Monday, 14 January 2013

Re-envisioning London's West End


This week I’ve started to have a look others’ research into Hanway Place. Last week on this blog I tried to show how Hanway Street Conservation Area has benefitted visibly from the conservation work done by Westminster Council and others. 
       The lanes are very much older than I thought. The lanes date from the late-medieval period when that same path ran from Oxford Street to Tottenham Court Road. 
       Other cities might well be envious of Hanway Place. London has lots of treasures, but examples of the medieval street pattern in the West End are rather scarcer.
       There is submission to widen the road to allow heavy goods lorries. Of course the commercial success of Oxford Street and its surroundings depends on the constant supply of goods to its shops.
       However, I think there’s a case to be made for publicizing the fact that the West End has a medieval pathway running through it. That’s what people look for in a city. But I think the shops can be confident that they’ll almost certainly benefit.



Tottenham Court Road at its southern end: the entry to Hanway Place is to the left, just off picture.
Picture © As Easy As Riding A Bike blog.

No comments:

Post a Comment