Tours | Categories (New, Hot) | Map
Alcohol - Ancient - Animal - Architecture - Art - Aviation - Boxing - Celebrity - Charity - Children - Church - Cinema - Comedy - Crime - Dance - Death - Disaster - Drugs - Fashion - Food - Gambling - Ghost - Grave - Health - Historical - Industry - Justice - LGBT - Literary - Look Up - Medical - Military - Motoring - Murder - Museum - Music - Nature - Naval - Paranormal - Pioneer - Poetry - Police - Politics - Pub - Public Amenities - Quirky - Religion - Retail - Ripper - River - Royalty - Science - Sculpture - Sex - Signs - Society - Sport - Subterranean - Technology - Theatre - Train - Transport - Tube - TV - Weather -
Contact Us
IN THE NEWS
TOUR OF THE MONTH
ON THIS DAY IN LONDON
17th January 1899 Born today: Nevil Shute [Norway], London, novelist (On the Beach, Town Like Alice)
17th January 1886 Born today: Ronald Firbank, London, novelist (Flower Beneath the Foot)
17th January 1775 R B Sheridan's Rivals, premieres in London
17th January 1670 Highwayman Claude Duval found guilty of 6 robberies and sentenced to death.
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.
Tagged in this Tour: Elizabethan & Stuart London
Poetry
Ranking This Month: 224/2786
Pages Hit This Month: 64
Link to This Page: http://www.shadyoldlady.com/location/2297
|
One of the hottest literary coffee shops in 17th century London. |
The Shady Old Lady points out that you can drag this map using mouse. Or visit our full massive map.
Home of Noel Coward», 1.8km
Rudyard Kipling lived here», 0.3km
Daily News to Remember», 2.4km
Where Was Wych Street?», 0.2km
Eccentric George Cecil Ives», 2.8km
142 The Strand», 0.1km
William Blake lived here.», 0.7km
Poet's Corner», 1.0km
Bram Stoker lived here», 2.3km
A meeting of Literary Minds», 0.9km
mapping London's most interesting and unusual places and history
