Monopoly 13: Bow Street

The naming of the street is a little confusing because it’s in the centre of London, and not really near the area of Bow at all. Bow street is actually very close to Covent Garden, the former fruit and veg. market, which is now London’s unofficial capital of street entertainment. Both the side entrance to the market and the Royal Opera House can be seen on the left hand side of his picture.

Prior to being included amongst the orange set of properties on the London monopoly board, Bow Street was possibly most famous for being the home of the Bow Street Runners. This was a forerunner of the first police forces, a group of volunteer law enforcement officers founded by the London magistrate and novelist Henry Fielding. They were disbanded soon after the formation of the Metropolitan Police force. All of the properties in the London orange set have connections with the law and law enforcement. Courts were held in the homes of city magistrates on Bow Street – including Henry Fielding – and between 1878 and 1881 the current building which house the Magistrates Court – one of the most famous in England – and Bow Street Police Station was built. The Police Station closed in 1992 and the last case was heard in the court in 2006. The building still stands, but since 2021 the building has housed a hotel – how appropriate! – and a museum of local police History.