| Southwark | |
|---|---|
 Southwark Cathedral, also called St Saviour's, for centuries known as St Mary's Overy, or Overie (short for "over-the-river") | |
  Southwark Location withinGreater London | |
| OS grid reference | TQ325795 |
| • Charing Cross | 1.5 mi (2.4 km) W |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | SE1 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| UK Parliament | |
| London Assembly | |
| 51°29′56″N0°05′24″W / 51.4988°N 0.0901°W /51.4988; -0.0901 | |
Southwark (/ˈsʌðək/ ⓘSUDH-ək) is adistrict ofCentralLondon situated on the south bank of theRiver Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modernLondon Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part ofSouth London, developed due to its position at the southern end of the early versions ofLondon Bridge, for centuries the only dry crossing on the river. Around 43 AD, engineers of theRoman Empire found the geographic features of the south bank here suitable for the placement and construction of the first bridge.[1]
London's historic core, theCity of London, lay north of the bridge and for centuries the area of Southwark just south of the bridge was partially governed by the City, while other areas of the district were more loosely governed. The section known asLiberty of the Clink became a place of entertainment. By the 12th century Southwark had been incorporated as anancient borough, and this historic status is reflected in the alternative name of the area, asBorough. The ancient borough of Southwark's river frontage extended from the modern borough boundary, just to the west of theOxo Tower, toSt Saviour's Dock (originally the mouth of theRiver Neckinger) in the east. In the 16th century, parts of Southwark near London Bridge became a formalCity ward,Bridge Without.
The urban area expanded over the years and Southwark was completely separated administratively from the now small City in 1900, although some remnants of City administration remain in theGuildable Manor. Like other parts ofLondon, it now falls under theMayor of London andLondon Assembly in addition to its Burough authority. Local points of interest includeSouthwark Cathedral,Borough Market,Shakespeare's Globe theatre,The Shard,Tower Bridge,Butler's Wharf and theTate Modern museum.
The nameSuthriganaweorc[2] orSuthringa geweorche[3] is recorded for the area in the 10th-centuryAnglo-Saxon document known as theBurghal Hidage[3] and means "fort of the men ofSurrey"[2] or "thedefensive work of the men of Surrey".[3] Southwark is recorded in the 1086Domesday Book asSudweca. The name means "southern defensive work" and is formed from theOld Englishsūþ (south) andweorc (work). The southern location is in reference to theCity of London to the north, Southwark being at the southern end ofLondon Bridge. InOld English,Surrey means "southern district (or the men of the southern district)",[4] so the change from "southern district work" to the latter "southern work" may be an evolution based on the elision of the single syllablege element, meaning district.
Recent excavation has revealed pre-Roman activity including evidence of earlyploughing,burial mounds and ritual activity.[5]
The natural geography of Southwark (now much altered by human activity), was the principal determining factor for the location of London Bridge, and therefore London itself.
Until relatively recent times, the Thames in central London was much wider and shallower at high tide. The natural shoreline of the City Of London was a short distance further back than it is now, and the high tide shoreline on the Southwark side was much further back, except for the area around London Bridge.
Southwark was mostly made up of a series of often marshy tidal islands in the Thames, with some of the waterways between these island formed by branches of theRiver Neckinger, a tributary of the Thames. A narrow strip of higher firmer ground ran on a N-S alignment and, even at high tide, provided a much narrower stretch of water, enabling the Romans to bridge the river.
As the lowest bridging point of the Thames inRoman Britain, it determined the position ofLondinium; without London Bridge there is unlikely to have been a settlement of any importance in the area; previously the main crossing had been a ford nearVauxhall Bridge. Because of the bridge and the establishment of London, the Romans routed twoRoman roads into Southwark:Stane Street andWatling Street which met in what in what is nowBorough High Street.
