Haymarket, London
Photo: The Lud, in the public domain
Haymarket is a street in the City of Westminster, London. It connects Piccadilly Circus in the north with Pall Mall in the south. Among the attractions here are the Theatre Royal and Her Majesty's Theatre, a cinema complex, and New Zealand House.
Haymarket got its name because in the olden days (the Elizabethan era, to be exact), it was a market for farm produce. It is a rural area in the vicinity of the village of Charing. During the reign of William III, carts carrying hay and straw were allowed to stand in the street and sell free of tolls.
Haymarket is part of London's West End theatre district since the 17th century. The Queen's Theatre opened here in 1705. It was renamed the King's Theatre at the death of Queen Anne in 1714. After it burnt down in 1790, another King's Theatre was erected on the site. After another fire, His Majesty's Theatre was opened there in 1897. His Majesty's Theatre, still standing, is presently called Her Majesty's Theatre, and is used for major musical productions.
Haymarket runs parallel to Lower Regent Street. Both are one-way streets. Lower Regent Street takes northbound traffic and Haymarket takes southbound. The two roads are part of the A4 road which runs from central London to Avonmouth near Bristol.
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