Evening star., 1960-12-04
BY GERALDINE MELLOR
Contributing Writer

NolbAb1ttA8 WtAtcA
LONDON.-Lke all the great
cities Of the world. London is
constantly changing, but its
street names have a permanency
that continually provides the
visitor to the capital with un-
expected and often entertain
ing glimpses into the past.
The tree-lined promenade
known as Birdcage Walk. for
instance, Is on the site Of a
17th-century aviary erected for
the amusement Of King Charles
II, while Pail Mall, the heart
Of London's clubland, takes its
name from a French ball game,
''paille-maille", played there
during the same century.
Another famous street name
dating from the Stuart period
Is Piccadilly, which is said to
derive its title from the picka-
dis, or ruffs, fashionable at the
time.
In nearby Haymarket there
actually was q hay market three
times weekly for three hundred
years. When Queen Elizabeth
Ireigned. washerwomen would
dry their clothes on the grass
In the Haymarket, and 1t was
not until q century later that
the street was paved from
money raised by a tax Of three
pence on every load Of hay and
twopence on every load Of
straw.
Regent, Street, named after
the Prince Regent. eldest son
Of King George III. was orig
inally built as a royal road lead
ing from Carlton House, the
Prince Regents residence, to
Regents ParK.
Holborn derives its name
from a vanished river. the Hole
burn - the burn or stream
which carved a hollow or ''hole"
for itself. This hollow valley
still has to be crossed by a long
viaduct. Incidentally, the
Domesday Book Of 1886 mem
tions the stream.
Similarly. Tyburn and West
bourne indicate the hidden
rivers beneath their road sur
faces, as Fleet Street marks the
course Of the now underground
river Fleet.
Ducking Pond
Mayfair's Ducking Pond
News reminds us Of long-dis-
tant times when nagging wives
were ducked to improve their
tempers. and the Strand marks
the road along the strand" or
shore Of the river Thames in
the days when the Royal City
Of Westminster was separated
by fields from the commercial
area Of the City Of London.
The most h tori ic a ]
thoroughfare in the City of
London Is probably Cheapside.
We first come across the name
In 1067, when it is referred to
as "Westceape". to distinguish
it from "Eastceape". the
"ceape" being derived from the
Saxon "ceap", meaning a mar
ket.
Very early in London's his
tory Cheapside was a market
and 1t is thought that the names
Of the streets leading from it in
dicate the nature Of merchan-
disc Of the early traders booths
namely Poultry, Wood street
and Milk street. Similarly Pie
Corner, Pudding lane, Sugar
Bakers court and Bread street
all recall the nature Of mechan.
disc once sold there.
Lombard Street acquired its
name from the moneylenders oi
Genoa and Florence who settled
there from the 18th to the 16tt
centuries, and the street Is still
incidentally, one Of London'l
chief centres Of banking ant
finance; Friday Street was once
q fish market where the devout
purchased fish on Friday; ant
Ave Maria and Paternostel
Row, near st. Paul's Cathedral
received their titles from tn,
sale Of religious objects fol
which they were once noted.
No Cripples
Cripplegate, too, Is o mis-
leading name for it has nevel
been especially associated will
cripples; 1t takes its title from
the Anglo-Saxon word "crepel''