Pall Mall (London)

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Pall Mall (/pæl mæl/) is a street in the City of Westminster, London, situated in SW1 and parallel to The Mall, from St. James's Street across Waterloo Place to the Haymarket; while Pall Mall East continues into Trafalgar Square. The street is a major thoroughfare in the St James's area of London, and a section of the regional A4 road.

Pall Mall is best known for being the home to various gentlemen's clubs built in the 19th century and early 20th centuries. These include the Athenaeum, Travellers Club, Reform Club, United Services Club, Oxford and Cambridge Club and Royal Automobile Club. It was also once the centre of the fine art scene in London; in 1814 the Royal Academy, the National Gallery and Christie's auction house were all here, but none of them stayed for long.

The freehold of nearly all of the southern side of the Pall Mall has belonged to the crown for several hundred years, and is still owned by the Crown Estate. St. James's Palace is on the south side of the street at the western end. Marlborough House, which was once a royal residence, is next to it to the east, opening off of a courtyard just to the south of the street. The Prince Regent's Carlton House once stood at the eastern end of the street. Pall Mall was also once the home of the War Office, with which it became synonymous (just as Whitehall refers to the administrative centre of the UK government). The War Office was based in a complex of buildings based on the ducal mansion of Cumberland House which was designed by Matthew Brettingham and Robert Adam.

There were at least two other architecturally important ducal residences in the street, Schomberg House, and Buckingham House, the London residence of the Dukes of Buckingham and Chandos which was rebuilt for them by Sir John Soane (not to be confused with the Buckingham House which became Buckingham Palace).

Trivia

The name of the street is derived from "Pall mall", a mallet-and-ball game that was played there during the 17th century.
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The first public street lighting with gas was installed on the Pall Mall in January of 1807.