Situated in the heart of London’s West End between Soho and Covent Garden, Seven Dials was originally laid out in the early 1690s by Thomas Neale as a seven-road junction around a central monument topped with six sundial faces. At the time, the monument was regarded as one of London’s ‘great public ornaments’, and Neale aimed to establish Seven Dials as one of the most fashionable addresses in London. Despite Neale’s best laid plans, however, the area failed to establish itself, and it deteriorated rapidly becoming notorious for squalor and crime. It was not until the latter part of the 20th Century that Seven Dials began to be restored. In 1974, it was declared a Conservation Area due to its unique street layout and historical buildings, and in 1989, the sundial pillar was resurrected and grandly unveiled by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. Today, Seven Dials is a thriving community, and home to around 200 business including unique independent shops, theatres, restaurants, and pubs.
- Seven Dials
- www.sevendials.co.uk
- www.sevendials.com
- Underground: Covent Garden, Leicester Square, and Holborn