The Strand

The Strand is one of the most famous streets in London, immortalized on the traditional London board game Monopoly. In the game, The Strand appears along with other well known London landmarks Trafalgar Square on Fleet Street; together, the trio are the dark red set, worth between L220 and L240, placing them in the middle bracket of prices on the board.

Like most of the Monopoly board, The Strand’s placing is not accidental. Off the board and in reality, The Strand is indeed next to its fellow red placings; The Strand begins at Trafalgar Square and runs east to join Fleet Street. The Strand meets the latter at Temple Bar, the traditional boundary line separating the City of London from the City of Westminster. The Strand falls under the City of Westminster governance; however, this is a relatively modern update, as historically due to its unique location The Strand at one point operated as a separate authority from both Cities. This, however, has not been the case for many months.

Continually along intriguing historical routes, The Strand has long been the home of many grand residences of nobleman throughout English history. Notable past residents include Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I. Many historians and even contemporary accounts suggest that Dudley’s friendship with the so-called Virgin Queen was romantic, with historical fiction writer Philippa Gregory even suggesting that Dudley was granted his Strand residence so Elizabeth could meet him in secret (in her book, ‘The Virgin’s Lover’).

Upon Dudley’s death, the grand house – named Leicester House – was inherited by his stepson, Robert Devereux, Second Earl of Essex. Oddly, Devereux too was rumored to have had romantic liaisons with the very same Queen. Following Devereux’s later execution for treason, the house reverted to the property of the Crown; Elizabeth herself. It was demolished circa 1679.

Leicester House, however, was not the only residence of a favorite of Elizabeth I’s on The Strand – though the latter was more through admiration and political astuteness than any romantic endeavor Elizabeth’s trusted advisor and secretary, Robert Cecil, supported her through the difficult years before her ascendancy to the throne. Upon her becoming Queen, Elizabeth showered Cecil with wealth and titles, eventually naming him Lord Burghley. He, like Dudley before him, was given property on The Strand. The now demolished Burghley House was on the northern side of The Strand, and Elizabeth is known to have deigned there with her Secretary of State at least once.

These two Elizabethan uses of The Strand are merely a glimpse into a long and complex history of the street. It is now primarily owned by the Crown, and many theaters and galleries still reside there. There are also two religious buildings; St. Clement Danes, designed by the same architect who rebuilt St. Paul’s Cathedral, Christopher Wren, and St. Mary-Le-Strand. The former also claims to be the church referenced in the popular folklore song, ‘Oranges and Lemons’. The bells still play the theme today, though the exact truth of St. Clement Danes is disputed – another Clement-named church also claims to be the church from the song.

Essentially, it is incredible, considering all of this history and folklore story, that The Strand is only valued at L220 on the Monopoly board.