Meanings
- historicalA former street in central London, famed for selling pornography in Victorian times.
There are plenty of filthy books sold outside of Holywell-street, differing from many Holywell-street books, too, as having indecent insides as well as covers.
1857, William Acton, Prostitution considered in its moral, social, and sanitary aspects3 more examples
To impute to those who do not care for the Holywell Street literature of any time "the Puritanic squeamishness of an extremely moral undetected Tartuffe, acting as Aristarchus," is to be too zealous for unrighteousness.
1877, The Academy and Literature, volume 12, page 82As regards a so-called critic who should decry such a book as Holywell Street literature, and the like, I should have merely to say of him that I could desire no stronger proof of his incapacity in, and his unfitness for, the post to which he has elected himself.
1891 November [1867 February 20], Charles Dickens, “Letters of Charles Dickens to Wilkie Collins”, in Harper's New Monthly Magazine, volume 83, number 498, →ISSN, page 902, column 2Mr. Long's solicitor was careful to explain that “The Yoke” “is not a Holywell Street book.” We can only say for it that we defy Holywell Street to produce anything so foul. Holywell Street is a much cleaner street than it would be if it sold “The Yoke” […]
1909, The Academy and Literature, volume 75, page 583
Origin
Named after one of the local holy wells, “the sweet and sacred waters of St Clements Church that still survives on the Strand today, and gave Holywell Street its nickname of the Backside of St Clements”.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Holywell Street. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Holywell%20Street
“Holywell Street.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Holywell%20Street. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Holywell Street,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Holywell%20Street.
Source: Holywell Street on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.