More frivolously, Pall Mall is derived from an Elizabethan game called 'pell mell' which was played there by wealthy Londoners. The interest in exploring the connections and associations of streets is bounded only by your imagination, but the books 'Exploring Urban History' by Stephen Porter and 'The Making of English Towns' by David Lloyd are good introductions to the subject.
Many local organisations are interested in exploring the development of their town.
Specific groups concerned with architecture are always worth considering. The National Amenities Societies' membership comprises the Council for British Archaeology, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, the Ancient Monuments Society, the Georgian Group, the Victorian Society and the Twentieth Century Society all of whom run, from time to time, architectural appreciation courses and tours for members. At a purely local level the local library is the best point of contact - indeed many library services in conjunction with local colleges promote and run evening courses on local history appreciation. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.