For centuries London Bridge was the only Thames bridge in the area, until a bridge was built upstream more than 10 miles (16 km) to the west.[note 1]
In February 2022, archaeologists from theMuseum of London Archaeology (MOLA) announced the discovery of a well-preserved massive Romanmosaic which is believed to date from A.D. 175–225. The dining room (triclinium) mosaic was patterned with knot patterns known as theSolomon's knot and dark red and blue floral and geometric shapes known asguilloche.[6][7][8][9]
Archaeological work atTabard Street in 2004 discovered a plaque with the earliest reference to 'Londoners' from the Roman period on it.
Londinium was abandoned at the end of the Roman occupation in the early 5th century and both the city and its bridge collapsed in decay.[10] The settlement at Southwark, like the main settlement of London to the north of the bridge, had been more or less abandoned, a little earlier, by the end of the fourth century.[11]
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Southwark appears to recover only during the time of KingAlfred and his successors. Sometime about 886, theburh of Southwark was created and the Roman city area reoccupied.[12] It was probably fortified to defend the bridge and hence the reemergingCity of London to the north.
This defensive role is highlighted by the role of the bridge in the 1014-1016 war between KingEthelred the Unready and his allyOlaf II Haraldsson (later King of Norway, and afterwards known asSt Olaf, orSt Olave) on one side, andSweyn Forkbeard and his sonCnut (later King Cnut), on the other.
London submitted to Swein in 1014, but on Swein's death, Ethelred returned, with Olaf in support. Swein had fortified London and the bridge, but according toSnorri Sturleson's saga, Edgar and Olaf tied ropes from the bridge's supporting posts and pulled it into the river, together with the Danish army, allowing Ethelred to recapture London.[13] This may be the origin of the nursery rhyme "London Bridge Is Falling Down".[14]
There was a church,St Olave's Church, dedicated to St Olaf before the Norman Conquest and this survived until the 1920's.St Olaf House (part ofLondon Bridge Hospital), named after the church and its saint, stands on the spot.Tooley Street, being a corruption ofSt Olave's Street, also takes its name from the former church.[15]
Cnut returned in 1016, but capturing the city was a great challenge. To cut London off from upstream riverborne supplies, Cnut dug a trench around Southwark, so that he could sail or drag his ships around Southwark and get upstream in a way that allowed his boats to avoid the heavily defended London Bridge.[16] In so doing he hoped to cut London off from river borne resupply from upstream. The Dane's efforts to recapture London were in vain, until he defeated Ethelred at theBattle of Assandun in Essex later that year, and became King of England. It is thought that the section of the Kent Road, at Lock Bridge, wasCanute's Trench.[17] In May, 1016,[18] In 1173, a channel following a similar course was used to drain the Thames to allowing building work on London Bridge.[19]
Southwark and in particular the Bridge, proved a formidable obstacle againstWilliam the Conqueror in 1066. He failed to force the bridge during theNorman conquest of England, butSouthwark was devastated.[20]
At Domesday, the area's assets were: BishopOdo of Bayeux held themonastery[21] (the site of modernSouthwark Cathedral) and the tideway, which still exists as St Mary Overie dock; the King owned the church (probablySt Olave's) and its tidal stream (St Olave's Dock); the dues of the waterway or mooring place were shared between KingWilliam I and EarlGodwin; the King also had the toll of the strand; and "men of Southwark" had the right to "a haw and its toll". Southwark's value to the King was£16.[21] Much of Southwark was originally owned by the church – the greatest reminder of monastic London isSouthwark Cathedral, originally the priory of St Mary Overie.
During the earlyMiddle Ages,Southwark developed and was one of the four Surrey towns which returned Members ofParliament for the firstcommons assembly in 1295.[22] An important market occupied the High Street from some time in the 13th century, which was controlled by the city's officers—it was later removed in order to improve traffic to the Bridge, under a separate Trust by Act of Parliament of 1756 as theBorough Market on the present site. The area was renowned for its inns, especiallyThe Tabard, from whichGeoffrey Chaucer's pilgrims set off on their journey inThe Canterbury Tales.
