. “All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find it was vanity. But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes to make them possible.” – T.E. Lawrence
If you haven’t read my last blog please return there and go toward the end and you will find a bit on Southwark Cathedral—-read that and where that ends we’re going to take up here.
The road from London Bridge (the only way to cross the Thames for hundreds of years—-) and this road from that bridge was lined by many inns like the one we’re going to visit.
and some claim it dates back to Chaucer day, est. 14th c. In 1676 it was destroyed by the Great Fire of London–also called the Great Fire of Southwark 1212 but rebuilt within a year, the ungalleried external walls date from then. Until 1844, when London Bridge Railway Station opened, the George was the main stagecoach inn in Southwark
It is open during regular pub hours. The building was rebuilt after the great fire as i mentioned before. Originally here would have been 3 wings around the courtyard where Plays were staged in the 17th c. In 1889 the north and east wings were demolished, making way for the railway–so only one remains today.
Owned by the National Trust, but still operated as a pub and restaurant by a private company that rents the building—It also holds occasional plays,
If you’re hungry I have visited the inn and eaten here on other trips to London and would recommend a break for a meal or a pint here.
But now we move on—heading northwest on Talbot Yard toward Borough High St/A3
There was a Roman Settlement (some call Southwark one of London’s earliest suburbs) in this area. In Medieval times it was famous for its inns, handy for travelers who arrived after the City Gates were closed.
The City of London didn’t actually take possession—even though it was granted by Edward VI in 1550 But that didn’t include the large estate of the
Liberty of the Clink—-and interestingly under the control of the Bishop who allowed it to operate as a Red Light district with prostitutes (Winchester Geese) who operated “Stews” (what we call brothels) . In fact these woman and others of ill repute actually were even licensed by the Bishop. In later years (under successive bishops) theaters (with first just male actors playing all parts and both sexes and eventually prostitutes—i.e. Nell Gwyn mistress of Charles II going into the women’s parts. In additional to these there were Beer Gardens—-and the people who kept these did so freely under the bishops—however non Catholic heretics usually found themselves in the Clink Prison.
Be sure to turn onto Borough HIgh Street which is still A3 and only about 0.2 miles from where we left the inn.
This area was used to hide in during the beginning of the English Civil War, but as things progressed the Liberty of the Clink was ignored by Press Gangs desperate for recruits.
Turn right onto Little Dorrit Ct, in 217 feet
Though this was a land belonging to the Church much of the people who resided here and claimed sanctuary were evil persons and the area converted to please them with Bankside becoming known for its bear baiting, prostitution, gambling and the evilest of all the theater (ha ha). The area of sanctuary ended in 1697—but it is said that it is still an issue in this area with speeches and debates taking place in today’s time.
By the way the Cathedral had a different name before the reformation: The Church of the Priory of St. Mary Overie–Over the River–there is another in the area: St. Saviour’s Bermondsey—both existing within the borders of the present borough.
Named after a Dickens’ character, it is a public playground ans small park North of Marshalsaea Road .
It was once called Falcon Court, and was described as “a horrible rookery of tumbled-down, dirty hovels. The park began as a small public space in 1902–Called Little Dorrit’s Playground and opening on the north side of the present Road.
when his father was in the Marshalsea debtor’s prison nearby in 1824. The setting for Little Dorrit was based on a lot of the area around the prison and his lodgings. Little Dorrit was baptized and married at a local church,
at the Southeast end of this road and close to the playground.
The history of Borough Market goes back over a thousand years and it is London’s best known and most popular food market. It was in former days located on High Street where it was surrounded by numerous taverns, brothels and other houses of ill-repute. One can only speculate what chaos was found in this market in these former days. But finally this chaos brought reactions and in 1756 it was shutdown by the authorities and a stipulation that the market be eventually reopened—but away from the high street where it had been located for years. A site was found and the market as we will visit it today was reopened on March 25, 1756, the same year it had been closed.
Turn left onto Borough High Street/A3
While the change in location changed the market from its chaotic origins it did not prevent it’s growth and it becoming by the 19th c the city’s most important fruit and vegetable wholesaler., which was helped by the area experiencing rapid industrial growth and the coming of the railroad.
While today’s market is not crazy as the original market it grew to what most described as the city’s most important fruit and veggie wholesaler in the 19th c. This was enforced by new buildings of iron and steel to house the expanding market and into the 20th century when the market remained primarily a wholesale market—-but by the latter part of the 20th it began to decline contributed to by the rise of the rise of the supermarket. It has more recently re-invented itself with a series of highly successful gourmet events in the 1990’s hosted in the halls now deserted by the fruit and veggie people. It has become a must stop now for any good tour of London.
I have been there several times with traveling companions —- but check it out —-I have listed some tours in this area so look at what there is to see on the walking tour I wrote up for us and then check out on line and check out the tours—-I can’t say what it’s like now–haven’t been there since before the Pandemic. You gotta be sure before you go….checking with the US Embassy in London can be helpful as well.
