Drury Lane originated as an early medieval lane called Via de Aldwych, which probably connected St. Giles Leper Hospital with the fields of Aldwych Close. It acquired its present name from Sir Robert Drury, who built a mansion called Drury House on the lane around 1500. After the death in 1615 of his great-great-grandson, the property passed out of the family.
Eventually the gardens and courtyards of the house were built over with rows of small houses. By 1809, Drury Lane had become one of the worst slums in London, dominated by prostitution and gin palaces. The area was eventually cleared to make way for the developments of Kingsway and Aldwych following the opening of Waterloo Bridge and reconstructed with symmetrical classical elevations in the spirit of Nash’s Metropolitan Improvements to the west.
