London
Town Guide


Pall Mall

SW1
Nearest Tube: Charing Cross


Not to be confused with The Mall, Pall Mall is the street that runs parallel to The Mall from St James's Palace in the west to Trafalgar Square in the east.

The name is derived from the popular 17th century Italian game 'pallo a maglio', which translates as 'ball and mallet'. It was a similar game to the modern day croquet and was a particularly favourite game of the court of Charles II (1660-85), who played on this site.

The original name of the street, which was laid out in 1660, was Catherine Street (named after Queen Catherine of Braganza), but it was the nickname that has stuck.

The most famous aspect of the street is the numerous Gentlemen's Clubs that dominated the area during the 18th and early 19th centuries, some of which still exist on Pall Mall today.

In 1807, as part of King George III's (1760-1820) birthday celebrations, Pall Mall became the first gas-lit street in the whole city. Permanent gas lighting came into effect in 1820 and the original lampposts can still be seen today.




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