Place Name
The Britannia tavern, after which the street is named, was first mentioned in 1826, 30 years later it was recorded has having moved to 4 Caroline Place, City Road; by the start of the First World War it had gone and another pub had opened on the other side of the road. Britannia is a common one in English pub names, as a symbol of Britain and nationhood. Sheila Fairfield in The Streets of London said: “A female figure with a Roman name became popular as a symbol of Britain in the 17thCentury. Poets of the classical school preferred Britannia to Britain. The figure, complete with antique helmet, shield and trident (as ruling the sea), first appeared on coins in the reign of Charles II.” Previously Britannia Street.
