Like many other places in London, Covent Garden has evolved over the years. It started from humble beginnings as a Convent garden for Westminster Abbey, it has moved through many guises over the centuries.  From a home to the aristocracy and the main centre of theatrical life in London it developed into the largest produce market in the world.

The rapid expansion of the market altered the character of the area. Along with a bustling commercial market, two theatres (The First Theatre Royal on Drury Lane, and the Royal Opera on Bow Street). Each theatre had letters patent, granted by King Charles II, allowing them to be the only London theatres able to perform spoken drama. This made Covent Garden London’s theatrical centre, attracting droves of theatre-goers who thronged the streets of Drury Lane and Bow Street and brought in their wake a flourishing trade in prostitution. The residing nobility, living at a time where a respectable address was everything, moved further to London's west.

And it is here where we begin today's episode.

See the full transcript and show notes: https://londonguidedwalks.co.uk/podcast/89-thomas-arne-in-covent-garden/

Learn things about London that most Londoners don't even know in a 20 minute (ish) espresso shot episode of London history with a splash of personality. There's so much we can't fit into our tours, no matter how hard we try. This London history podcast is where we can get down and dirty with the detail! You're not going to find this level of detail in any guidebook.

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