{{Short description|District of Central London, England}} {{about|the district of Central London, England|the western part of London|West London}} {{Use British English|date=June 2013}}{{Infobox UK place | type = [[Entertainment district]], [[central business district]] | official_name = West End of London | local_name = London’s West End | country = England | region = London | coordinates = {{coord|51|30|47|N|0|07|30|W|type:city_region:GB|display=inline.title}} | post_town = LONDON | postcode_area = W | postcode_district = W1 | postcode_area1 = WC | postcode_district1 = WC2 | postcode_area2 = EC | postcode_district2 = EC1, EC2 | dial_code = 020 | constituency_westminster = [[Cities of London and Westminster (UK Parliament constituency)|Cities of London and Westminster]] | constituency_westminster1 = [[Holborn and St Pancras]] | london_borough = Camden | london_borough1 = Westminster }} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}} [[File:Map of the West End of London.png|thumb|London's West End and immediate vicinity]] The '''West End of London''' (commonly referred to as '''the West End''') is a district of [[London]], England. It is west of the [[City of London]] and north of the [[River Thames]], in the [[London Borough of Camden|London Boroughs of Camden]] and the [[City of Westminster]]. It is where many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings and entertainment venues, including [[West End theatre]]s, are concentrated{{Dash}}and as such the term "West End" is used internationally as a [[metonym]] for London's theatre district and associated performing arts scene{{Dash}}just as "[[Broadway theatre|Broadway]]" is used to describe that of [[New York City]].
While the City of London is the main financial district in London, the West End is the main commercial and entertainment centre of the city. It is the largest [[central business district]] in the United Kingdom. It is one of the most expensive locations in the world in which to rent commercial and office space.
==History== The two main focusses of development and activity in [[medieval]] [[London]] were the walled [[City of London]], the capital's ancient core, and [[Westminster]] to the west. The modern West End is very closely associated with Westminster, and largely contained within it. The term 'West End' became commonplace in the early 19th century, being used infrequently before then.<ref name=mills>Mills, A., ''Oxford Dictionary of London Place Names'', (2001)</ref>
Lying to the west of the historic [[Londinium|Roman]] and medieval City of London, Westminster and neighbouring areas were long favoured by the rich elite as a place of residence, because it was close to the seat of royal power at the [[Palace of Westminster]] (now home to [[parliament]]) and usually upwind of the smoke drifting from the crowded City.<ref>Robert O. Bucholz and Joseph P. Ward: ''London: A Social and Cultural History, 1550–1750''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2012, p. 333</ref>
In 1585, during the reign of [[Elizabeth I]], Westminster gained city status as the [[City and Liberty of Westminster]]. <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.londonlives.org/static/WestminsterLocalGovernment.jsp | title=Westminster | accessdate=18 March 2026 }}</ref> The ''City and Liberty of Westminster'' was an extensive area south of Oxford Street, which originated as a Roman Road. In 1965 the [[City of Westminster]] was created, (one of the 32 [[London borough]]s), and expanded to include not just Westminster (south of Oxford Street), but also [[Marylebone]] and [[Paddington]] to the north of it.
The Cities of London and Westminster kept their own distinct character and separate legal identity (for example, the City of London has its own police force and is a distinct [[county]]). The City of London became a centre for the banking, financial, legal and professional sectors, while Westminster became associated with the leisure, shopping, commerce, and entertainment sectors, the government, and home to [[universities]], museums and [[embassies]].
