His solution was imaginative, financially ingenious and still stands today in the unique street layout of Seven Dials. By adopting a star-shaped plan with six radiating streets (subsequently seven were laid out) he dramatically increased the number of houses that could be built on the site.
The original layout of the Seven Dials area was designed by Thomas Neale during the early 1690s. His plan had six roads converging, although this number was later increased to seven. The sundial column was built with only six faces, with the column itself acting as the gnomon of the seventh dial.
Seven Dials was first developed by entrepreneur Thomas Neale way back in 1693 and has since gone from a rundown slum to a listed conservation area, creating over 300 years worth of stories to uncover.
Seven Dials is the only quarter of London remaining largely intact from late Stuart England – the late 17th century. It was the creation of two of the century's most extraordinary figures, Thomas Neale MP (1641-1699) and Edward Pierce (1630-1695).
The first historical record of Covent Garden dates back to 1200, when it consisted of fields. Owned by Westminster Abbey, the land where the Market Building and the Piazza now stand was referred to as 'the garden of the Abbey and Convent', hence its name.
Covent Garden is a world-class shopping and dining destination attracting food-lovers and fashionistas alike. Buzzing with the excitement of the opera and theatreland, the area boasts some of the best shopping and dining destinations in London's West End, from Mulberry to Petersham Nurseries and Balthazar to Frenchie.
What is the difference between Soho and the Covent Garden?
Soho is the centre of London's thriving gay and lesbian scene, as well as its sex and film industries, while Covent Garden, previously London's fruit and vegetable market, has reincarnated itself as a shopping mecca and remains the heart of 'Theatreland'.
The Seven Dials Trust owns and maintains the column and the sundials and looks after the public realm in collaboration with the local authorities, major land-owners, Historic England and other stakeholders.
Seven Dials itself was originally designed by Thomas Neale, who was given the land by William III in 1690. It was laid out in triangles so as to minimise rental costs, rent having then been determined by the length of a building's front rather than its square footage.
The A-Z of Victorian London enables readers to find their way around the streets of London as it was about 130 years ago. It consists of 59 map sheets from Bacon's New Large-Scale Ordnance Atlas of London & Suburbs which appeared in 1888.
Neal's Yard owes its name to Thomas Neale, who in 1690 received a piece of land from William III and created the Seven Dials area in which it is situated. By the mid-1970s, Neal's Yard was a dark, derelict yard with a few fruit and veg warehouses, a place too insignificant to appear on the London A-to-Z.
Dickens described London as a magic lantern, a popular entertainment of the Victorian era, which projected images from slides. Of all Dickens's characters, "none played as important a role in his work as that of London itself"; it fired his imagination and made him write.
Seven Dials is the only quarter of London remaining largely intact from late Stuart England – the late 17th century. It was the creation of two of the century's most extraordinary figures, Thomas Neale MP (1641-1699) and Edward Pierce (1630-1695).
The market halls and several other buildings in Covent Garden have been owned by the property company Capital & Counties Properties (CapCo) since 2006.
The use of the name "Covent"—an Anglo-French term for a religious community, equivalent to "monastery" or "convent"—appears in a document in 1515, when the Abbey, which had been letting out parcels of land along the north side of the Strand for inns and market gardens, granted a lease of the walled garden, referring to ...
The market officially stopped trading on Friday 8th of November, 1974 – the entire enterprise relocated to Nine Elms in Vauxhall. Boursnell, of course, was there, recording the end of a very particular era of London history.
The seven streets at Seven Dials originally had quite different names from what they have now. They were Great Earl Street, Little Earl Street, Great White Lion Street, Little White Lion Street, Great St Andrew's Street, Little St Andrew's Street and Queen Street.
The market is a walk-in only space, with plenty of seats and communal tables to grab, but you can book one of their quirky party spaces to celebrate special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries or corporate events. The Market Bookshop and Bar Nana are available to book seven days a week.
What is the nearest tube station to seven dials market?
Covent Garden station is the most centrally located transport option in the area, sitting on the Piccadilly Line of the Tube. Alternatively, use Charing Cross station, Leicester Square station, or Holborn station, which are all roughly 10 minutes' walk away.
We love pets but sadly they are not allowed in Banana Warehouse. They're welcome to come and hang out in Cucumber Alley though while you grab a bite to eat! What about food allergies and intolerances? There are lots of food and drink options at Seven Dials Market so we can cater for everyone!
“Covent Garden” is actually a bastardization of “Convent Garden,” which it was called as early as the 1500s for being the vegetable garden of the monks of Westminster Abbey.
The central square in Covent Garden is simply called "Covent Garden", often marketed as "Covent Garden Piazza" to distinguish it from the eponymous surrounding area. Designed and laid out in 1630, it was the first modern square in London—originally a flat, open space or piazza with low railings.
