residential property in Covent Garden…
by Laurence Glynne
Covent Garden has long offered an infinite number of exciting
diversions to it’s many visitors – from home and abroad
– including: the famed Opera House; several theatres; numerous
street entertainers; avant-garde art exhibitions; many restaurants
and cafes waiting to be sampled, plus innumerable shops and
market stalls offering their wares.
Yet another, equally captivating though less public, Covent
Garden exists – the Covent Garden which is home to more
than 4,000 residents.
Over the coming months, I will provide you with valuable insight
into the residential aspects of this area, normally associated
more with theatrical spaciousness, earthy market bustle and
bohemianism than with homes.
But to begin, let us go right back to the Middle Ages to some
forty acres of farm land, then tended by monks and known as
the Covent Garden…
Henry VIII first acquired this land during the dissolution
of monasteries. His son, Edward VI, in 1552 then ceded it to
John Russell, first Earl of Bedford, who erected a family home
on the site and allowed an informal market place to develop
around it.
Building earnestly began in the early seventeenth century,
when Francis Russell, the fourth Earl, commissioned architect
Inigo Jones to build “houses and buildings fitt for the
habitacons of Gentlemen and men of ability”. Fresh from
a trip to Italy and inspired by the work of the famed architect
Palladio, Jones created the basis for what is today’s Covent
Garden, modelled on Italian piazzas.
The original residents of Covent Garden were aristocrats and
for a while the Piazza was one of the most fashionable and desirable
addresses in London. However, these golden days were not to
last – mainly because of the haphazard expansion of the
market during the latter years of the century, causing a nosedive
in the area’s reputation.
Although heavily patronised by prominent artists and statesmen,
the Piazza’s many shops and coffee bars also attracted
the seedier elements of London’s population, becoming increasingly
known for its taverns, brothels and associated low life. Several
overcrowded and filthy workshops contributed further to local
decline. By 1850 most of the well-to-do had moved westward to
more salubrious surroundings in Mayfair.
Meanwhile, the market was also rapidly expanding and throughout
the nineteenth century various buildings were erected with the
intention of housing it – none of which proved adequate.
Traders continued to spill over into the streets, causing congestion
with their stalls and vehicles and pollution with rotten produce
and other debris that filled the streets.
Chaos continued to reign and by 1918 the 11th Duke was delighted
to rid himself of this unwieldy nuisance, selling it to the
Covent Garden Estate Company. They in turn, sold it in 1962
to the Covent Garden Market Authority, whose remit – to
find a new home for the market – was successful. The market,
as we all know, finally moved in 1974 – to Nine Elms –
having previously established itself as the premier fruit, flower
and vegetable market in the United Kingdom (if not Europe).
Covent Garden’s historical profile has always been largely
dominated by the market for which it is famous, so what remains
now that it has gone?
Well, following a period of intense speculation about the future
of Covent Garden, the central market building was converted
into a hugely successful shopping complex and the whole area’s
commercial activity is booming for all to see. Covent Garden
as a whole has experienced considerable regeneration, reflected
in a flourishing residential market which continues to go from
strength to strength.
Predictably, pressure on space is so intense that flats, rather
than houses, are the norm for the majority of residents. Despite
only a handful of existing sole occupancy homes, a fair cross-section
of properties are available style wise.
Purchasers seeking the space and character offered by high
ceilings and original cornicing are best suited to the traditionally
styled homes in the mansion blocks of Broad Court and Long ~Acre.
Admirers of Victorian conversions should find properties in
Endell, Monmouth, Bertram and Neal Streets to their liking.
Distinctive modern blocks in Mercer Street, Bedford Court and
Seven Dials offer purpose-built accommodation – ideal for
minimalist, high tech, designer style living.
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