Fleet Street

London's Fleet Street, named after the river Fleet which flows at one end of the street, had many legal offices and courts surrounding it in the late 15th century. From 1500s onwards, several publishing and printing shops began locating themselves on Fleet Street to serve the legal offices in its neighbourhood. From 1702, when London's first daily newspaper The Daily Courant set up its office there, the street became the hub of the news industry of Britain. Almost all major news companies had their presence on Fleet Street. Though the news industry has moved away from Fleet Street, even today, the street is called the spiritual home of British journalism. There is a tradition that every British journalist gets married in the Christopher Wrens Church on Fleet Street.

This nice card sent to me by Violeta shows Fleet Street as it was in 1905. That’s 108 years ago. This busy scene shows the street of the press, leading down to Ludgate Circus. Beyond the bridge, St. Paul’s Cathedral dominates the city skyline.