Looking at an aerial photo of the West End, it is clear that the (approx)
east-west roads north of Oxford Street are exactly parallel to the similar
roads south of Oxford Street, but Oxford Street itself is at a bit of an
angle. Does anyone know how or why this happened? The only thing I can
imagine is that the whole area was built as a single estate, and that Oxford
Street was due to be abolished and replaced with new roads on the new plan,
but for some reason Oxford Street survived.

In article ,
"John Rowland" wrote:

Looking at an aerial photo of the West End, it is clear that the (approx)
east-west roads north of Oxford Street are exactly parallel to the similar
roads south of Oxford Street, but Oxford Street itself is at a bit of an
angle. Does anyone know how or why this happened? The only thing I can
imagine is that the whole area was built as a single estate, and that Oxford
Street was due to be abolished and replaced with new roads on the new plan,
but for some reason Oxford Street survived.

Oxford Street is a Roman Road which is in the same position as it has
always been.

The street pattern south of Oxford Street is partly dictated by ancient
parish boundaries.

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In message , John Rowland
writes

Looking at an aerial photo of the West End, it is clear that the (approx)
east-west roads north of Oxford Street are exactly parallel to the similar
roads south of Oxford Street, but Oxford Street itself is at a bit of an
angle. Does anyone know how or why this happened?

I imagine it was partly due to the shapes of the parcels of land that
became available for development from the 1720s onward. The area grew up
as a series of estates, each consisting of a square surrounded by a grid
of streets.

The first was the 13 acres centred on Hanover Square. Others then tended
to follow the alignment of the roads leading from that square - most
notably Brook Street and (running parallel to it, north of Oxford
Street) Wigmore Street.

This leaves Oxford Street running obliquely through the area, but I
don't think there was ever any intention of re-aligning it, not least
since there was very little co-ordinated road planning in the 18th
century (the "New Road" - Euston Road - being a notable exception).

--
Paul Terry

Paul Terry wrote:

The first was the 13 acres centred on Hanover Square. Others then
tended to follow the alignment of the roads leading from that square
- most notably Brook Street and (running parallel to it, north of
Oxford Street) Wigmore Street.

This leaves Oxford Street running obliquely through the area, but I
don't think there was ever any intention of re-aligning it, not least
since there was very little co-ordinated road planning in the 18th
century (the "New Road" - Euston Road - being a notable exception).

Thanks to both repliers. That still doesn't explain why Hanover Square was
built nearly aligned with Oxford Street, but not quite.

In message , John Rowland
writes

Thanks to both repliers. That still doesn't explain why Hanover Square was
built nearly aligned with Oxford Street, but not quite.

I think the Hanover Square development simply followed the alignment of
existing roads in the area, which mostly met or crossed (what is now)
Oxford Street slightly obliquely. In the following snippet from a 1705
map, R is Golden Square and the roads running NW of it are King Street
(now Kingly Street) and Swallow Street (demolished a century later to
make way for Regent Street):

http://www.motco.com/map/002/imagetw...ROSPECT+AND+MA
P+OF+LONDON+%28c%2E+1705%29

Both show the oblique alignment, also seen in many other developments
that lead off Oxford Street (Soho Square is another example). I guess
the main reason is that originally these were all lanes that projected
in the direction of the Strand and the City. Had roads in the Hanover
Square are run due south they would have missed London completely or
ended up on the far western fringe in the days when the built-up area
ended at St James' Palace.

The map in the above (long!) URL also clearly shows the 13-acre parcel
of land that was to become the Hanover Square development within just a
few years - it is the area containing the word "House" of "The Receipt
House". Below it, the rather odd alignment of what was to become Conduit
Street is also clearly visible - leading to the Pump House.

--
Paul Terry