[[James VI and I|James I]] wished to beautify London, and one of his early schemes to that end was the paving of [[West Smithfield]]. To help achieve this aim, he continued Elizabeth I's policy of restricting the physical growth of London. James however, was short of funds and in 1609 granted the Earl of Salisbury permission to develop his land around St Martin's Lane, in exchange for contribution to the exchequer.<ref name=Jenkins2019>{{cite book |last=Jenkins |first=Simon |title=A Short History of London |publisher=Penguin Books |year=2019 |isbn=978-0-241-98535-9 |pages=60-63}}</ref>
In 1630, his son [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] was also short of money and granted the Earl of Bedford permission to develop the site of a former female monastery at [[Covent Garden]] in Westminster. Charles sought to balance the interests of the developer with the community. In exchange for permission to develop the land, Bedford was required to pave and maintain nearby [[Long Acre]], and donate £2000 to the exchequer. The permission came with the condition that the development included a square and church and be designed by [[Inigo Jones]].<ref name=Jenkins2019 />
In 1638 the builder William Newton bought land west of Lincoln's Inn with the intention, much to dismay of local people angry at the loss their open spaces for Newton's private gain. King Charles allowed development on condition that a portion of the fields be retained to "frustrate the covetous and greedy endeavours of such persons as persons as daily seek to fill that small remainder of air in those parts with unnecessary and unprofitable buildings". The selection of Inigo Jones also assured a high quality development.<ref name=Jenkins2019 />
The [[Great Fire of London]] did not directly affect the West End a great deal, but the huge loss of housing in the City of London led to a building boom in the west.<ref>{{Cite web | title=History of the West End of London {{!}} WestEnd.com | url=https://www.westend.com/history-of-the-west-end-of-london | access-date=2025-07-26 | website=www.westend.com}}</ref>
[[File:Henry Jermyn, Earl of St Albans Green Plaque.jpg|thumb|Plaque commemorating Henry Jermyn's role in developing the West End. Located at Duke of York Street, [[St James's]], [[Westminster]].]] Beginning his work just before the Great Fire, [[Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of Saint Albans|Henry Jermyn]], was instrumental in developing the [[St James's]] and [[Mayfair]] districts of Westminster. These districts provided a fashionable new focus for western London. Jermyn would become known as the ''Father of the West End''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Style |first=Savile Row |date=30 June 2019 |title=Henry Jermyn, Father of the West End |url=https://savilerow-style.com/lifestyle/henry-jermyn-father-of-the-west-end/ |access-date=13 May 2026 |website=Savile Row Style |language=en-GB}}</ref>
Although most of the West End was built as a series of palaces, expensive town houses, fashionable shops and places of entertainment, the areas closest to the City, around [[Holborn]], [[St Giles, London|St Giles]], and [[Covent Garden]] contained poorer communities, until they were cleared and redeveloped in the 19th century.<ref>Historia Magazine, St Giles Rookery - https://historiamag.com/st-giles-rookery/</ref>
In the 19th century much of central London was demolished to make way for new railway termini and their approaches. The West End avoided the worse of this with the major stations ([[Charing Cross railway station|Charing Cross]], [[Marylebone station|Marylebone]], [[London Paddington station|Paddington]] and [[London Victoria station|Victoria]]) located on the periphery of the area.<ref name=Jenkins2019 /> {{See also|Cities of London and Westminster (UK Parliament constituency)}}
==Boundaries== [[File:Aldwych Theatre 2.jpg|thumb|150px|left|Aldwych Theatre in London Theatreland]] [[File:Temple-bar-griffin.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Dragon statue on the [[Temple Bar, London|Temple Bar]] monument, which marks the boundary between the City of Westminster and [[City of London]]]] As the West End is a term used colloquially by Londoners and is not an official geographical or municipal definition, it is debatable which parts of inner [[West London]] should be included. [[Westminster City Council]]'s 2005 report ''Vision for the West End'' included the following areas in its definition: [[Covent Garden]], [[Soho]], [[Chinatown, London|Chinatown]], [[Leicester Square]], the shopping streets of [[Oxford Street]], [[Regent Street]] and [[Bond Street]], the area encompassing [[Trafalgar Square]], the [[Strand, London|Strand]] and [[Aldwych]], and the district known as [[Theatreland]]. The [[Edgware Road]] to the north-west and the [[Victoria Embankment]] to the south-east were also covered by the document but were treated as "adjacent areas" to the West End.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www3.westminster.gov.uk/CSU/Cabinet%20Member%20Decisions/Economic_Development_and_Transport%202003-08/2005/49%20-%20Vision%20for%20the%20West%20End/West%20End%20Vision%20final%20report%20Oct05.pdf|title=Vision for the West End|date=October 2005|publisher=Westminster City Council|access-date=14 December 2016|archive-date=20 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220103651/http://www3.westminster.gov.uk/CSU/Cabinet%20Member%20Decisions/Economic_Development_and_Transport%202003-08/2005/49%20-%20Vision%20for%20the%20West%20End/West%20End%20Vision%20final%20report%20Oct05.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
