Covent Garden Piazza

In the early seventeenth century Inigo Jones was commissioned by the Earl of Bedford to create London’s first residential square; Jones' love of Italian neo-classicism architecture is obvious in the design of the Covent Garden piazza he created; and even today, it is home to a market consisting of over forty stalls selling a variety of quality goods, including antiques, clothing and craft items.

The area was formerly the site of London’s largest fruit and vegetable market which has since moved to Bermondsey. The piazza is a favourite location for street performers; Peruvian and classical musicians can regularly be found in the courtyards amidst the stalls.

The London Transport Museum is now housed in the Victorian Flower Market in the South West of the piazza. Other attractions near to the piazza include Jubilee Hall, the tuscan-style church of St. Paul and the Royal Opera House which is linked to the Piazza via Bow Street.

The area is one of the few remaining large pedestrianised areas left in London and as such also attracts large numbers of pedestrians! Because of the number of visitors that the markets attracted over the centuries, Covent Garden Piazza had its own underground station built to ease their travel.

Come along and visit Covent Garden to soak up the lively and cheery atmosphere.