December 2008
Street features
Every Covent Garden Street has its own history, some more desirable than others.
Please select street below and meet some of Covent Garden’s characters over the years.
- Please choose a street from the below -
Maiden Lane
Running south of the Market, Maiden Lane has not always been the workmanlike thoroughfare it is today, for 200 years it was a murky cul-de-sac, empty of people but full of mischief and shadows.
However, before it was lain out as a street, the route was well-trodden; an ancient bridleway lay underfoot which marked the southern boundary of the convent garden and the leafy track would have echoed to cries of “Tally Ho” and the rural sounds of galloping hooves and whinnying chops but it was far from idyllic. At the time, Covent Garden was just that; a garden and the route of Maiden Lane was one of the main westbound routes from the growing City of London. Merchants would use the way to transport their goods and luxuries but highwaymen and pluguglys were lurking behind the trees waiting to pounce with their “Stand and Deliver”.
The blind alley of Maiden Lane was built in 1631 and over the years it has been a focus for artistry, craftsmanship, political headquarters, royalty and religion; this multifunctionality remains to this day and can be clearly seen from the variety of services on offer here. Nobody knows for sure why Maiden Lane is so called, the common, romantic interpretation is that it derives from a statue of Our Lady which once stood at the street corner, while this etymology may be charming it is unlikely to be accurate since variant names are recorded before the statue was erected. A more plausible (although less pleasant) explanation for the name is that it is a corruption of the middle-English word ‘Midden’ which meant a place where beasts of burden would take their relief.
When it was originally built, Maiden Lane was enclosed at the Eastern end by barricades and the statue of The Virgin Mary, the reasoning for this was that the Bedfords didn’t want the street to become a “feeding alley” for the Piazza, however in 1706, after a public outcry, a narrow pedestrian way was introduced, it would have been of similar dimensions to Lazenby Court alongside the Lamb and Flag, so of no use to tradesmen. It wasn’t until 1857 that Maiden Lane became the thoroughfare we have today and it was by Royal decree that this came about. Queen Victoria was renowned for her love of the theatre but when attending performances at The Adelphi her carriage suffered the ignominy of having to turn around, she was not having any of that and within months the Eastern end had been opened out onto Southampton Street.
Even when it was a cul-de-sac Maiden Lane had a bewitching quality which attracted the great and the good: Louis Napoleon, Benjamin Disraeli, Andrew Marvell and Voltaire all lived here and England’s finest landscape artist, J. M. W. Turner was born above a barbers at number 21. Edward VII was a regular on Maiden Lane too, he would meet here under the cloak of night to conduct discreet affairs with his mistress, the actress Lily Langtry. Their dalliances above a famous restaurant were far from secret, however, like his mother before him, the reigning Monarch had a pretty free rein on Maiden Lane. Another notable star of the stage who met a sticky end on Maiden Lane was the celebrated actor William Terriss who was murdered outside the Adelphi stage door by a crazed understudy in 1897. Terriss’s ghost is thought to now haunt Covent Garden tube station.
The Portehouse Stout and Oyster Bar now stands on the site where Turner was born as the statue outside the pub commemorates. Porterhouse maintains a proud tradition on Maiden Lane where thirsty Londoners have always been able to find their cheer and take their pleasure. A far cry from the raucous gin-soaked hovels of Seven Dials, Maiden Lane catered for an altogether higher class of drinker. By 1821 the Maiden Lane Synagogue occupied number 21 but the basement traded as the ‘Cyder Cellar’ wherein coxcombs and fops would join in merry dances. W. M. Thackeray was a regular customer himself and he describes it thus: “Dashing young medical students, gallant, clashing, loudly-dressed came here, smoking, drinking and vigorously applauding the songs; young University bucks were to be found here too with that indescribable simper which is only learned at the knees of Alma Mater, and handsome young guardsmen and florid bucks from the St James’ Street Clubs.” Quite the answer to this Maiden’s prayer.
All the world on one street
These days Maiden Lane performs every function imaginable, from pubs to churches, Maiden Lane is where it’s at. On this short street you can take a whistle-stop tour of the globe, a two minute walk will take you past Hungary, Mexico, Australia, Ireland, Thailand, New Zealand and up to the USA.
At any given time thousands of travellers from ‘down under’ are in London and the shrewdest ones find their way to the Australia Shop here on Maiden Lane; it is not just Vegemite and VB though, the shop caters for homesick expats from Oz, NZ, South Africa and Canada with a wide range of comestibles and gift items. Emerald Islanders also have a home from home on Maiden Lane, Porterhouse Stout and Oyster Bar is a proper Irish pub, not like the plastic Paddy O’Finnegan’s dross which befouls every high street, Porterhouse brew their own lagers, ales and porters and there’s always a great night out waiting for you in Porterhouse’s mazy interior.
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The Hungarian Cultural Centre goes from strength to strength in forging alliance between the cultures of Hungary and Britain. After the triumphs of Magyar Magic Festival in 2004 the HCC has been continuing to bring the two nations closer together. Keep an eye on the events listings as there is always something going on in this vibrant cultural and artistic centre.
If you have an adventurous palate you’ll be tempted by the oysters at Porterhouse but Maiden Lane has its own cosmopolitan restaurant scene too; Thai Pin has a fantastic menu of South East Asian cuisine, all authentically cooked by the skilled chef, right next to healthy burger specialists of Gourmet Burger Kitchen.
