"A brief history." a Holborn Travel Page by planxty

Holborn today is a busy thoroughfare running East to West from the City towards Oxford Street and the West End and now gives it's name to the areas surrounding it.

We first hear of it as Holeburnestreete in 1249, taking it's name from the Holebourne which is a tributary of the long enclosed Fleet River. It was paved in 1417 and 1535 and it sometimes feels as if the work has contiued to this day, as there are forever roadworks in this ara causing traffic chaos! The area is characterised by various Inns, which are not taverns as you might expect but places containing groups of lawyers.

There is quite a Dickensian connection here, as the grat author lived here in his bachelor days and early in his marriage, writing Pickwick Papers here. He also has the character Pip living in the area in the novel Great Expectations.

Other famous residents of the area have included Sir Thomas More, Sir Francis Bacon, John Milton and Samuel Johnson.