A potted history of Holywell Street and Wych Street, the beating heart of Victorian London’s pornography trade. It was literally a porn hub.
Both streets (and others) were razed to make room for modern Aldwych.
Note how the contemporary paintings make Holywell and Wych Streets quite “respectable,” but the photos present seedier images.
Aldwych has a rich history–it was part of the original location of Lundenwic, the Anglo-Saxon settlement just a mile from Roman Londinium (before the Alfred the Great moved everyone to Londinium in the 9th century). “Aldwych” actually means “the old port” or “the old trading place.”
For a longer look at Aldwych, Strand, and environs, please see this video of a “reconstructed” walk: The Strand, part I.
Thank you for watching!
JACQUELINE A. POLLARD 