or '''Southwark''' is an area of the
London Borough Of Southwark situated 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east south-east of
Charing Cross in London, England. From 1550 to 1899 it formed part of the
City Of London as the '''Ward of Bridge Without'''.
The Borough is also known as (
Pronounced or, locally, ) and is the area of
London immediately south of
London Bridge .
It has been called since the
1550s , to contrast it with the neighbouring
City , in later years to distinguish it from the larger
Metropolitan Borough Of Southwark and now to distinguish it from the much larger
London Borough Of Southwark .
Much of the area around the
Tate Modern gallery and the
Globe Theatre is now referred to by the historic name of
Bankside .
In common with much of the
South Bank , The Borough has seen extensive regeneration in the last decade. Declining light industry and factories have given way to residential development, shops, restaurants, galleries and bars. The area is in easy walking distance of the
City and the
West End .
To the north is the
River Thames ,
London Bridge Station and
Southwark Cathedral .
Borough Market is a well-developed visitor attraction and has grown in size. The adjacent units have been converted and form a gastonomic focus for London.
Borough High Street runs roughly north to south from
London Bridge to almost as far as
Elephant And Castle .
The Borough is generally an area of mixed development, with council estates, office developments, social housing and
Gated Communities side by side with each other.
Southwark is on a previously marshy area south of the
River Thames . Recent excavation has revealed prehistoric activity including evidence of early ploughing,
Burial Mounds and ritual activity. The area was originally a series of islands in the
River Thames . This formed the best place to bridge the Thames and the area became an important part of
Londinium owing its importance to its position as the endpoint of the Roman
London Bridge . Two
Roman Road s,
Stane Street and
Watling Street , met at Southwark in what is now
Borough High Street .
At some point the Bridge fell or was pulled down. Southwark and the city seem to have become largely deserted during the
Early Middle Ages . Archaeologically, evidence of settlement is replaced by a largely featureless soil called the
Dark Earth which probably (although this is contested) represents an urban area abandoned.
Southwark appears to recover only during the time of King
Alfred and his successors. Sometime in and around
886 AD the Bridge was rebuilt and the City and Southwark restored. Southwark was called 'Suthringa Geweorc' which means the 'defensive works of the men of
Surrey '. It was probably fortified to defend the bridge and hence the re-emerging
City Of London to the north. This defensive role is highlighted by the use of the Bridge as a defense against King
Swein , his son King
Cnut in 1016 by King Aethelred 'the Unready' and in
1066 , against King
William The Conqueror . He failed to force the Bridge during the
Norman conquest of England, but Southwark was devastated.
Much of Southwark was originally owned by the church - the greatest reminder of monastic London is
Southwark Cathedral , originally the priory of St Mary Overy.
During the early
Middle Ages , Southwark developed and was one of the four Surrey towns which returned Members of Parliament for the first commons assembly in 1295. Southwark remained outside of the control of the City and was a haven for criminals and free traders, who would sell goods and conduct trades outside the regulation of the City
Livery Companies . In 1327 the City obtained control from Edward III, of the manor next to the south-side of London Bridge (called latterly 'Guildable Manor', ie the place of taxes and tolls). The Livery Companies also ensured that they had jurisdiction over the area. An important market occupied the High Street, which was controlled by the City's officers -(later removed, to improve traffic to the Bridge, under a separate Trust by Act of Parliament of 1756 as the
Borough Market on the present site). The high street market was established there some time in the
13th Century . The area was renowned for its inns, especially
The Tabard , from which
Chaucer 's pilgrims set off on their journey in ''
The Canterbury Tales ''.
After many decades' petitioning, in
1550 , Southwark was incorporated into the City of London as 'The Ward of Bridge Without'. However, the Alderman was appointed by the Court of Aldermen and no Common Councilmen were ever elected. This 'Ward' was constituted of the original 'Guildable Manor' and the properties previously held by the church, under a charter of Edward VI, latterly called the 'King's Manor' and 'Great Liberty' manor. These manors are still constituted by the City under a Bailiff and Steward with their Courts Leet and View of Frankpledge Juries and Officers which still meet - their annual assembly being held in November under the present High Steward (the Recorder of London). The Ward and Aldermanry were effectively abolished in 1978, by merging it with the Ward of Bridge. Just west of the Bridge was the 'Clink Liberty' manor, which was never controlled by the City, technically held under the Bishopric of Winchester's nominal authority. This area therefore became the entertainment district for London, and it was also the
Red-light Area . In
1599 ,
William Shakespeare 's
Globe Theatre was built on the
Bankside in Southwark, though it burned down in
1613 . A modern replica, also called the Globe, has been built near the original site. Southwark was also a favorite area for entertainment like
Bull and
Bear-baiting . The impressario in the later Elizabethan period for these was Shakespeare's colleague Edward Alleyn, who left many local charitable endowments, most notably Dulwich College. There was also a famous fair in Southwark which took place near the Church of
St. George the Martyr.
William Hogarth depicted this fair in his engraving of ''Southwark Fair'' (
1733 ).
One other local family is of note - the Harvards. John Harvard went to the local parish free school of St Saviour's and on to Cambridge. He migrated to the Massachussetts Colony and left his library and residue of his Will to the new college, named after him as its first benefactor. The University of Harvard maintains a link, having paid for a memorial chapel within Southwark Cathedral (his family's parish church)and where their UK based alumni hold services.
In 1838 the first
Railway for the London area was created, planned to run from Southwark at
London Bridge Station to Greenwich only.
In 1861 the Great Fire of Southwark destroyed a large number of buildings between Tooley Street and the Thames, including those around Hays Wharf, where Hays Galleria was later built, and blocks to the west almost as far as St Olave's Church.
The first deep level London 'tube' underground line was 'The City and Southwark Railway', now the City Branch of the Northern Line, opened in 1890, running from King William Street through borough to Kennington.
In 1899 Southwark was incorporated along with
Newington and
Walworth into the
Metropolitan Borough Of Southwark , and in
1965 this was incorporated with the
Metropolitan Borough Of Camberwell and
Metropolitan Borough Of Bermondsey into the
London Borough Of Southwark .
