Covent Garden facts

Covent Garden is a tourist haven and a food lover's paradise. The famous area has become synonymous with all things quintessentially British - markets, pleasant eateries and banter-loving traders.

Here's a top ten list of facts about the historical space and its surrounding shops:

- The first ever Punch and Judy show was performed in Covent Garden in 1662 and was recorded by diarist Samuel Pepys, best known for his 17th century diary instalments.

- In 1762 Lord Sandwich took the first ever sandwich into the Shakespeare's Head in Covent Garden - it had a meat filling.

- Covent Garden was a flower, fruit and vegetable market for over 300 years up until 1974. 

- The area used to be called Convent Market and was named after a 13th century monastery.

- Goods for sale at the market used to be carried on boats going up the River Thames.

- After the Great Fire of London in 1666 the market became the most important place in the country for traders to sell their exotic and interesting items to the public.

- Covent Garden is the only area of London that has a license for street entertainment.

- The nearest tube stations apart from the Covent Garden stop on the Piccadilly line are at Charing Cross on the Northern and Bakerloo lines, Embankment and Holborn.

- The central square in the area is a flat open piazza where entertainers regularly perform apart from on Christmas day.

- The space is home to the Royal Opera House

- <a href="http://londonoffices.com/Covent-garden-office-space">Office space in Covent Garden</a> is highly sought after and can be found in affluent places such as Drury Lane, Shelton Street and Grape Street.

- There are over 60 pubs and bars in the area; many of them are in listed buildings. The Lamb & Flag in Rose Street is believed to be the oldest pub.

ArticleSource: ArticlesAlley.com