Burlington Arcade

Burlington Arcade is a high-class shopping arcade connecting Piccadilly with Burlington Gardens. It was the creation, in 1819, of Lord George Cavendish (1754–1834) of Burlington House (now the home of the Royal Academy). It is said that he conceived the innovative covered format out of a desire to prevent Regency rowdies from throwing oyster shells into his garden. Cavendish recruited beadles, frock-coated guards wearing gold braided top hats, from his family regiment the 10th Hussars to enforce a strict code of behaviour that included no whistling, singing, playing of musical instruments, running, carrying of large parcels or opening of umbrellas and no babies’ prams. Beadles still patrol the arcade today.