The ultimate celebrity street in London

How many of the thousands of people making their along the Strand each day ever find their way in Buckingham Street? It heads from John Adam Street down what used to be a bluff, to the old waterfront of the river Thames. — Country Life

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When you travel, finding little known stories about the cities you visit is fascinating. And finding stories and historical facts about certain streets in particular is even more fascinating. Even better when such stories are linked to historical celebrities.

And more exciting when one of those historical celebrities is Charles Dickens, the greatest Victorian novelist, whose travels I’ve been following and researching for one of my long-term projects.

One of the most interesting thoroughfares in London is Buckingham Street, a short street of late 17th and early 18th-century houses that runs up from the Embankment towards the Strand and a little to the east of Charing Cross Station.

The records show that all the original houses in Buckingham Street were erected before 1680. You can see where Buckingham Street is below; it’s that tiny blue line.

The houses are modest and one or two have been rebuilt, but this short street can lay claim to having housed more celebrities than any other comparable street in London.

When London’s first great speculative builder — the first modern developer — Nicholas Barbon (1640–1698) bought the land at the end of the 17th century he immediately began building the sort of houses that would appeal to the fashionable. Most houses were complete by 1675.

Number 10 Buckingham Street was once the home of David Hume (1711–1776), the brilliant Scottish philosopher and father of the Enlightenment. Later on, the house was lived in by the famous post-impressionist painter Henri Rousseau (1844–1910).

Diarist Samuel Pepys (1633–1703) lived both at number 12 and at number 14.

Number 12 was later occupied by Queen Anne’s Lord Treasurer Robert Harley (1661–1724), who invited Jonathan Swift (1644–1718) and William Penn (1667–1745) (of Pennsylvania fame) to dine with him.

Two painters lived in the house at different times: William Etty (1787–1849) and Clarkson Stanfield (1793–1867). The scientist Humphrey Davy (1778–1829) carried out some of his most important experiments in the cellar!

Peg Woffington (1720–1760), a celebrated beauty and one of the greatest 18th-century actresses, lived at number 9.

The Russian Peter the Great (1672–1725) stayed for a while at number 15, while Henry Fielding (1707–1754, the creator of Tom Jones, lived here, too, as did — a century later — novelist, journalist, and short story writer Charles Dickens (1812–1870).

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834) lived at number 21. Most bizarrely of all, Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821) stayed in a house in the street — exactly which is disputed — for a short period during 1791.

If you are like me and enjoy mixing history and interesting discoveries in your travels, make sure you explore Buckingham Street next time you are in London.

Until next time, happy travels.

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About the writer: Susan Fourtané is a science and technology journalist, professional writer, dead media archeologist, photography enthusiast, a free-spirited maverick, and sometimes a hermit. She travels capturing the essence of what she thinks it’s interesting.