London Covent Garden History

Fascinated by Covent Garden in London? Want to know all about its history? Read on to know all about the origin of Covent Garden.

The First Century

The Covent Garden area is said to have been inhabited since the first century AD. The region served as a busy trading port for the Saxons.

1000 AD

In the later period, Covent Garden came to be known as the ‘Convent Garden’. It was the time when there was a strong Christian influence in the area. The convent of St. John came up in the area. King John ruled the land during this time. The area also served as a marketplace for fruits and vegetables.

The 16th century

During the 1500s, the Christian buildings and monasteries in the region were dissolved by King Henry VIII. The major part of the land went under the control of monarchy. Only agricultural activities were encouraged by the King.

The 17th century The 1600s witnessed the transformation of Covent Garden into a public square. Earl of Bedford the Fourth decided to redesign the area. Inigo Jones, an eminent architect of the Renaissance era, was entrusted with the redevelopment of the region. Soon, a central plaza was erected. This was flanked by the Church of St. Paul and an open-air market. This soon transformed Covent Garden into a trading place. This became the most important shopping hub in London after the great fire of 1666. This event altered the history of Covent Garden. Many prominent London markets were burnt down in that fire. This immediately made this place the most important area for marketing. Entertainment activities also began to grow as a result. The decline and rise The prominence of entertainment brought a decline in Covent Garden. Once a religious place,

the area was transformed into a red-light district. It became a haunt for all pleasure-seekers. But the 20th century saw the rebirth of the place as a shopping hub. A number of private investors built commercial establishments in the area. The Royal Opera House came up and began to provide people with more refined entertainment.

Today, the Covent Garden is one of the major shopping districts in London. It is the home of many important stores, including the largest Apple store in the world.
Hope you enjoyed reading about the history of Covent Garden. Share the background of Covent Garden with your loved ones.