Cockpit (Whitehall Palace)

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Description

Constructed in 1529 as a tennis court, a bowling alley, and a tiltyard, and also for cock fighting, it was redesigned in 1629 by Inigo Jones for Charles I as a private theatre. Charles II updated it in 1662. Samuel Pepys attended several plays here.

The location shown on the map is approximate, based on this 1680 map and p.478 of the Latham & Matthews Companion.

Last updated by Phil Gyford on 24 April 2012

Annotations

• - Paul Miller on Mon 3 Feb 2003, 03:06am. Flag this

  Cockpit, against the Privy Garden, W. It is a part of the Royal Palace of Whitehall, standing in a Street situated betwixt two Gateways; the one fronting Charingcross, and the other Westminster Abby. Here the Principle Secretaries of State generally keep their Offices.
  W. Stow 1722

• - Susanna on Mon 3 Feb 2003, 05:13am. Flag this

  1746 Map

  The 1746 map of London includes the Cockpit at Whitehall:

  http://www.motco.com/Map/81002/SeriesSearchPlatesFulla.asp?mode=query&artist=384&other=361&x=11&y=11

• - Terry Foreman on Tue 10 Mar 2009, 11:03pm. Flag this

  The Royal Cockpit

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockpit-in-Court

• - Geoff on Thu 2 Jul 2009, 06:42pm. Flag this

  The Cockpit is the octagonal building, near the bottom right corner of this 1658 map.
  http://www.oldlondonmaps.com/newcourtpages/newcourt18.html

References in the diary

1660

Jan: 23
Feb: 20
Jun: 20
Aug: 18
Nov: 20

1661

Feb: 25
Apr: 20

1662

Oct: 2
Nov: 17
Dec: 1

1663

Jan: 5
Nov: 9

1665

Apr: 24
Jun: 8
Nov: 5, 6
Dec: 13

1666

Jan: 6
Mar: 9, 28
Apr: 22
Sep: 8