Covent Garden is a historic market and piazza in the heart of London, where street performers draw crowds beneath the arches of a 19th-century market building. Once the site of a garden belonging to Westminster Abbey, the area was laid out as an Italian-inspired square by Inigo Jones in the 1630s. His church of St Paul’s still stands on the western side, known as the Actors’ Church for its long theatrical associations.
The covered market building opened in 1830, when fruit and vegetables were the main business. Wholesale trading moved to Nine Elms in 1974, and today the halls contain shops, cafés and the Apple Market’s craft and antique stalls. The piazza remains the attraction: stop to watch an auditioned street performer, then explore the Jubilee Market or walk towards Seven Dials for more shops and cafés.
Visit on a weekday morning, preferably before 11am, for a quieter look around. Covent Garden Tube station is close, but its lifts can be busy; Leicester Square and Charing Cross are useful alternatives within walking distance. Food around the piazza can be pricey, so consider a snack at the market and look to the surrounding streets for a fuller meal.