Coventry Street

London street, within the City of Westminster

Coventry Street is a short street in the West End of London, connecting Piccadilly Circus to Leicester Square. Part of the street is a section of the A4, a major road through London. It is named after the politician Henry Coventry, secretary of state to Charles II. The street was constructed in 1681 for entertainment and retail purposes, and acquired a shady character with numerous gambling houses and a reputation for prostitution. This changed during the late 19th century, with the establishment of several music hall outlets including the London Pavilion, the Prince of Wales Theatre and the Trocadero Music Hall. In the 20th century, it became known for its high traffic restaurants, including the first J. Lyons and Co. and the first premises of the seafood restaurant Scott's. It was also popular for its nightclubs, and was the original location of the Flamingo Club.

Coventry Street is one way for motor traffic, running eastbound. It is around 0.2 mile (0 km) long and runs east from Piccadilly Circus to Leicester Square via Haymarket and Wardour Street. The nearest tube stations are Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square. The western section of the road is part of the A4 one way system between Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square.

There is historical evidence of a road linking Haymarket with Wardour Street in 1585, roughly in the present location of Coventry Street. This pre dated Leicester Square, and ran as far as St. Martin's Field, stopping short of St. Martin's Lane. Coventry Street was constructed in 1681 as a thoroughfare between the two places and was named after the secretary of state to Charles II, Henry Coventry. Coventry had previously built a house in this location, and renamed it Coventry House in 1670. The house was described as "a capital messuage with divers outhouses, Gardens, Yards. capable of being greatly improved." Coventry died in 1686 and the house was demolished four years later, to be replaced by a group of smaller houses. The land to the north of the street was partly owned by Colonel Thomas Panton, and partly by the Earl of St Albans. John Ogilby's 1681 map of London shows Coventry Street built up on both sides. The London Pavilion was at the corner of Coventry Street with Piccadilly Circus and Shaftesbury Avenue. It was established in 1861 as an extension to the Black Horse Inn, hosting music hall events. It was demolished in 1885 and rebuilt and reopened by Edmund Villiers, becoming a theatre in 1918. It subsequently became a cinema, closing in 1982. The site is now part of the Trocadero Shopping Centre. The Prince Of Wales Theatre opened in 1884 on Coventry Street. It was built for and financed by actor manager Edgar Bruce from profits made at the Scala Theatre. The Private Secretary, written by Charles Hawtrey, was first performed here. Throughout the 20th century it mainly performed musicals and revues, with occasional ventures into farce. The theatre was rebuilt in 1937, and again between 2003 and 2004 at a cost of £7.5 million. It can now accommodate 1,133 patrons. Coventry Street has been a centre for high volume food outlets. The first J. Lyons and Co. Corner House was built on Coventry Street in 1907, on the west corner with Rupert Street. It was one of the first buildings in London to have a white glazed terracotta exterior. In 1920, the former premises of Lamberts at Nos. 10–12 were demolished in order to accommodate an extension that could accommodate up to 3,000 diners. The Swiss Centre, at the far eastern end of the street adjoining Leicester Square was constructed between 1963–66 and designed by David du R. Aberdeen and Partners. A Swiss clock was attached to the premises in 1985. The centre was demolished in 2008, with the clock moving to Leicester Square in 2011.

On 16 April 1922 a man was assaulted while walking down Coventry Street around 6.00am. He fell unconscious after the attack, and was rushed to Charing Cross Hospital, where he was found to have been stabbed in the neck by a thin tube. After another man was attacked a few hours later in a similar manner, followed by a third victim in the evening, an urban legend spread that a vampire was stalking Coventry Street. No further incidents occurred and the attacker was never convicted. Coventry Street is one of the yellow property squares on the British Monopoly board. The other squares are Leicester Square and Piccadilly, both of which connect to it. All three streets share a common theme of entertainment and nightlife.