Although you can go shopping in a variety of places in Europe and the UK, the most famous UK shopping destination is Oxford Street in the West End of London, which is supposedly the longest shopping street in Europe, as the street stretches to an impressive mile and a half long.
Before Oxford Street became the street we know today, it was called Tyburn Road because of the river Tyburn which could be found running underneath the Road. It became popular as a thoroughfare when it started to be used as a road to move prisoners between Newgate Prison and Tyburn Tree so that the prisoners could be hanged there. Tyburn Tree is now known as the Marble Arch.
Oxford Street got the name that we recognise today in the eighteenth century, when the Earl of Oxford bought Tyburn Road and renamed it with an aim to turn it into a shopping precinct. Although the street has had its share of troubles, as it was bombed during World War Two, it has overcome adversity well. Notably, in 1959 Christmas lights were placed on the street for the first time, and in 2009 a successful project was undertaken to reduce congestion around the Oxford Circus area.
In the eighteenth century, there was also a lively market at Covent Garden's famous Piazza. The design of the Piazza was altered in the nineteenth century by Charles Fowler so that it became a Market Building. The change meant that the Piazza lost its open plan layout, and instead became home to a complex of buildings.
Some attempts have been made to bring back previous buildings in the area that can no longer be seen today, such as Inigo Jones' residential arcades, which Henry Clutton, an architect, tried to recreate when designing buildings for the Duke of Bedford in the 1870s. The Piazza has changed and been restructured numerous times throughout its history, with the main focus of the Piazza in today's times being the Market Building, which boasts a pub, a variety of shops, as well as a selection of restaurants.
The Market Building was designed by the GLC architectural department, and they found that they had to excavate the southern hall to meet fire safety standards, and so now you can find a floor of shops at basement level. The architects also added large lanterns to the building, which have pineapples on top of them, and this is a homage to the previous use of the building.
If you like shopping, then the Seven Dials is another good place to go. It is made up of seven different streets: Little and Great Earl Street, which is now Earlham Street, Little and Great White Lyon Street, which is now Mercer Street, Queen Street, which is now known as Shorts Gardens, and Little and Great St. Andrew's Street, which is now Monmouth Street.
The centrepiece of the Seven Dials was made by stonemason Edward Pierce at the end of the seventeenth century and is entitled the Sundial Pillar. Pierce crafted six sundials that sit atop the piece, with the ornament's column representing the seventh 'Dial' of the area. It was received warmly by the public and was much loved.
Before Oxford Street became the street we know today, it was called Tyburn Road because of the river Tyburn which could be found running underneath the Road. It became popular as a thoroughfare when it started to be used as a road to move prisoners between Newgate Prison and Tyburn Tree so that the prisoners could be hanged there. Tyburn Tree is now known as the Marble Arch.
Oxford Street got the name that we recognise today in the eighteenth century, when the Earl of Oxford bought Tyburn Road and renamed it with an aim to turn it into a shopping precinct. Although the street has had its share of troubles, as it was bombed during World War Two, it has overcome adversity well. Notably, in 1959 Christmas lights were placed on the street for the first time, and in 2009 a successful project was undertaken to reduce congestion around the Oxford Circus area.
In the eighteenth century, there was also a lively market at Covent Garden's famous Piazza. The design of the Piazza was altered in the nineteenth century by Charles Fowler so that it became a Market Building. The change meant that the Piazza lost its open plan layout, and instead became home to a complex of buildings.
Some attempts have been made to bring back previous buildings in the area that can no longer be seen today, such as Inigo Jones' residential arcades, which Henry Clutton, an architect, tried to recreate when designing buildings for the Duke of Bedford in the 1870s. The Piazza has changed and been restructured numerous times throughout its history, with the main focus of the Piazza in today's times being the Market Building, which boasts a pub, a variety of shops, as well as a selection of restaurants.
The Market Building was designed by the GLC architectural department, and they found that they had to excavate the southern hall to meet fire safety standards, and so now you can find a floor of shops at basement level. The architects also added large lanterns to the building, which have pineapples on top of them, and this is a homage to the previous use of the building.
If you like shopping, then the Seven Dials is another good place to go. It is made up of seven different streets: Little and Great Earl Street, which is now Earlham Street, Little and Great White Lyon Street, which is now Mercer Street, Queen Street, which is now known as Shorts Gardens, and Little and Great St. Andrew's Street, which is now Monmouth Street.
The centrepiece of the Seven Dials was made by stonemason Edward Pierce at the end of the seventeenth century and is entitled the Sundial Pillar. Pierce crafted six sundials that sit atop the piece, with the ornament's column representing the seventh 'Dial' of the area. It was received warmly by the public and was much loved.
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