Filled with small shops, market stalls, restaurants and street performers, Covent Garden is a thriving entertainment center in Central London. A settlement has existed in the Covent Garden area since the Romans occupied London during the first century AD and its name dates back to the reign of King John in the 13th century. Covent Garden was once a 40 acre site and formed the large kitchen garden for the Convent of Westminster Abbey. The ‘convent garden’ became a major source of fruit and vegetables in London, and by the 17th century, Covent Garden became one of London’s most important fruit, vegetable and flower markets. In 1630, architect Inigo Jones created London’s first open square at Covent Garden, inspired by the grand Piazzas and buildings in Italy. Over the years, new buildings and improvements were made to Covent Garden, and the fruit and vegetable market relocated in 1964. By 1974, Covent Garden shut down completely for re-development. Due to public outcry, however, it went through a major restoration project and re-opened in 1980 as Europe’s first speciality shopping centre. Covent Garden was used as the backdrop for the 1964 film ‘My Fair Lady’, where the cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, is successfully introduced into high society by the professor of phonetics, Henry Higgins.
- Covent Garden
- Covent Garden, London WC2
- www.coventgardenlondonuk.com
- Underground: Covent Garden