XLV.—No. 1, SARDINIA STREET (Demolished).

The land lying to the south of Sardinia Street between Wild Street and Drury Lane, was leased by Henry Holford to John Ittery on 20th April, 1618, when it was described (fn. 1) as "one hundred foote of ground from the south side of the … close, called Oldwich Close, as the same then was marked and measured out north and south in bredth, and extending in length downe to the ditch there towardes the east, which plott of ground was then to be forthwith inclosed by the said John Ittery from the residue of the close." Before 1629, this ground had been "inclosed with a trench or ditch on the north side … and on the west end … with a mudd wall." The southern and eastern boundaries were respectively the lands of the Earl of Clare and the common sewer. At the latter date what soon afterwards became known as Duke Street, and was subsequently called Sardinia Street, was described as "the pathway on the south side thereof, leading from Princes Streete towardes Holbourne, the said pathway conteyning in breadth 10 foote." It may, therefore be taken for granted that no houses had at that time been built on the north side of Sardinia Street. In 1652 the land came into the hands of Humphrey Weld (fn. 2) who apparently developed the Duke Street frontage of his property at the same time as the Wild Street frontage. There is a record of one house in Duke Street built by Weld "to which hee added a yard or backside" and let on 5th October, 1661, on a 21 years' lease. (fn. 3) Moreover, it will be noticed that Hollar's Plan of 1658 (Plate 3) shows the Duke Street frontage fully built.

No. 1 was demolished in 1906, in connection with the formation of Kingsway and its subsidiary streets, when old Sardinia Street itself was abolished.

The ground floor treatment of the premises (Plate 11) was typical of the 18th-century tenement design. The windows were strongly shuttered to afford protection when required.

A boundary stone of the parish of St. Clement Danes and an iron tablet of that of St. Giles were attached to the premises, and appear in the view.

The Council's collection contains:—

Sardinia Street—View looking west in 1906 (photograph).
(fn. 4) No. I, Sardinia Street—ground floor (photograph).
Sardinia Place—View looking north from Sardinia Street (1906) (photograph).
Sardinia Place—View looking north from Little Wild Street (1906) (photograph).

Footnotes