Tavistock Street

{{Short description|Street in the Covent Garden area of Westminster}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Use British English|date=June 2015}} thumb|Tavistock Street '''Tavistock Street''' is a street in the Covent Garden area of Westminster which runs parallel to the Strand between Drury Lane and Southampton Street just south of the market piazza.

==History== Initially, the street was a passageway between Wellington and Catherine Streets in 1630s. The first mention of the street dates to 1706, until when it was part of York Street. In 1729 Caleb Waterfield erected his first house (no. 15) on the street. In 1733 James Walker built three more, and the same year Robert Umpleby built two more (becoming nos. 34–38).<ref name=CG>{{citation|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol36/pp196-199#fnn18|title=Bow Street and Russell Street Area: The former York Street|work=London County Council|publisher=British History Online|place=Covent Garden, London|year=1970|pages=196–199|volume=36}}</ref>

In the early 19th century, the street was the location of many fashionable shops, such as are now to be found in Bond Street. The congregation of rich carriages there was said to be one of the great sights of London at this time.<ref>{{citation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AJlk88XKayEC&pg=PA30|page=30|title=The original|author=Thomas Walker|author-link=Thomas Walker (author)|year=1850}}</ref> It then became a centre of publishing of periodicals such as ''Country Life'' (no 8, designed in 1904 by Edwin Lutyens), ''The Stage'' and ''Vanity Fair''.<ref name=CG/> The auction business Sotheby's started there as a bookseller.<ref name=CG/>

==Famous residents== Thomas de Quincey lived at number 36 where he wrote ''Confessions of an English Opium Eater''.<ref name=CG/>

Casanova took rooms at the Star Tavern in 1763 but was unsuccessful in seducing English women there.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oLITDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT24|author=Fergus Linnane|title=Madams|publisher=The History Press|orig-year=2005|year=2012|isbn=978-0-7524-7338-3}}</ref>

Hannah Glasse, the author of The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, lived there from 1747 to 1757.<ref>{{Cite ODNB |title=The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |date=2004-09-23 |editor-last=Matthew |editor-first=H. C. G. |url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/10804 |access-date=2024-08-13 |place=Oxford |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/10804 |editor2-last=Harrison |editor2-first=B.}}</ref>

==Buildings== Number 22 is the former headquarters of the Strand District Board of Works. The seal of the board is visible on the exterior of the building.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol36/pp218-222|title=Southampton Street and Tavistock Street Area: Tavistock Street|publisher=London County Council|place=Covent Garden, London|year=1970|pages=218–219|volume=36}}</ref>

Museum software company System Simulation was based in Burleigh House at no. 28.

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Shopping streets in London Category:Streets in the City of Westminster