Cow Lane
Names
- Cow Lane
- King Street
Street/Area/District
- Cow Lane
Maps & Views
- 1553-59 London (Strype, 1720): Cow Lane
- 1553-9 Londinum (Braun & Hogenberg, 1572): Cow Lane
- 1553-9 London ("Agas Map" ca. 1633): Cowe lane
- 1560 London (Jansson, 1657): Cow Lane
- 1593 London (Norden, 1653 - British Library): Cow Lane
- 1593 London (Norden, 1653 - Folger): Cow Lane
- 1666 London after the fire (Bowen, 1772): Cow Lane
- 1677 A Large and Accurate Map of the City of London (Ogilby & Morgan): Cow Lane
- 1720 London (Strype): Cow Lane
- 1736 London (Moll & Bowles): Cow Lane
- 1746 London, Westminster & Southwark (Rocque): Cow Lane
- 1761 London (Dodsley): Cow Lane
Descriptions
from A Dictionary of London, by Henry Harben (1918)
Cow Lane
West out of West Smithfield to Snow Hill, in Farringdon Ward Without (Elmes, 1831).
First mention: 1416 (Ct. H.W. II. 410).
A place noted for Coachmakers and Harness makers (W. Stow, 1722).
Now King Street (q.v.).
Stow identifies this lane with Cowbridge Street (q.v.), but Cow Lane is shown in all the old maps as meeting Snow Hill at Holborn Conduit, and unless its course had been diverted it could never have touched the "River of Wells."
The maps show the Chick Lane bridge as the next bridge northward of Holborn Bridge, and no street or lane between the two, where a bridge could have been. It is difficult therefore to see where the Cow Bridge could have been situated, unless it was identical with the Chick Lane bridge, or stood further north. It seems more likely that Chick Lane was identical with Cowbridge Street, not Cow Lane.
King Street.—South-west out of West Smithfield, at No. 1 to No. 10 Snow Hill (P.O. Directory).
First mention: Lockie. 1810.
Former name: "Cow Lane" (q.v.).
It seems to be known by both names in Lockie, 1810, and Elmes, 1831.
Called "King Street" in O.S. 1848–51.