The continuing defensive importance of London Bridge was demonstrated by its important role in thwartingJack Cade's Rebellion in 1450;[23] Cade's army tried to force its way across the bridge to enter the City, but was foiled in a battle which cost 200 lives.[24] The bridge was also closed during theSiege of London in 1471, helping to foil attempts by theBastard of Fauconberg to cross and capture the City.
Just west of the Bridge was theLiberty of the Clink manor, which was never controlled by the city, but was held under theBishopric of Winchester's nominal authority. This lack of oversight helped the area become the entertainment district for London, with a concentration of sometimes disreputable attractions such asbull andbear-baiting, taverns, theatre andbrothels.[25]
In the 1580s,Reasonable Blackman worked as a silk weaver in Southwark, as one of the first people of African heritage to work as independent business owners in London in that era.[26][27][28] In 1587, Southwark's first playhouse theatre,The Rose, opened. The Rose was set up byPhilip Henslowe, and soon became a popular place of entertainment for all classes of Londoners. BothChristopher Marlowe andWilliam Shakespeare, two of the finest writers of the Elizabethan age, worked at the Rose.
In 1599 theGlobe Theatre, in which Shakespeare was a shareholder, was erected on theBankside in the Liberty of the Clink. It burned down in 1613,[29] and was rebuilt in 1614, only to be closed by thePuritans in 1642 and subsequently pulled down not long thereafter. A modern replica, calledShakespeare's Globe, has been built near the original site. The impresario in the later Elizabethan period for these entertainments was Shakespeare's colleagueEdward Alleyn, who left many local charitable endowments, most notablyDulwich College.
During theSecond English Civil War, a force of Kentish Royalist Rebels approached London, hoping the lightly defended city might fall to them, or that the citizens would rise in their favour, however their hopes were quashed whenPhilip Skippon, in charge of the defence swiftly fortified the bridge making it all but impregnable to the modest Royalist force.
On 26 May 1676, ten years after theGreat Fire of London, a great fire broke out, which continued for 17 hours before houses were blown up to create fire breaks. KingCharles II and his brother,James,Duke of York, oversaw the effort.[30]
There was also a famous fair in Southwark which took place near the Church ofSt George the Martyr.William Hogarth depicted this fair in his engraving ofSouthwark Fair (1733).[31]
Southwark was also the location of severalprisons, including those of the Crown or Prerogative Courts, theMarshalsea andKing's Bench prisons, those of the local manors' courts, e.g.,Borough Compter,The Clink and the Surrey county gaol originally housed at the White Lion Inn (also informally called the Borough Gaol) and eventually atHorsemonger Lane Gaol.[32]
Another family of note was the Harvards.John Harvard attended the local parish free school of St Saviour's and later theUniversity of Cambridge. He subsequently migrated toMassachusetts Bay Colony, then one of theThirteen Colonies of British America, and left his library and a substantial donation in his will to new college inCambridge, Massachusetts, which was namedHarvard University in his honor. Harvard University alumni donated to the establishment of a memorial chapel in Southwark Cathedral, his family's parish church, in his honor, where UK-based Harvard alumni hold services. The childhood residence of John Harvard and that of his mother is located inStratford-upon-Avon.
In 1836, the first railway in the London area was created, theLondon and Greenwich Railway, originally terminating atSpa Road and later extended west toLondon Bridge.[33]
In 1861, another great fire in Southwark destroyed a large number of buildings between Tooley Street and the Thames, including those around Hays Wharf (later replaced byHays Galleria) and blocks to the west almost as far asSt Olave's Church.[34]
The first deep-level underground tube line in London was theCity and South London Railway, now the Bank branch of theNorthern line, opened in 1890, running fromKing William Street south throughBorough toStockwell. Southwark, since 1999, is also now served bySouthwark,Bermondsey and London Bridge stations on theJubilee line.
