This area holds the heart of Britain’s legal institution, the Royal Courts of Justice, which tower majestically along Aldwych. Behind this outstanding piece of Gothic Revival architecture also lies much of London School of Economics’ student campus around Portugal Street. As a result, you can’t help but sense that this is place where some of the country’s brightest minds are buzzing away. Considering the area’s location – sat on Strand, you arguably couldn’t get more central – this buzz reflects the activity and energy around locale.

The history of Aldwych goes all the way back to the Saxon times, where its name derives from. Aldwych means old village or farm, and this reflects what the land was originally used for. Up until the late 1800s, it was home to a slum – allegedly around 450 houses that housed over 4000 people. Yet, after it was decided that London’s courts should be centralised, and that Aldwych should be chosen as their new location, the local families were pushed out and replaced by the beautiful building designed George Street. The Royal Courts of Justice were completed in 1882 and opened by Queen Victoria. A few decades later in 1895, members of the Fabian society including Sidney Webb and George Bernard Shaw established the London School of Economics next door.

Whilst there isn’t anyone particularly notable who lived in the neighbourhood, a lot of famous faces have walked through the halls of the Royal Courts of Justice. For example, celebrity royalty Peter Andre and Katie Price graced its floors for a suit that Andre brought against Price for libel back in 2011. The Spice Girls also rocked up to the courts in 2002, after facing a lawsuit of £1million by a scooter company because Baby quit the band.

The Old Curiosity Shop, which can be found tucked away on Portsmouth Street, is the namesake of Dicken’s much-loved novel. Built in 1567, it’s believed to be London’s oldest surviving shop and now sells shoes by Japanese designer Daita Kimura.

LSE has 11 billionaire undergraduate alumni and has educated the most billionaires of any other European institution.

The current obstacles this area faces are related to excessive congestion and air and noise pollution due to commonly-heavy traffic down Kingsway and Strand. In addition, the high levels of footfall along these large roads, by tourists and workers alike, makes them difficult to navigate during peak times. However, away from these key arteries of London, the streets are far more peaceful. A local student says that having a pint after a lecture at student pub George IV is one of the things he looks forward to everyday.

The London School of Economics has some significant developments coming up in the next few years. The construction of the Centre Building, completed in 2019 to the tune of £120 million, adds a new 13-storey building to the local skyline. The building was was the first on the LSE campus to achieve a BREAAM ‘outstanding’ rating (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) and was named one of the UK’s best new buildings by RIBA. This bad boy will also be complemented by the development of the renovated Marshall Building on Lincoln’s Inn Fields.