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Haymarket, London
Haymarket is a thoroughfare situated within the St. James’s district of the City of Westminster, London. Stretching from the bustling Piccadilly Circus in the north to the elegant Pall Mall in the south, this street is home to notable landmarks such as the Theatre Royal, His Majesty’s Theatre, New Zealand House, a modern cinema complex, and a variety of dining establishments.
History
Origins
The wide thoroughfare that links Pall Mall with Piccadilly has its roots dating back to the Elizabethan era. Aptly named the Haymarket, it originally served as a bustling market street primarily dedicated to the sale of fodder and various agricultural products. During those times, this area retained a rural character, with the nearest settlement being the village of Charing.
This agricultural trade persisted through the reign of William III, during which hay and straw carts were permitted to traverse the street for commerce without toll charges. However, in 1692, when the street underwent paving improvements, a tax was imposed on these loads, with a rate of 3 pence for hay and 2 pence for straw.
As time progressed, the market’s location shifted in 1830 through the enactment of an Act of Parliament, relocating it to Cumberland Market near Regent’s Park.
In earlier centuries, the Haymarket also held a less savory reputation as one of London’s centers of prostitution. However, this characterization no longer holds true. As reported in “Old and New London” in 1878:
Situated in the heart of the entertainment-rich West End, the Haymarket became a prominent hub for hotels, supper houses, and foreign cafés. It should be noted that many of its taverns attracted the company of less reputable individuals after the theaters closed. These patrons often transformed the night into day, leading to frequent appearances before the sitting magistrates due to drunken disturbances and street altercations. In response, the Legislature intervened and passed an Act of Parliament, mandating the closure of such establishments of refreshment by midnight.
Theatres
Nestled within London’s renowned theatre district, the West End, the Haymarket has long held a prominent role in the world of performing arts, with its theatrical history tracing back to at least the 17th century. The Queen’s Theatre in the Haymarket, an architectural creation by John Vanbrugh, first welcomed audiences in 1705, occupying the very location where His Majesty’s Theatre stands today. Initially intended for dramatic performances, the venue’s acoustics proved better suited for opera. Consequently, from 1710 to 1745, a significant number of operas and several oratorios composed by George Frederick Handel premiered at this theater, leading to its renaming as the King’s Theatre upon the passing of Queen Anne in 1714.
Following the unfortunate destruction of Vanbrugh’s edifice due to a fire in 1790, another King’s Theatre emerged on the same site. Subsequently, yet another fire prompted the opening of Her Majesty’s Theatre in 1897. This structure, now the fourth iteration on the same site, continues to host major musical productions. Its nomenclature has evolved with the reigning monarch’s gender: it adopted the title His Majesty’s Theatre in 1902 following Queen Victoria’s demise, became Her Majesty’s Theatre in 1952 when Elizabeth II ascended to the throne, and, after Elizabeth II’s passing in 2022, reverted to His Majesty’s Theatre. Presently, the Theatre Royal, situated elsewhere along the Haymarket, occupies a building originally designed by John Nash in 1820, succeeding a previous theatre constructed in the 1720s.
Haymarket Today
Haymarket and Regent Street St. James (also known as Lower Regent Street) run in parallel, creating a one-way system where Lower Regent Street accommodates northbound traffic, while Haymarket manages southbound traffic. These two thoroughfares are officially designated as segments of the A4 route that connects London to Avonmouth, near Bristol.
On June 29, 2007, the Metropolitan Police Service successfully neutralized a car bomb that had been left parked on Haymarket as part of the attempted attacks that targeted London in that year.
