Kingsgate Street

The King's Gate or King's Gate Street, a short street to the west of Red Lyon Square. Formerly it extended north from High Holbourn to Lamb's Conduit Fields.

An advertisement ca. 1675 announces:

At the Golden Head in King's-gate-street, near Red-Lyon-Square in Holborn, is to be had Extraordinary Remedies for the fol∣lowing Distempers, at Reasonable Rates, viz.

FOR the EYES, most choice and rare Remedies, which infallibly cure all sorts of Sore Eyes, be the Distempers hot or cold, moist or dry, in three or four days at furthest. And likewise takes off all Pearls, Pins, Webs, and Skins of all kinds growing upon, or setled on the Eye. And gives Sight to those who are term'd Stone-Blind, in five or six days, where the vis∣sive Faculty is not quite lost: Insomuch that Multitudes have recovered their perfect Sight, even those who have wanted the Comfort of that Blessing for 30 or 40 years, and upwards. So that none need to despair, or be disheartned, although their Distemper hath been from their Infancy. And, to Admirati∣on, recovereth dim and weak sighted People, be they Young or Old; and makes them see so well in a short time, that they have left off their Spectacles, although they have used them for many years before. ...

Pepys mentions visiting three times:

30 March 1669
Here [at Whitehall] I met with Creed, expecting a Committee of Tanger, but the Committee met not, so he and I up and down, having nothing to do, and particularly to the New Cockpitt by the King’s Gate in Holborne; but seeing a great deal of rabble we did refuse to go in, but took coach and to Hide-park ...—The Diary of Samuel Pepys Volume 1, ed. Robert Latham and William Matthews (University of California Press, 2000), 141–2.

6 April 1668
Thence I to White-hall to attend the Council, and when the Council rose we find my order mightily enlarged by the Sollicitor general, who was called thither, making it more safe for him and the Council; but their order is the same in the command of it that I drew, and will I think defend us well. So thence, meeting Creed, he and I to the new Cocke pitt by the King’s gate, and there saw the manner of it, and the mixed rabble of people that come thither; and saw two battles of cocks, wherein is no great sport, but only to consider how these creatures, without any provocation, do fight and kill one another—and aim only at one another’s heads, and by their good wills not leave till one of them be killed. And thence to the park in a hackney-coach, so would not go into the Tour, but round about the park, and to the House, and there at the door eat and drank ...—Ibid., 154.

8 March 1669
Up, and with W. Hewer by hackney coach to White Hall, where the King and the Duke of York is gone by three in the morning, and had the misfortune to be overset with the Duke of York, the Duke of Monmouth, and the Prince, at the King’s Gate in Holborne; and the King all dirty, but no hurt. How it come to pass I know not, but only it was dark, and the torches did not, they say, light the coach as they should do.—Ibid., 474

Kings gate street, a spacious str. on the N. side of Holbourn, running Nd, parallel to the W. side of Red lion square, and then Ed parallel to the N. side thereof to Kings way, and so into Grays inn lane. This str. and way, are so called, becuase the King used to go this way to New Market, some call the Ely end of this str. Theobalds road.

[King's Gate.] At the upper end of Gray's Inn lane, on the West side, is Kings Gate Road, which leadeth by Red Lion Fields, and goeth into High Holbourn. Something North of this Gate, is a very handsome and genteel Row of Buildings, with a Freestone Walk before them, and Gardens behind; their West Lights having the prospect of Gray's Inn Fields and Walks.

...Kingsgate, a Road or Passage which runneth on the backside of King Street, and turning Eastward leadeth to the upper end of Grays Inn Lane.

King’s Gate street, High Holborn.

Kingsgate Street, High Holborn, so called from the gate placed at the end of the street, this, with its continuation, King's Way or King's Road (afterwards Theobald's Road), being the King's Private Road, or way to Newmarket² In the MS. Accounts of the Surveyor of the Ways to the Crown, 1681–1684, occur these entries:—

To Stephen Dowling for mending the King's Gate at Gray's Inn Lane end . . . . . . . 11/

To Richard Stanley for making an arch bridge at the King's Gate at the end of Gray's Inn Lane end . . . . . . . 54/

For making up a ditch in the King's highway between King's Gate in Holborn and Lilly-pot Row.

For gravel laid at Newport Wall [Leicester Fields] to repair the King's Private Way to Enfield Chase, etc.

March 8, 1668–1669.—To Whitehall, from whence the King and the Duke of York went by three in the morning, and had the misfortune to be overset with the Duke of York, the Duke of Monmouth, and the Prince [Rupert], at the King's gate in Holborne; and the King all dirty but no hurt. How it came to pass I know not, but only it was dark, and the torches did not, they say, light the coach as they should do.—Pepys.

In Kingsgate Street was the residence of the immortal Mrs. Gamp, "Which her name is well beknown is S. Gamp Midwife Kingsgate Street, High Holborn."—Forster's Life of Dickens, vol. ii, p. 347.

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² Comp. Hutton, pp. 43, 44.