Fleet Street

The most famous Fleet Street of them all is undoubtedly the one in London - home of many of the nations daily papers. There the naming is very obvious; it comes from the old Englih word "fleot" meaning "a place where water flows; a creek, inlet, run of water". The Fleet originally described the run of water that flows into the Thames between Ludgate and Fleet Street - today it is a covered sewer.

In Plymouth there is another "fleot" at Plymstock where the old creeek of "Pomfleet" has become Pomphlett.

The Fleet Street at Keyham on the other hand is clearly a reference to a different kind of "fleot", for here we have to resort to another Old English definition of the word, and that is "ship", with "fleotan" meaning a fleet of ships. Such a s conclusion coming from the obvious topography of the stret and the names of its near neighbours - Admiralty, Navy, Ocean, Renown and Victory.

EH 9 December 1995