Beak Street

The section between Regent and Warwick streets were once part of an ancient city highway that ran from Piccadilly to Oxford Circus.

[1] The street is named after Thomas Beake, later one of the Queen's messengers, who, in the late 17th century, obtained the land on the north side, between Regent and Kingly streets.

[1] The remaining section was known as Silver Street until 1883, and was part of Gelding Close until Bridle Lane, where, as Silver Street, it was part of the 'Pulteney estate'.

[1] The painter Antonio Canaletto lived at number 41 between 1749 and 1752.

[2] Artist's model Betty May, and her husband Raoul Loveday who died at Aleister's Crowley Abbey of Thelema in 1923, lived in Beak Street for a time in 1922 before they went to Sicily.