t's Inn will be swept away by the Strand improvements. New
Inn is still standing; Danes' Inn is a modern court with offices and
residential chambers. Wych Street itself has still some of the old
houses left. In Newcastle Street was Lyons' Inn, cleared away to make
room for a theatre.

Drury Lane derives its name from the family mansion of the Druries which
stood on the site. The brave Lord Craven bought this house and rebuilt
it. It is stated that he married privately the Queen of Bohemia,
daughter of James I. Timbs says that she occupied the house adjoining
Craven House, which was connected with it by a subterranean passage.
Craven Buildings were built in 1723 upon the site of the house; Hayman,
the artist, and Mrs. Bracegirdle, the actress, both had rooms in these
buildings. The Olympic Theatre is also partly on the site of Craven
House.

Drury Lane was once a fashionable quarter, but lost that reputation
before many of its contemporaries, and since the time of the third
William has borne a more or less vile character. Nell Gwynne was born in
Coal Yard, which opens off on the east side.

The Drury Lane Theatre has many interesting associations. It was built
by Killigrew in 1663, and was called the King's House, under which title
Pepys recalls many visits to it. In 1671 it was burnt down. It was
rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren, and opened 1674. Among the list of
patentees we have the names of Rich, Steele, Doggett, Wilks, Cibber,
Booth, and also Garrick, who began here his Shakespearian revivals.
Sheridan succeeded Garrick as part proprietor, and in 1788 John Kemble
became manager. The old theatre was demolished in 1791, and a new one
opened three years after. This was also burned down in 1809, and the
present theatre opened three years later. J. T. Smith takes the origin
of the theatre still further back, saying that even from the time of
Shakespeare there had been a theatre here, which had been a cockpit. The
site of the cockpit, however, is on the other side of Drury Lane, where
Pit Place now is.

North of the theatre was a disused burial-ground, later asphalted and
turned into a public playground. It was less than a quarter of an acre
in extent. It is now built over by workmen's dwellings of the usual
kind. It was an additional burial-ground to St. Mary's le Strand, and is
mentioned by Dickens in "Bleak House."

Crown Court recalls the Crown Tavern where _Punch_ was first projected.
The south end of Drury Lan