According to Ed Glinert's ''West End Chronicles'' (2006) the districts falling within the West End are [[Mayfair]], [[Soho]], [[Covent Garden]], [[Fitzrovia]] and [[Marylebone]].<ref>E. Gilnert, West End Chronicles (Penguin, 2006)</ref> By this definition, the West End borders [[Temple, London|Temple]], [[Holborn]] and [[Bloomsbury]] to the east, [[Regent's Park]] to the north, [[Paddington]], [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]] and [[Knightsbridge]] to the west, and [[Victoria, London|Victoria]] and [[Westminster]] to the south. Other definitions include Bloomsbury within the West End.<ref>Atkins, Peter J. "How the West End was won: the struggle to remove street barriers in Victorian London." [[Journal of Historical Geography]] 19.3 (1993): 265.</ref>
One of the [[City of Westminster]] [[Wards of the United Kingdom|wards]] is called "[[West End (Westminster ward)|West End]]". This electoral unit includes some of the most prosperous areas of the borough, including [[Soho]], [[Mayfair]] and parts of southern [[Marylebone]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www3.westminster.gov.uk/docstores/publications_store/2559_West%20End%20Ward_A4_NTonkin.pdf |title=Westminster City Council ward boundary information |access-date=22 August 2016 |archive-date=25 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160825173327/http://www3.westminster.gov.uk/docstores/publications_store/2559_West%20End%20Ward_A4_NTonkin.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The population of this ward at the 2011 Census was 10,575.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=13689156&c=West+End&d=14&e=62&g=6340682&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&o=362&m=0&r=1&s=1476554268317&enc=1|title=City of Westminstee ward population 2011|access-date=15 October 2016|publisher=Office for National Statistics |work=Neighbourhood Statistics}}</ref>
Until the [[London Government Act 1963]], the districts of the West End were governed by [[Metropolitan borough]]s. They were subsequently administered as part of the larger [[London boroughs]] of the [[City of Westminster]], and the [[London Borough of Camden]].<ref name=plan>Greater London Authority, ''[http://www.london.gov.uk/archive/mayor/strategies/sds/london_plan/lon_plan_5.pdf The London Plan: The Sub Regions] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604095551/http://www.london.gov.uk/archive/mayor/strategies/sds/london_plan/lon_plan_5.pdf# |date=4 June 2011 }}''</ref>
==Notable streets== [[File:Oxford Street (geograph 4949395).jpg|thumb|160px|Oxford Street, one of the main West End shopping areas]] {{div col|colwidth=15em}} *[[Albemarle Street]] *[[Baker Street]] *[[Bond Street]] *[[Carnaby Street]] *[[Charing Cross Road]] *[[Denmark Street]] *[[Great Marlborough Street]] *[[Great Portland Street]] *[[Harley Street]] *[[Haymarket (London)|Haymarket]] *[[High Holborn]] *[[Jermyn Street]] *[[Lisson Grove]] *[[Kingsway (London)|Kingsway]] *[[Old Compton Street]] *[[Oxford Street]] *[[Pall Mall, London|Pall Mall]] *[[Park Lane]] *[[Piccadilly]] *[[Regent Street]] *[[Savile Row]] *[[Shaftesbury Avenue]] *[[Strand, London|Strand]] *[[The Mall, London|The Mall]] *[[Wardour Street]] {{Div col end}}
==Notable squares and circuses== The West End is laid out with many notable [[Squares in London|public squares]] and circuses. [[File:Open Happiness Piccadilly Circus Blue-Pink Hour 120917-1126-jikatu.jpg|thumb|Piccadilly Circus, in the heart of the West End, in September 2012]] *[[Berkeley Square]] *[[Cambridge Circus, London|Cambridge Circus]] *[[Cavendish Square]] *[[Grosvenor Square]] *[[Hanover Square, Westminster|Hanover Square]] *[[Hyde Park Corner]] *[[Leicester Square]] *[[Manchester Square]] *[[Marble Arch]] *[[Oxford Circus]] *[[Parliament Square]] *[[Piccadilly Circus]] *[[Portman Square]] *[[Russell Square]] *[[Soho Square]] *[[St James's Square]] *[[St Giles Circus]] *[[Trafalgar Square]]
==Transport== [[London Underground]] stations in the West End include: [[File:Marble.arch.london.arp.jpg|thumb|[[Marble Arch]]]] {{div col|colwidth=15em|small=yes}} *[[Baker Street tube station|Baker Street]] *[[Bond Street tube station|Bond Street]] *[[Charing Cross tube station|Charing Cross]] *[[Covent Garden tube station|Covent Garden]] *[[Embankment tube station|Embankment]] *[[Goodge Street tube station|Goodge Street]] *[[Great Portland Street tube station|Great Portland Street]] *[[Green Park tube station|Green Park]] *[[Holborn tube station|Holborn]] *[[Hyde Park Corner tube station|Hyde Park Corner]] *[[Leicester Square tube station|Leicester Square]] *[[Marble Arch tube station|Marble Arch]] *[[Oxford Circus tube station|Oxford Circus]] *[[Piccadilly Circus tube station|Piccadilly Circus]] *[[Regent's Park tube station|Regent's Park]] *[[Russell Square tube station|Russell Square]] *[[Tottenham Court Road tube station|Tottenham Court Road]] *[[Warren Street tube station|Warren Street]] {{Div col end}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Commons category|West End of London}} {{Sub-regions of London}} {{Areas of London}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:West End of London}} [[Category:Areas of London]] [[Category:Business improvement districts in London]] [[Category:Districts of the London Borough of Camden]] [[Category:Districts of the City of Westminster]] [[Category:International centres of London]] [[Category:London sub-regions]] [[Category:Retailing in London]] [[Category:Theatre districts]]