Strange London Street Names (and the History Behind Them!) Part I

[@asheland_numismatics]

Interesting video. 👍

[@Learnenglishwithfarrah]

Very fascinating. I learnt a lot. Thanks

[@Nick-13]

Fascinating Katie. I’ve noticed a number of these unusual names around London, but good to learn more about them. I’ve always been curious about Man in the Moon passage just off Regent Street, Piccadilly

[@LookUpLondon]

Thanks Nick! Yes that's a good one, I would assume it comes from the name of a former tavern!

[@alikigeorgiou8499]

Great video - love to know the origins behind London's street names - they're so steeped in history and tradition. Thanks for sharing!

[@LookUpLondon]

You’re welcome! It’s nice to know a bit more when you’re walking past isn’t it, makes you feel connected to the past ☺️

[@judithbarnett2966]

George Villers Duke of Buckingham gave us Villiers Street. And Duke Street (or 'John Adam Street'?). And running off Villiers Street (I think) is a tiny alleyway called 'York Place' which was 'Of Alley' which I think that's just wonderful.

[@TheSpikehere]

The alley stands on land that once housed the residence of the Archbishops of York, known as York House. Buckingham had it demolished in 1672. There is a map from the period which shows that it bordered the original Scotland Yard.

[@danielaagnes9372]

I loved this video and would really like if you make more. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. xx

[@LookUpLondon]

My pleasure Daniela!

[@Hannahtheredhead2454]

So much fun! Thanks for all your knowledge and good cheer.

[@ChrisWilliams1962]

So many times I've seen those street names and never given a second thought as to their origin. But now...I am educated! :) Thanks for another really interesting video. I really look forward to these every week!!

[@LookUpLondon]

Thanks Chris, glad you enjoyed it! There's always a story behind them and once you know a few you can guess at lots more! :)

[@ceciliawiman1390]

Very interesting as always, this is my absolute favourite part of London! As soon as possible I Will be visiting again! Hugs from Sweden

[@LookUpLondon]

Thanks Cecilia! Yes the City is always worth extra exploration, just so much history there!

[@edanabrown9061]

Fascinating! Loved it.

[@fdfsdfsvsfgsg4888]

I like your work KT.

[@nannyjanny52]

Really enjoyed that. Have always been interested in street names. A couple in the city I've often wondered about - Catherine Wheel Alley and Wrestlers Court (recently built over I believe).

[@LookUpLondon]

Catherine Wheel Alley was the site of a former coaching inn, but not sure why they then got their name! Wrestlers Court sounds most intriguing!

[@katiedorreen2869]

Such a good video! Definitely keen to hear more of these stories. I know of a Tallis Street near Fleet Street and always wondered if it were named after the Tudor composer Thomas Tallis?

[@LookUpLondon]

I believe it is a reference to him, yes! Glad you enjoyed it! Street Names are such a fun (geeky!) topic!

[@inedeutschland]

This is so interesting! Thank you for sharing 😃😃😃⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@debbiedebonair5148]

You completely transported me for a few blissful minutes! More please!

[@LookUpLondon]

Thank you Debbie! What a lovely thing to say, I'm thrilled!

[@annwessels2247]

Thanks again loved the video and look forward to seeing more next week.

[@LookUpLondon]

Awesome, thank you Ann!

[@denisef2845]

This was fantastic!

[@biancacristolovean7135]

So so interesting! Thank you for sharing!

[@LookUpLondon]

You're welcome Bianca :)

[@michellewardmusicchannel]

Really interesting, thanks for sharing.

[@LookUpLondon]

My pleasure! :)

[@garrypeaks770]

love history of london .thank you

[@mousquetaire86]

I like "Haunch of Venison Yard" in Mayfair and "Crooked Usage" -way up north in-between Finchley and Hendon.

[@thewiex]

So many details in a walk. I saw the friars, thanks for all the information. 👏👏👏👏

[@LookUpLondon]

That's the thing about the City, so much packed into a little space!

[@stephenedwards679]

Very informative as usual

[@LookUpLondon]

Thanks Stephen, there's so much behind each one, hard to not get carried away!!

[@raffaelemartone9512]

I have just landed on your KZbin Channel and I already know I am going to love it. I live in White Rose Court E1, really close to the more famous Artillery Lane, any idea of why White Rose Court is so called? Thanks! Raffa

[@lisaclark6134]

Most interesting! A name that baffles me is All Souls Rd in Willisdon. Wondering if you have any insights to its origin? Thank you.

[@theoldbuilding4818]

The stunning building on Cheapside, with the clock outside. Classic grand confident old London!

[@LookUpLondon]

Totally! it's called Atlas House - hence the statue of the man holding the world :)

[@CristinaSilva-pp7bt]

Great as always! Also, I'm now reading London, a Novel by Edward Rutherford. It's a way to keep London close. Hope I can still visit this year.

