Long Acre facts for kids
Long Acre is a famous street in central London, England. It is located in the City of Westminster. The street stretches from St Martin's Lane on its west side to Drury Lane in the east. Long Acre was finished in the early 1600s. It became well-known for businesses that made coaches. Later, it was famous for places that sold cars.
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The Story of Long Acre
How Long Acre Got Its Name
In 1540, King Henry VIII took land from Westminster Abbey. This included the area known as Covent Garden. His son, Edward VI, gave this land to John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford in 1552. The Russell family, who later became the Dukes of Bedford, owned this land for many years.
Around the time of King Charles I, the area was named Long Acre. This name came from a long pathway built across the land. King Charles I was not happy with the condition of the road and houses. He asked the Russell family to fix them.
The King then allowed the Russell family to build new houses. This helped develop the area, including Covent Garden Square.
From Coaches to Cars
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In the 1800s, Long Acre was famous for making coaches. Many businesses here built or repaired carriages. By the early 1900s, things began to change. More and more companies started working with motor cars.
By 1916, Long Acre was mostly about cars. Big car brands had showrooms here. Austin Motors was at number 134. Mercedes-Benz had a showroom nearby at numbers 127–130. Other famous car makers like Daimler and Fiat were also present.
Newspapers and Theatres
For many years, a large publishing company called Odhams Press was on Long Acre. They were there from about 1890 to 1970. Odhams Press published many popular magazines and newspapers. These included John Bull, which was very popular in Britain. They also published The Daily Herald and Woman's Own.
Before Odhams Press, the Queen's Theatre stood on this spot. It was one of London's biggest theatres in the late 1800s. Famous actors like Ellen Terry and Henry Irving performed here. A special plaque remembers the theatre's history.
Inventors and Broadcasters
Long Acre has been home to many interesting people. Denis Johnson had a workshop here in 1819. He sold "hobby horse" bicycles, which were some of the first bicycles in the United Kingdom.
Later, in 1929, John Logie Baird made history at number 132. He made the first British television broadcast from this spot.
Just off Long Acre, you can find Langley Street. This street is home to the Pineapple Dance Studios, a famous place for dancers. The London Film School, one of the oldest film schools in the world, is also nearby. The historic Freemason's Arms pub, built in 1896, still stands on Long Acre.
Long Acre Today
Street Layout and Landmarks
Long Acre has buildings numbered from 1 to 77 on its south side. On the north side, the numbers go from 78 to 144. If you are looking for a train, Covent Garden Underground station is located at the junction with James Street.
Long Acre ends in the east where it meets Drury Lane. Overlooking this junction is Freemasons' Hall. This grand building is the main office for the British Freemasons. It is located on Great Queen Street.
Long Acre is also part of the Great Britain road numbering scheme. It is known as the B402 road.
