Piccadilly Circus is one of London’s best-known landmarks, recognised today for its bright advertising screens, busy streets and central location. But its story begins far more modestly than that.
The name Piccadilly comes from “piccadills,” the stiff, frilled collars that were all the rage in the early 1600s. A successful tailor named Robert Baker made a fortune selling them and built a grand house in the area which was then open countryside. Locals dubbed it Piccadilly Hall, and the name stuck.
By the early 19th century, London was expanding rapidly and in 1819, the city created a new circular junction, the Circus, to connect Piccadilly with Regent Street. The word “circus” in this context refers to a circular open space at a road junction, rather than an entertainment venue. It was all part of the grand plan to modernise the West End. But what began as a traffic solution quickly became a cultural magnet.
The surrounding area became increasingly known for theatres, restaurants, and nightlife and this transformation helped establish Piccadilly Circus as a key meeting point and a centre of public life.
In 1893, the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain was installed, commemorating the social reformer Lord Shaftesbury. The statue on top is widely referred to as “Eros,” though it more accurately represents Anteros, a figure from Greek mythology.
In the early twentieth century, Piccadilly Circus became associated with illuminated advertising. Electric signs began appearing in the area from the 1900s onwards, and they quickly became a defining feature of the location. Over time, these displays helped turn Piccadilly Circus into an internationally recognised symbol of London, representing both commercial life and the city’s changing identity.
Today, Piccadilly Circus remains one of the busiest and most photographed parts of London. While it has been altered by redevelopment and traffic changes over the decades, it continues to serve as a central crossroad, linking major streets, cultural venues, and the historic heart of the capital.
Image courtesy of Wikipedia. Piccadilly Circus, 1896. Towards Leicester Square. Authow unknown.