[@LookUpLondon]

Oh that is my all-time favourite London book, I actually listened on Audible and I still feel connected to the characters! Enjoy :)

[@gaspodeneil]

Came from Tiktok. Love them

[@LookUpLondon]

Thank you! So glad you're enjoy the videos :)

[@mitchblank]

Well, "Cheapside" is related to the modern word because it kept evolving in meaning. As you said, it meant "market" in Old English and has very ancient roots -- there are lots of similar words across European languages related to buying or selling. However in English it started to be used as a verb ("any noun can be verbed", after all) and one of the senses it had was "to haggle", just like you'd do when you're at a market. So by that logic "a cheap price" is literally "a haggled-for price". From there it's easy to see how it was extended to refer to any low price -- this is similar to how the verb "to bargain" and the noun/adjective "bargain" are tied together in meaning. Then later it extended further to our modern use for something that is either inexpensive or just of poor quality. So over a thousand years it's made the trip from noun to verb to adjective, but it still keeps a vague connection to those people arguing in a street market a millennia ago. But now it even extends outside of tradable goods to more metaphorical use ("a cheap political stunt") and even turned into a verb again but with a different meaning ("to cheapen our relationship")

[@uingaeoc3905]

'Cheap' becomes elided to 'shop'.

[@aitchelle1738]

Fascinating

[@TheRealMisterProtocol]

My favorite play on London street names is (fortunately!) fictional: from the movie "Quatermass and the Pit", also released as "Five Million Years to Earth". The mind-boggling premise of this movie is that humans are the result of genetic engineering carried out by insectoid Martians, to propagate their culture from their dying planet. One of the ships used in this effort crashed into what is now London, and was buried deep beneath the surface. However, the ship remained partially functional, and caused extremely strange phenomena in the surrounding area whenever the ground was disturbed, say by the digging of a well. The area was known at the present time as "Hobb's Lane", but an older street marker showed that it was originally "Hob's Lane", a reference to the devil, who was thought to inhabit the area. There's a fantastic scene where Prof. Quatermass consults a City of London archivist, who digs through successively older sources to garner information about the history of the area. I bet you'd love it!

[@despazapryanova3811]

Thanks for the interesting facts hidden in plain sight. Like I like to say 'if only the street walls could talk' 😉. About 12 years ago when I came first in London to live, I remember a road called Varna road in Fulham which reminded me of the sea capital of Bulgaria where I come from, but not quite sure if there's any connection

[@joannafitzpatrick88]

Amazing, I would never of thought that we had so many trumpet makers that we would name a street after it

[@LookUpLondon]

Haha, good point! If you think about the location, it's so close to Guildhall so they would be needed for all the ceremonies! Plus Cheapside was a major processional route,

[@joannafitzpatrick88]

@@LookUpLondon after I wrote the comment I thought of the royal trumpets, at first I was thinking was there a big jazz craze or something 🤣

[@LookUpLondon]

@@joannafitzpatrick88 Amazing!!! If only that were true...

[@raulsimon2218]

Is there a "Half-Moon Street"? I saw a film by that name, and it took place in London.

[@HansBezemer]

You think you got strange names? They're quite common compared to these ones from The Hague: Miss Ida Street, Monkey Dance, The Square, Fox In Garden Street, Lane of Rose and Thorn, Long Legs (and of course), Short Legs, Short Splash and New Explanation. And note, this is not some new suburb and a city council with an eccentric sense of humor, these are located dead in the city center. (Dutch: Juffrouw Ida straat, Apendans, Het Plein, Vos in tuin straat, Laan van Roos en Doorn, Lange poten, Korte poten, Korte kwak en Nieuwe uitleg).

[@Mathemagical55]

There are other Honey Lanes around England and it refers to the fact they were muddy! I believe the City's Honey Lane was similarly named but haven't been able to find any proof. I can't believe there was enough honey being sold to give its name to a street.

[@JohannaInTheCorner]

Hi Katie, what about Cousin Lane that runs along the side of Cannon Street?

[@LookUpLondon]

That's a good one! Dates back to the 1280s and relates to a family landowning surname rather than relation I think :)

[@terry9965]

Love the name New Change and Poultry 😂

[@LookUpLondon]

Some of them are so 'say-it-as-you-see-it' aren't they?!

[@terry9965]

@@LookUpLondon They are wonderful Saint Mary Axe the old city is a favourite place

[@terry9965]

@@LookUpLondon And of course no roads in the city

[@judithbarnett2966]

I used to get muddled and call it "Turkey"! Poultry and Turkey and crossed wires in my head!

[@catmadwoman6317]

An inlaw of mine lived in Crutched Friars (something to do with the church) and she always referred to it as Crutch-ed) and not Crutched.

[@matchticketstrainticketsan6666]

I used to work around there, when that was allowed. Made me quite nostalgic! 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@LookUpLondon]

I hope you can visit again soon! Perhaps for something a bit more fun than work! Had you given much thought to the street names?

[@matchticketstrainticketsan6666]

@@LookUpLondon I managed to get down there a few times over the Summer and Autumn: it's maybe my favourite part of town; great to explore at the weekend when it's quiet. I've made a point of finding out about the street names over the years... such fascinating history!

[@AdamL994]

I worked on houndsditch many years ago. What’s up with that name?

[@Mathemagical55]

Houndsditch was a water-filled ditch just outside the City walls that was used for general rubbish-dumping including dead dogs.

[@prakkari]

Could Chruched friars street just be a distortion of the name Crouched friars? (Munks humbly bending their knees to the lord.) Words tend to twist with time.

[@johnchallener]

There's a street in east London called Diss street lol

[@proudvirginian]

Pope's Head tavern was around as long as it has been gone.

[@sarahlouise7163]

River Shiteburn?? 🤣

[@laurencesmith2199]

There's not many streets in London .

[@christophercotton9048]

They really should rename Trump Street to something else.

[@LookUpLondon]

Oh I disagree! Love seeing the eyebrows raised on my walks but then explaining the real history 😉

[@TheSpikehere]

Chump Street, perhaps.