Holborn
Derived in name from the Anglo-Saxon ‘Hol’, meaning hollow, and ‘Bourne’, meaning Brook, the area was created in fact by centuries of erosion from part of the River Fleet. The Victorians forced the stream underground — and bridged it with the Holborn Viaduct. But soon afterwards the area became quite seedy, prompting Dickens to use Saffron Hill as a setting for Fagin’s den in Oliver Twist. Today, we know it as London’s thriving jewellery quarter, Hatton Garden.
FAMOUS RESIDENTS
Charles Dickens lived at 48 Doughty Street (below) for two years from 1837. It is the writer’s only surviving London home and is now a museum. Another big literary figure, Dr. Samuel Johnson, lived at 17 Gough Square, which is the City’s oldest house and also now a museum. Barry Sheene, the former motorcycling champion, grew up in Queen Square in the ’50s.
LOCATION, LOCATION
Holborn lies within Theobald’s Road to the north, The Strand to the south, Farringdon Road to the east and Kingsway to the west. It has underground stations at Holborn and Chancery Lane, and benefits from good access to the bright lights of the West End. It is also home to London’s largest public square, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, which has its own tennis court, netball court and bandstand.
Neighbourhood view
The historic home of the legal profession, the presence of the Inns of Court is said to symbolise the role of the law as a mediator in the power struggle between Westminster and the City. Indeed, the official boundary between the two is at Temple Bar, where The Strand meets Fleet Street.
SHOPPING IN STYLE
Residents are well positioned to enjoy all the shopping facilities of Covent Garden and the West End, as well as their own local market at Leather Lane. Holborn is also home to one of London’s most famous shops, the Old Curiosity Shop (13 Portsmouth Street), said to be the inspiration for Dickens’ classic novel. The building dates from around 1567, so it is probably the oldest shop in London — and offers a fair indication of how the area’s streets might have looked before the Great Fire of 1666. Other local highlights include the truly delicious Comptoir Gascon Food Hall (63 Charterhouse Street), the calorific Konditor & Cook (46 Grays Inn Road) and the very shiny London Silver Vaults (Chancery House, 53 Chancery Lane), which sell the world’s largest selection of quality silver.
Shopping
Old Curiosity Shop: 020 7405 9891
London Silver Vaults: 020 7242 3844
Comptoir Gascon: 020 7608 0851
Konditor & Cook: 020 7404 6300
ON THE TOWN
Known for its properly old pubs, Holborn boasts Ye Old Mitre (1 Ely Court, Ely Place), a favourite with staff at the local English Heritage office, and Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese (145 Fleet Street), a favourite with journalists before they were all relocated. A terrific choice of neighbourhood eateries includes Shanghai Blues (193 High Holborn), Pearl (252 High Holborn), The Terrace In The Fields (Lincoln’s Inn Fields), The Bleeding Heart (Bleeding Heart Yard) and all three of the restaurants at the exceptional Le Café Du Marché (22 Charterhouse Square).
Restaurants & Pubs
Shanghai Blues: 020 7404 1668
Pearl: 020 7829 7000
The Terrace In The Fields: 020 7430 1234
The Bleeding Heart: 020 7242 2056
Le Café Du Marché: 020 7608 1609