The two main focusses of development and activity in
medieval London were the walled
City of London, the capital's ancient core, and
Westminster to the west. The modern West End is very closely associated with Westminster, and largely contained within it. Lying to the west of the historic
Roman and medieval City of London, Westminster and neighbouring areas were long favoured by the rich elite as a place of residence, because it was close to the seat of royal power at the
Palace of Westminster (now home to
parliament) and usually upwind of the smoke drifting from the crowded City. In 1585, during the reign of
Elizabeth I, Westminster gained city status as the
City and Liberty of Westminster. The
City and Liberty of Westminster was an extensive area south of Oxford Street, which originated as a Roman Road. In 1965 the
City of Westminster was created, (one of the 32
London boroughs), and expanded to include not just Westminster (south of Oxford Street), but also
Marylebone and
Paddington to the north of it. The Cities of London and Westminster kept their own distinct character and separate legal identity (for example, the City of London has its own police force and is a distinct
county). The City of London became a centre for the banking, financial, legal and professional sectors, while Westminster became associated with the leisure, shopping, commerce, and entertainment sectors, the government, and home to
universities, museums and
embassies. Elizabeth 1 and
James I tried hard to limit the growth of London, but James was short of funds and in 1609 granted the Earl of Salisbury permission to develop his land around St Martin's Lane, in exchange for contribution to the exchequer. In 1630, his son
Charles I was also short of money and granted the Earl of Bedford permission to develop the site of a former female monastery at
Covent Garden in Westminster. Charles sought to balance the interests of the developer with the community. In exchange for permission to develop the land, Bedford was required to pave and maintain nearby
Long Acre, and donate £2000 to the exchequer. The permission came with the condition that the development included a square and church and be designed by
Inigo Jones. In 1638 the builder William Newton bought land west of Lincoln's Inn with the intention, much to dismay of local people angry at the loss their open spaces for Newton's private gain. King Charles allowed development on condition that a portion of the fields be retained to "frustrate the covetous and greedy endeavours of such persons as persons as daily seek to fill that small remainder of air in those parts with unnecessary and unprofitable buildings". The selection of Inigo Jones also assured a high quality development. The
Great Fire of London did not directly affect the West End a great deal, but the huge loss of housing in the City of London led to a building boom in the west. This began with an initial development by
Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of St Albans in the 1660s. Then, during the late 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, it was built as a series of palaces, expensive town houses, fashionable shops and places of entertainment. The areas closest to the City around
Holborn,
Seven Dials, and
Covent Garden contained poorer communities that were cleared and redeveloped in the 19th century. ==Boundaries==