The street is named after the priest and philanthropist James Palmer whose almshouses stood on the east side from 1654 to 1881.

[9] At number 21 is the cylindrical Asticus Building (2006),[10][11] built on a site considered so difficult that it had remained undeveloped for 25 years,[12] with Tim Morgan's steel and glass sculpture Cypher (2004) outside, one of three of that work.

[14] On the west side at the north end on the corner with Petty France is the Adam & Eve public house under the management of Greene King.

[18] Known as station UKC-1000, it was particularly responsible for the interception of communications such as radio transmissions and telexes from London's embassies.

[21]The Dictionary was a computer program designed to recognise key words of intelligence interest.

[16][17] A Starbucks coffee outlet is between the former GCHQ offices and Alliance House, an eight-storey office block at number 12, on the corner with Caxton Street, opened in November 1938, with the demolition of the Westminster Hospital Medical School building, site clearance and construction, all being completed in under 12 months.