Will's Coffee House
One of the hottest literary coffee shops in 17th century London.
Location: 39 Bow Street, Covent Garden
Description: Today it's a classic English boozer, the Marquess of Anglesey, but once it was the centre of London's literary society as Will's Coffee House.
In the 17th century Will Unwin opened a coffee shop here and influential poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright John Dryden, frequented daily to hold court with his amusing wit and poems.
It's mentioned repeatedly in the famous diary of Samuel Pepys, who first dropped in on the evening of 3 February 1663/4:
where Dryden the poet, I knew at Cambridge, and all the wits of the town, and Harris the player and Mr. Hoole of our College. And, had I time then, or could at other times, it will be good coming thither, for there, I perceive, is very witty and pleasant discourse.
Other visitors included dramatists John Dennis and William Wycherley, and authors Alexander Pope, Samuel Johnson, Jonathan Swift and Daniel Defoe.
Tours: Elizabethan & Stuart London
Themes: Literary
Poetry
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One of the hottest literary coffee shops in 17th century London. |
Ranking This Month: 1170/2895
Pages Hit This Month: 25
Other places nearby:
Chaucers Canterbury Tales Origin», 1.4km
Mark Twain's death», 2.5km
Home of Angela Carter», 3.4km
The Albany, home to AJ Raffles», 0.7km
Walter Pater lived here», 3.5km
Clapham Junction & Oscar Wilde», 4.3km
Chaucer Lived Over the Aldgate», 1.8km
John Evelyn's House», 0.9km
Last Gay Bookshop», 0.8km
Senate House», 10.km
Location Pinpointed:
pinpointing the forgotten and lost history of London
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