church")
- The London Transport Museum (especially
the excellent shop)
- The Theatre Museum
- The Royal Opera House (recently and expensively
refurbished at a cost of £200 million)
- The shops and pubs of nearby Neal Street
and the Seven Dials crossroad
More Information
Check out the following websites:
Covent
Garden Life
In
& Around Covent Garden
The Covent Garden Information Line is 020 7379
6909.
Getting There
Covent Garden or Leicester Square Tubes. From
the latter, follow Long Acre east for 200 metres.
Opening Times
The Covent Garden area is buzzing day and night,
although stores generally keep standard retail hours.
Nearby Attractions
A short walk from Covent Garden are Leicester
Square, Trafalgar Square, the National
Gallery and the British
Museum.
Fancy a bit of opera? Call the Royal Opera House
on 020 7304 4000 or the English National Opera
at 020 7632 8300.
Covent Garden is also home to theatreland - visit
our guide to London Theatre.
Looking for good food? Check out the Covent Garden
or Leicester Square branches of Wagamama
Restaurants.
Thirsty? Find a Historic
Pub with our guide.
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