Canon Row is a historic street in the

City of Westminster The City of Westminster is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and London boroughs, borough in Inner London. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government. It occupies a large area of cent ...

in London. It is best known as the location of Canon Row Police Station.

History

In 1878 Canon Row extended from the back of Richmond Terrace to Bridge Street, Westminster, and about midway between the Thames and Parliament Street. It is a narrow thoroughfare. According to John Stow and John Selden, Canon Row — or, as it was often called, Channel Row — derived its name from being the residence allotted to the

Canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

s of St Stephen's Chapel in the

Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...

. It was anciently the site of several grand

townhouses A townhouse, townhome, town house, or town home, is a type of terraced housing. A modern townhouse is often one with a small footprint on multiple floors. In a different British usage, the term originally referred to any type of city residence ...

. Stow states that among its inhabitants in his time were "divers noblemen and gentlemen," including Sir Edward Hobbes, John Thynne, Esq.,

Henry Clinton, 2nd Earl of Lincoln Henry Clinton, 2nd Earl of Lincoln, KB (1539 – 29 September 1616) was an English peer, styled Baron Clinton from 1572 to 1585. Known for repeated accusations of extortion, abduction and arson, among other things, Henry was likely among the ...

, (Lincoln House) and the Earl of Derby (Derby House) and the Duchess of Somerset, mother of the Earl of Hertford, (

Hertford House Hertford ( ) is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. The parish had a population of 26,783 at the 2011 census. The town grew around a ford on the River Lea, n ...

) who both occupied "stately" houses. Also situated on Canon Row was Sussex House, home of

Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex Thomas Radclyffe (or Ratclyffe), 3rd Earl of Sussex KG (c. 15259 June 1583), was Lord Deputy of Ireland during the Tudor period of English history, and a leading courtier during the reign of Elizabeth I. Family He was the eldest son of Henr ...

.Ros, Maggi, Life in Elizabethan England: A London and Westminster Directory, 2008
/ref> The current buildings on the site, including the Canon Row Police Station, date from the early 20th century.

Sources

* Thornbury, Walter, ''Old and New London'', Volume 3, London, 1878, pp. 376–382: ''Whitehall: Precinct and Gardens
Ros, Maggi, Life in Elizabethan England: A London and Westminster Directory, 2008

References

{{coords, 51.50160, -0.12546, display=title Streets in the City of Westminster