Piccadilly

Why go

During the 20th century, Piccadilly became known as a place to acquire heroin, and was notorious in the 1960s as the centre of London's illegal drug trade. During the 20th century, Piccadilly became known as a place to acquire heroin.

What to look for

• The clothing store Simpson's was established at 203 - 206 Piccadilly by Alec Simpson in 1936.
• A map published by Faithorne in 1658 describes the street as "the way from Knightsbridge to Piccadilly Hall".
• Aldine Press moved to Piccadilly from Chancery Lane in 1842, and remained there until 1894.

The full story

St James's is to the south of the eastern section, while the western section is built up only on the northern side. At just under 1 mile (1.6 km) in length, Piccadilly is one of the widest and straightest streets in central London. Piccadilly has been a main road since at least medieval times, and in the middle ages was known as "the road to Reading" or "the way from Colnbrook". Around 1611 or 1612, a Robert Baker acquired land in the area and prospered by making and selling piccadills. Shortly after purchasing the land, he enclosed it and erected several dwellings, including his home, Pikadilly Hall. What is now Piccadilly was named Portugal Street in 1663 after Catherine of Braganza, wife of Charles II, and grew in importance after the road from Charing Cross to Hyde Park Corner was closed to allow the creation of Green Park in 1668.

Your next visit

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