Tottenham Court Road [HISTORICAL, Chapter 4, pp. 204]  has been around since the 13th century, with remains from medieval and Tudor walls that serve as evidence of the road's long-lasting use.  An Elizabethan manor house of Tottenhall once stood facing what would become Tottenham Court Road. After its demolition in the 18th century, the name of the road changed to Tottenham Court, and the lane from St Giles Parish became Tottenham Court Road, located in central London (Hidden London). The change from ‘Tottenhall’ to ‘Tottenham’ was encouraged because the public was more familiar with the north London district, although the manor had no connection with that place. In the late 18th century and into the 19th century, Tottenham Court Road was known for the manufacture of furniture, particularly cabinets. Piano-making eventually went into practice around several of the workshops on and near the road and could have been similar to the busy road described by Virginia Woolf in Orlando.

Built in 1896 in Art Nouveau Gothic style, the surviving architectural highlight of the west side is the Rising Sun pub. Tottenham Court Road’s Central line station opened in 1900, and the Northern line stations all opened in 1907. The opening of the line stations was significant because they connected the road to the rest of London, and traveling to farther areas of the city became more efficient. Furniture retailing thrived alongside the manufacturing industry. Several popular retail stores were developed between the 1910s and 1920s. Over the years, breweries, opera houses, and cinemas have made their home on the road based on the needs of society. It has even been the road that led to a bunker for General Eisenhower, who directed the Allied forces’ liberation of Western Europe. The bunker is now used for the secure storage of documents and data (Hidden London) (302 words).

“Tottenham Court Road.” Hidden London, Hidden London, 2023, https://hidden-london.com/gazetteer/tottenham-court-road/. 

Woolf, Virginia. Orlando, Mariner Books. 1928.