Canon Row is a historic street in the

City of Westminster The City of Westminster is a city and 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 central Greater London, including most of the West En ...

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 Canons 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 and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace lies on the north bank ...

. It was anciently the site of several grand townhouses. 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, (Lincoln House) and the Earl of Derby (Derby House) and the Duchess of Somerset, mother of the Earl of Hertford, ( Hertford House) who both occupied "stately" houses. Also situated on Canon Row was Sussex House, home of Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex.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