Soho

Why go

Early history In the Middle Ages, what is now Soho was known as Saint Giles Field, a farmland belonging to the Convent of Abingdon and the master of Burton St Lazar Hospital in Leicestershire, who owned a leper hospital in St Giles in the Fields.

What to look for

• A serious outbreak of cholera in 1854 around Soho caused the remaining upper-class families to leave the area.
• On Valentine's Day 2006, a campaign was launched to drive business back into the heart of Soho.
• Toponymy The name "Soho" first appears in the 17th century.

The full story

Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation as a base for the sex industry in addition to its night life and its location for the headquarters of leading film companies. Since the 1980s, the area has undergone considerable gentrification. Soho is a small, multicultural area of central London; a home to industry, commerce, culture and entertainment, as well as a residential area for both rich and poor. Record shops cluster in the area around Berwick Street, with shops such as Blackmarket Records, Sister Ray and Vinyl Junkies. Westminster City Council pedestrianised parts of Soho in the mid-1990s, but later removed much of the pedestrianisation, apparently after complaints of loss of trade from local businesses.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.