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.
Initially, Oxford Street first went by the name of Tyburn Road. It was called Tyburn Road because there was a river Tyburn which flowed underneath the road. It started to become a thoroughfare after it was regularly used to move prisoners from Newgate prison to Tyburn Tree (now known as the Marble Arch).
Tyburn Road became known as Oxford Street in the eighteenth century, when the road was purchased by the Earl of Oxford and was developed into a shopping area. Although the street was bombed during the Second World War it has since recovered. In 1959 its now world-famous Christmas lights were introduced, whilst a redesign of pedestrian crossings at Oxford Circus in 2009 has helped to lessen congestion in the area.
Looking to Covent Garden, its Piazza was a keen centre of market trading from the eighteenth century onwards. In the nineteenth century, the Piazza was converted by Charles Fowler into a Market Building. The Market Building was not only neo-classical in style, but also ended the Piazza's open plan layout and introduced a series of buildings under one complex.
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.
Any keen shoppers would also do well to go to the Seven Dials, which is in fact a collection of streets. These were originally named Little and Great Earl Street, Little and Great White Lyon Street, Queen Street, and Little and Great St. Andrew's Street, although they now go by the names of Earlham Street, Mercer Street, Shorts Gardens, and Monmouth Street respectively.
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.
Initially, Oxford Street first went by the name of Tyburn Road. It was called Tyburn Road because there was a river Tyburn which flowed underneath the road. It started to become a thoroughfare after it was regularly used to move prisoners from Newgate prison to Tyburn Tree (now known as the Marble Arch).
Tyburn Road became known as Oxford Street in the eighteenth century, when the road was purchased by the Earl of Oxford and was developed into a shopping area. Although the street was bombed during the Second World War it has since recovered. In 1959 its now world-famous Christmas lights were introduced, whilst a redesign of pedestrian crossings at Oxford Circus in 2009 has helped to lessen congestion in the area.
Looking to Covent Garden, its Piazza was a keen centre of market trading from the eighteenth century onwards. In the nineteenth century, the Piazza was converted by Charles Fowler into a Market Building. The Market Building was not only neo-classical in style, but also ended the Piazza's open plan layout and introduced a series of buildings under one complex.
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.
Any keen shoppers would also do well to go to the Seven Dials, which is in fact a collection of streets. These were originally named Little and Great Earl Street, Little and Great White Lyon Street, Queen Street, and Little and Great St. Andrew's Street, although they now go by the names of Earlham Street, Mercer Street, Shorts Gardens, and Monmouth Street respectively.
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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