Theobalds Road

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Theobalds Road
Tibbalds Road
Former name(s)King's Way
Namesake Theobalds Palace
TypeRoad
Area Holborn
Location London Borough of Camden
Postal code WC
Theobalds Road Cyclist in Theobald's Road - geograph.org.uk - 1656365.jpg
Theobalds Road
Benjamin Disraeli's birthplace on Theobalds Road is commemorated with a brown plaque Brown LCC plaque re Benjamin Disraeli on 22 Theobald's Road, WC1 - geograph.org.uk - 1246574.jpg
Benjamin Disraeli's birthplace on Theobalds Road is commemorated with a brown plaque

Theobalds Road is a road in the Holborn district of London. It is named after Theobalds Palace because King James I used this route when going between there and London, travelling with his court and baggage of some 200 carts. For this reason, it was also known as the King's Way which is now the name of the nearby road, Kingsway.

A tram tunnel was built under Kingsway in 19021906 which had its north-eastern entrance at Theobalds Road. When the tram network was closed in the 1950s, the Theobalds Road end was used as a flood control centre and movie location. [1] In 1925 the South Place Ethical Society purchased land on Theobalds Road where the rear entrance to Conway Hall was subsequently constructed. [2]

The road's name is usually pronounced intuitively ( /ˈθəbəldz/ ), but traditionally it was pronounced "Tibbalds" ( /ˈtɪbəldz/ ). [3] [4]

The road was home to the Theobald's Road Institute (or Institution) at number 8, founded by William Benbow, in 1820. [5]

Notable residents

References

  1. Andrew Duncan (2006), Secret London, p. 55, ISBN   978-1-845-37305-4
  2. "Conway Hall". Humanist Heritage. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  3. Kate Burridge (2004), Blooming English, Cambridge University Press, p. 27, ISBN   9780521548328, one nice taxi driver put me right by politely pointing out that it was in fact pronounced 'Tibbalds' Road!
  4. "Hidden London - Pronunciation". Hidden London. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  5. "UCL Bloomsbury Project". www.ucl.ac.uk. 13 April 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  6. Avril Coleridge-Taylor (1979), The Heritage of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, p. 16, According to the Entry of Birth signed by JB Goodhugh, Registrar for the District of Holborn on 27 September 1875, Samuel Coleridge Taylor (the hyphenated form was adopted later in life) was born on 15 August 1875, at 15 Theobalds Road ...
  7. Katy Carter (1982), London & The Famous, p. 53

51°31′14″N0°07′01″W / 51.52055°N 0.11704°W / 51.52055; -0.11704