Editing Strand, London (section)

{{short description|Major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster, London, England}}
{{for|the former Strand local government district of London|Strand District (Metropolis)}}
{{redirect|Strand (street)|the street in Cape Town, South Africa|Strand Street}}
{{good article}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox street |
 |name          = Strand <!--City of Westminster do not use the definite article – see lengthy discussion on talk page|--->
 |map_type      = United Kingdom London Westminster
 |map_caption   = Location in Central London
 |maint         = [[Transport for London]]
 |postal_code   = {{postcode|WC|2}}
 |part_of       = [[A4 road (England)|A4]]
 |coordinates   = {{coord|51.5114|-0.1190|type:landmark_region:GB-ENG|display=inline,title}}
 |length_mi     = 0.8
 |length_ref    = <ref name=gmap/>
 | metro_system = Tube
 | metro        = {{unbulleted list|[[Charing Cross tube station|Charing Cross]]|[[Temple tube station|Temple]]}}
 |image         = Strand, London WC2 - geograph.org.uk - 752450.jpg
 |caption       = Strand at [[Charing Cross]] in April 2008, looking towards [[Trafalgar Square]] and [[Admiralty Arch]]
}}

The '''Strand''' (commonly referred to with a leading "The", but formally without{{efn|The official documentation from [[Westminster City Council]] calls the road simply "Strand", as do the street name signs. ({{cite web |title=Strand Detail |url=https://www.westminster.gov.uk/sites/default/files/uploads/workspace/assets/publications/Stranddetail-1333121821.pdf |url-status=dead |publisher=[[Westminster City Council]] |access-date=28 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113140419/https://www.westminster.gov.uk/sites/default/files/uploads/workspace/assets/publications/Stranddetail-1333121821.pdf |archive-date=13 January 2016}}) But in colloquial speech it is normally "the Strand", especially after prepositions such as "to", "on", or "from".}}) is a major street in the [[City of Westminster]], [[Central London]]. The street, which is part of London's [[West End Theatre|West End theatreland]], runs just over {{convert|3/4|mi|km}} from [[Trafalgar Square]] eastwards to [[Temple Bar, London|Temple Bar]], where it becomes [[Fleet Street]] in the [[City of London]], and is part of the [[A4 road (England)|A4]], a main road running west from central London.

The road's name comes from the [[Old English]] ''strond'', meaning the beach or edge of a river, as it historically ran alongside the north bank of the [[River Thames]]. The river side of the street was home to grand houses, interspersed with slum alleys, between the 12th and 17th centuries. Mansions of historical importance built between the Strand and the river included [[Essex House (London)|Essex House]], [[Arundel House]], [[Somerset House#Old Somerset House|Old Somerset House]], [[Savoy Palace]], [[Durham House (London)|Durham House]], [[York House, Strand|York House]] and [[Cecil House]], none of which survive. The aristocracy moved to the [[West End, London|West End]] during the 17th century, and the Strand became known for its coffee shops, restaurants and taverns. The street was a centre point for theatre and [[music hall]] during the 19th century, and several venues have survived to the current day. 

At the east end of the street are two [[English Baroque]] churches: [[St Mary le Strand]] by [[James Gibbs]] and [[St Clement Danes]] by [[Christopher Wren]]. This easternmost stretch of the Strand is also home to [[King's College London|King's College]], one of the two founding colleges of the [[University of London]]. Other notable structures include the [[Royal Courts of Justice]] and [[Australia House]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/history |title=History |date=24 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.strandlines.education/about/ |title=About |date=5 July 2015 |access-date=3 December 2017|archive-date=3 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171203224642/https://www.strandlines.education/about/ |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kingscollections.org/exhibitions/archives/wellington/kings/founding|title=King's Collections : Online Exhibitions : The Founding of the College |website=www.kingscollections.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=History of the Strand campus – King's Alumni Community |url=https://alumni.kcl.ac.uk/news-features/history-of-strand-campus |website=alumni.kcl.ac.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=King's College London is ripping down London's history – Apollo Magazine |url=https://www.apollo-magazine.com/kings-college-london-is-ripping-down-londons-history/ |date=24 April 2015}}</ref>

Several authors, poets and philosophers have lived on or near the Strand, including [[Charles Dickens]], [[Ralph Waldo Emerson]] and [[Virginia Woolf]].