Length | 0.2 mi (0.32 km) |
---|---|
Location | London, United Kingdom |
Postal code | EC3 |
Nearest Tube station | Monument |
East end | Great Tower Street |
West end | King William Street |
Eastcheap is a street in central London that is a western continuation of Great Tower Street towards Monument junction. Its name derives from cheap, the Old English word for market, with the prefix 'East' distinguishing it from Westcheap, another former market street that today is called Cheapside.
In medieval times, Eastcheap was the main meat market in the City of London, with butchers' stalls lining both sides of the street. It is also notable as the former location of Falstaff's Boar's Head Inn, featured in William Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2.