Street names of Waterloo explained

This is a list of the etymology of street names in the London district of Waterloo. The area has no formally defined boundaries – those utilised here are the river Thames to the north and west, Blackfriars Road to the east, and Westminster Bridge Road to the south.

• Addington Street
• Alaska Street
• Aquinas Street
• Barge House Street and Old Barge House Alley – as this was the former location of the royal barges during Tudor times and after
• Baron's Place – after the Baron family, local landowners in the 18th century
• Baylis Road – after Lilian Baylis, manager of the Old Vic in the early 20th century
• Belvedere Road – after Belvedere House and gardens, opened in 1718 on the site of what is now the Royal Festival Hall
• Blackfriars Road – named after Blackfriars Bridge in 1769/70; it was formerly Great Surrey Street, reflecting the traditional county it is in
• Boundary Row
• Brad Street
• Broadwall – after a former earthen dyke located here, marking the western boundary of the parish of Paris Gardens/Christchurch
• Burdett Street
• Burrows Mews – after the nearby Burrows Buildings, built 1770
• Chaplin Close
• Charlie Chaplin Walk – after Charlie Chaplin, famous 20th century comedian and actor, who was born in South London
• Chicheley Street – after Henry Chichele, 15th century archbishop, by connection with the nearby Lambeth Palace
• Coin Street – unknown, thought possibly after a former mint located here in the time of Henry VIII; it was formerly Prince's Street until 1893, after the Prince Regent (later George IV)
• Colombo Street – after Alexander Colombo, 19th century bailiff of the local manor of Paris Gardens
• Concert Hall Approach – as it leads to the Royal Festival Hall, built 1951
• Cons Street – after Emma Cons, manager of the Old Vic in the 1880s
• Cooper Close
• Coral Street
• Cornwall Road – as it formed part of the manor of Kennington, which belonged to the Duchy of Cornwall; it was Green Lane prior to 1815
• Cottesloe Mews
• Cranfield Row
• The Cut – as when built it cut through what was then open country/marsh
• Dibdin Row
• Dodson Street
• Doon Street
• Duchy Place and Duchy Street – as it formed part of the manor of Kennington, which belonged to the Duchy of Cornwall
• Emery Street – after the nearby Wellington Mills, which manufactured emery paper in the 19th century; prior to 1893 it was Short Street
• Exton Street
• Forum Magna Square
• Frazier Street
• Gabriel's Wharf
• Gerridge Street
• Granby Place
• Gray Street
• Greenham Close
• Greet Street
• Grindal Street – for Edmund Grindal, 16th century archbishop, by association with the nearby Lambeth Palace
• Hatfields – as fur hats were formerly made here
• Holmes Terrace
• Isabella Street
• Joan Street
• Johanna Street – possibly after local resident and subscriber to the Old Vic Johanna Serres
• Jurston Court
• Launcelot Street – after Launcelot Holland, local developer in the 1820s
• Leake Court and Leake Street – after John Leake, founder of a local hospital in 1767
• Lower Marsh – as this land was formerly a marsh prior to the 19th century
• Lower Road
• Marigold Alley – after a former 18th century inn here called the Marygold, possibly named for the flower, symbol of Mary I
• Mepham Street – after a 14th-century Archbishop of Canterbury Simon Mepeham
• Meymott Street – after the Meymott family, several of whom were stewards of Paris Gardens manor in the 19th century
• Miller Walk
• Mitre Road
• Morley Street – after Samuel Morley, benefactor of the Old Vic in the 1880s
• Murphy Street
• Paris Garden – the name of the former manor here; it may derive from ‘parish’ or the Old French ‘pareil’ (enclosure), or possibly after 15th century local family the de Parys
• Pear Place
• Pearman Street
• Pontypool Place
  • The Queen's Walk – named in 1977 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II Rennie Street – after John Rennie the Elder, prominent 18th century engineer, who designed Waterloo Bridge and Southwark Bridge
• Roupell Street – after local 19th century property owner John Roupell
• St George's Circus – as this area was formerly called St George's Fields, after St George the Martyr, Southwark church; the circus opened in 1770
• Sandell Street – after one Mr Sandell, who owned warehouses here in the 1860s
• Secker Street – after Thomas Secker, Archbishop of Canterbury 1758–68, by connection with the nearby Lambeth Palace
• Short Street – after local early 19th century carpenter Samuel Short
• South Bank – descriptive, as it is the south bank of the Thames
• Spur Road
• Stamford Street – after Stamford, Lincolnshire, hometown of John Marshall, local benefactor and churchman
  • Station Approach Road – as it leads to Waterloo station Sutton Walk
• Tanswell Street
• Tenison Way – after Thomas Tenison, Archbishop of Canterbury 1695–1715, by connection with the nearby Lambeth Palace
• Theed Street
• Tress Place
• Ufford Street
• Upper Ground – as this was formerly a raise earth ditch between the river and Surrey marshland; formerly Upper Ground Street
• Valentine Place
• Waterloo Bridge and Waterloo Road – the road was built in 1817 shortly after the British victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo
• Webber Street
• Westminster Bridge Road – as it leads to Westminster Bridge
• West Road
• Whittlesey Street
• Windmill Walk – after the windmills formerly located here when it was countryside; formerly Windmill Street
• Wootton Street
• York Road

References

Citations

Sources

• Book: Fairfield, Sheila. The Streets Of London: A Dictionary Of The Names And Their Origins. BT Batsford Ltd. 1972.
• Book: Bebbington, Gillian. London Street Names. Papermac. 1983. 978-0-333-28649-4.