are one or two
public-houses, which, if not actually old, stand on the sites and
inherit the names of famous old predecessors. The White Lion, now
amalgamated with a music-hall, bears date of foundation 1524. It is said
that G. Morland, the animal painter, painted a sign for this. It is No.
267. Northward, at the corner of Church Street, is the Wheatsheaf,
which, says Robins, "has the credit of having frequently entertained
honest and learned Ben Jonson."

The Red Lion, No. 239, a little to the north of Praed Street, claims as
ancient a date. Tradition says that Shakespeare acted in one of the old
wooden rooms, now vanished, and the inn boasts a haunted chamber.

In Cambridge Place is St. Mary's Hospital and Medical School. The
suggestion of a hospital was discussed in 1840, but the foundation was
not laid until 1843 by the late Prince Consort. The building was
designed to hold 380 beds, but though it has been added to from time to
time it still contains less than this, a supply totally inadequate to
the demand for accommodation. The first wing was opened in 1857, and
contained 150 beds. In 1865 the present King laid the foundation-stone
of a further wing, and in 1892 the stone of the Clarence memorial wing.
By 1886 all the building land acquired by the hospital had been used,
and it was found necessary to purchase other land. In 1887 negotiations
were made by which the Grand Junction Canal Company agreed to sell their
interest in the required land. After five years' labour and the
expenditure of L48,000, the desired result was achieved, and the
Clarence wing was commenced. The hospital now faces Praed Street as well
as Cambridge Place, the intervening houses having been pulled down. It
is a great square red-brick building with stone facings. Behind the
hospital are All Saints' Schools, and to the west of them the Great
Western Railway Terminus. The Act for the extension of the Great Western
line to Paddington, and for the erection of a station, was dated 1836.
The first station was, however, only temporary. The present one was
designed by I. K. Brunel, commenced 1849, and completed in 1854. It
contains three passenger platforms, and the roof is divided by columns
into three great spans, of which the centre one measures over 102 feet
in width, and the outer ones 68 feet each. The station buildings and
platforms at Paddington cover an area of 373,407 feet, but even this
extent is insufficient for the railway purposes.