Ganton Street is a street in central London that runs between Marshall Street and Kingly Street. It is crossed by Carnaby Street, and Newburgh Street joins it on its north side. The street is in a part-pedestrianised area dominated by independent clothing shops and restaurants, and on upper floors, offices, particularly media companies. Immediately to the east of Regent Street, Ganton Street is variously described as being in the West End, Soho, and "Carnaby" areas.[1]
History
Ganton Street was formerly Cross Court and South Row.[2]
Property company and major London landlord Shaftesbury plc has acquired significant holdings in the Carnaby Street area and their registered office is at 22 Ganton Street.[1][7]
Designer James Wedge had premises at 4 Ganton Street in about 1962.[8] When Wedge moved out, designers Marion Foale and Sally Tuffin took over the building. Foale described the atmosphere at the time, before Carnaby Street began to swing, as follows: "People lived there, there was a dairy, a tobacconist, a newsagent – there was this little courtyard and everything … a proper village, though very run down."[9]
An outsize plug and socket has been a feature of the façade of the electrical substation on the corner of Ganton Street and Marshall Street since 2001. Plug and Socket was installed by James Glancy Design as a piece of urban art to enliven an otherwise dull building. It has had a number of different designs over the years and the whole item, including the cable, lights up at night.[16][17]
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ganton Street.
^"Marshall Street Area", Survey of London, Volumes 31 and 32: St James Westminster, Part 2., 1963, pp. 196–208. british-history.ac.uk Retrieved 18 July 2014.