Thames Street, divided into Lower and Upper Thames Street, is a road in theCity of London, the historic and financial centre ofLondon.[1] It forms part of the busyA3211 route (prior to being rebuilt as a major thoroughfare in the late 1960s, it was the B132) fromTower Hill toWestminster. TheLondon Bridge underpass marks the divide between Upper and Lower Thames Street, with Lower to the east and Upper to the west.
Thames Street is mentioned in the diary ofSamuel Pepys. The first mention of the road, however, is from 1013 when thecustom house was founded on the street.[2][3]During the reign ofKing Henry VIII, the street contained the London residences of many courtiers, including that ofWilliam Compton, where Henry VIII allegedly methis mistresses.[4]
In the culture of the 20th century, the street is probably best remembered for its place inT. S. Eliot'sThe Waste Land:
At 101 Lower Thames Street, remains ofa Roman bath were excavated. They are preserved in the cellar of the modern building on the site.
Little evidence of the street's history remains, in a large part due tothe Blitz and post-War redevelopment, and it now contains many office buildings, including the headquarters of theDaily Express newspaper. TheLondon Fire Brigade's fire investigation unit is based at Dowgate fire station on Upper Thames Street at the corner of Allhallows Lane; the station is the only one within the City of London. The most notable change is at the western end of the thoroughfare, which dramatically altered its course as part of major works of the 1960s, involving the reclaiming offoreshore of the Thames atPuddle Dock.
Lower Thames Street formed part of themarathon course of the2012 Olympic andParalympic Games. The women's Olympic marathon took place on 5 August and the men's on 12 August. The Paralympic marathons were held on 9 September.[5][6]
51°30′35″N0°5′15″W / 51.50972°N 0.08750°W /51.50972; -0.08750