Shaftesbury Avenue
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- For the racehorse, see, Shaftesbury Avenue (horse)
Shaftesbury Avenue is a major London street, named after Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, that runs in a north-easterly direction from Piccadilly Circus to New Oxford Street, crossing Charing Cross Road at Cambridge Circus.
Shaftesbury Avenue was created in the late 19th century (1877–86) to improve traffic flow. It is generally considered the heart of London's West End theatre district, with the Lyric, Apollo, Gielgud and Queen's theatres clustered together on the north side of the road between Piccadilly Circus and Charing Cross Road. At the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road there is also the large Palace Theatre. Finally, the north-eastern end of the road has another large theatre, literally called the Shaftesbury Theatre.
The Saville Theatre used to be on Shaftesbury Avenue, but this has become the Odeon Covent Garden, a cinema.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Shaftesbury Avenue London W1 — TourUK information
- Survey of London — detailed architectural history
