The Seven Dials sundial pillar, 2004.

Seven Dials is a small semi-pedestrianised road junction in the West End of London. The largest road passing through it is Monmouth Street. Download high resolution version (777x1383, 229 KB)The sundial column at Seven Dials, in the Covent Garden area of the West End of London. ... Download high resolution version (777x1383, 229 KB)The sundial column at Seven Dials, in the Covent Garden area of the West End of London. ... Venice (J.H. Crawford) Auto-free zones are also known as car-free zones and pedestrianised zones. ... In the field of road transport, a road junction is a place where two or more roads either meet or cross. ... West End is the name of some places in the world, including: The West End of London, England West End Theatre, is where many of Londons major theatres are located and premier cinema screenings take place. ... The Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster which contains Big Ben London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ...

The term also refers informally to the immediate vicinity of the junction, although this is a somewhat historical usage.

History

The original Seven Dials area was designed by Thomas Neale in the early 1690s. The original plan had six roads converging, although this was later increased to seven. The sundial pillar was built with only six faces, however, probably because of the original design. This high number of roads was chosen in order to maximise the number of houses that could be built on the site. Centuries: 16th century - 17th century - 18th century Decades: 1640s 1650s 1660s 1670s 1680s - 1690s - 1700s 1710s 1720s 1730s 1740s Years: 1690 1691 1692 1693 1694 1695 1696 1697 1698 1699 Events and Trends World Leaders King Christian V of Denmark (1670 - 1699). ... Wall sundial Wall sundial in Warsaws Old Town A sundial measures time by the position of the sun. ...

Neale aimed for the site to be a popular with well-off residents, following the successful development of the nearby fashionable Covent Garden area. This was not to be, however, and the area deterioriated. At one stage, each of the seven apexes facing the column housed a pub, and children were observed to play unsupervised in the streets. By the Nineteenth Century, Seven Dials had become one of the most notorious slums in London. The area was described colourfully by Charles Dickens, including the quote: The stranger who finds himself in the Dials for the first time...at the entrance of Seven obscure passages, uncertain which to take, will see enough around him to keep his curiosity awake for no inconsiderable time.... Covent Garden is a shopping and entertainment complex in central London. ... A public house, usually known as a pub, is a drinking establishment found mainly in the Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other countries influenced by British cultural heritage. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... A slum is an overcrowded and squalid district of a city or town usually inhabited by the very poor. ... Charles Dickens used his rich imagination, sense of humour and detailed memories, particularly of his childhood, to enliven his fiction. ...

The original sundial column was removed in 1773. It had been believed that this was due to being pulled down by an angry mob, although recent research suggests it was deliberately removed by the Paving Commissioners in an attempt to rid the area of undesirables. The remains were acquired by architect James Paine, who kept them at his house in Addlestone, Surrey. In 1820, the remains were purchased by public subscription and re-erected in nearby Weybridge, as a memorial to the Duchess of York. 1773 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... James Paine (1717-1789) was an English architect. ... Surrey is a county in southern England, one of the Home Counties. ... 1820 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Weybridge is a town in Surrey, England. ...

Seven Dials Today

Today, Seven Dials is a prosperous mainly commercial neighbourhood, on the fringes of the West End Theatre district and the fashion-focused shopping district which is centred on nearby Neal Street, and despite some redevelopment, many of the original buildings remain. West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre in London, or sometimes more specifically for shows staged in the large theatres of Londons Theatreland . Along with New Yorks Broadway Theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of theatre in the... Neal Street is a street in the Covent Garden area of the West End of London. ...

The replacement sundial column to be seen today was constructed between 1988 and 1989, to the original design. It was unveiled by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, during her visit to commemorate the tercentenary of the reign of William and Mary, during which the area was developed. 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands reads her countrys Speech from the Throne. ... The phrase William and Mary usually refers to the joint sovereignty over the Kingdoms of England and Scotland of King William III and his wife Queen Mary II. Their joint reign began in February, 1689, when they were called to the throne by Parliament, replacing James II, who was deemed...

External Links

• Information about the Seven Dials shopping area (http://www.sevendials.co.uk/)
• The Seven Dials Monument Charity (http://www.sevendials.com/)