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Southwark is thought to have become a burh in 886. The area appears in theDomesday Book of 1086 within thehundred ofBrixton as held by severalSurreymanors.[21]
Theancient borough of Southwark, enfranchised in 1295, initially consisted of the pre-existingSurrey parishes ofSt George the Martyr,St Olave,St Margaret andSt Mary.[35]
St Margaret and St Mary were abolished in 1541 and their former area combined to createSouthwark St Saviour. Around 1555Southwark St Thomas was split off from St Olave, and in 1733Southwark St John Horsleydown was also split off.[35]
In 1855 the parishes came into the area of responsibility of theMetropolitan Board of Works. The large St George the Martyr parish was governed by its own administrative vestry, but the smaller St John Horsleydown, St Olave and St Thomas parishes were grouped together to form theSt Olave District. St Saviour was combined withSouthwark Christchurch (the former liberty of Paris Garden) to form theSt Saviour's District. In 1889 the area became part of the newCounty of London.[35] St Olave and St Thomas were combined as a single parish in 1896.
The ancient borough of Southwark was traditionally known simply asThe Borough – orBorough – to distinguish it from 'The City', and this name has persisted as an alternative name for the area. The medieval heart of Southwark was also, simultaneously, referred to as theward ofBridge Without when administered by the city (from 1550 to 1900) and as analdermanry until 1978.[2]
The local government arrangements were reorganised in 1900 with the creation of theMetropolitan Borough of Southwark. It comprised the parishes of Southwark Christchurch, Southwark St Saviours, Southwark St George the Martyr andNewington. The Metropolitan Borough of Southwark was based at the former Newington Vestry Hall, now known asWalworth Town Hall.[36] The eastern parishes that had formed the St Olave District instead became part of theMetropolitan Borough of Bermondsey. In 1965 the two boroughs were combined with theMetropolitan Borough of Camberwell to form the currentLondon Borough of Southwark.[35]
A newDiocese of Southwark was established in 1905 from parts of theDiocese of Rochester; the diocese serves large parts of south London and Surrey.[37]
Southwark was outside of the control of the City of London and was a haven for criminals and free traders, who would sell goods and conduct trades outside the regulation of the city'sLivery Companies. In 1327 the City obtained control from KingEdward III of the manor next to the south side of London Bridge known as the Town of Southwark (called latterly theGuildable Manor—i.e., the place of taxes and tolls). The Livery Companies also ensured that they had jurisdiction over the area.
From the Norman period manorial organisation obtained through major lay and ecclesiastic magnates. Southwark still has vestiges of this because of the connection with the City of London. In 1327 the city acquired from Edward III the originalvill of Southwark and this was also described as "the borough". In 1536Henry VIII acquired theBermondsey Priory properties and in 1538 that of the Archbishop. In 1550 these were sold to the city.
After many decades of petitioning, in 1550 Southwark was incorporated into the City of London as the ward ofBridge Without. However, the Alderman was appointed by theCourt of Aldermen and no Common Councilmen were ever elected. This ward was constituted of the originalGuildable Manor and the properties previously held by the church, under a charter ofEdward VI, latterly called the King's Manor or Great Liberty. These manors are still constituted by the City under a Bailiff and Steward with their Courts Leet andView of Frankpledge Juries and Officers which still meet—their annual assembly being held in November under the present High Steward (theRecorder of London). The Ward and Aldermanry were effectively abolished in 1978, by merging it with the Ward of Bridge Within. These manorial courts were preserved under the Administration of Justice Act 1977. Therefore, between 1750 and 1978 Southwark had two persons (the Alderman and the Recorder) who were members of the city's Court of Aldermen and Common Council who were elected neither by the City freemen or by the Southwark electorate but appointed by the Court of Aldermen.
The Borough and Bankside Community Council corresponds to the Southwark electoral wards of Cathedrals and Chaucer.[38] They are part of theBermondsey and Old Southwark Parliament constituency whose Member of Parliament isNeil Coyle. It is within theLambeth and Southwark London Assembly constituency. Until 2022 Southwark was the location ofCity Hall, the administrative headquarters of theGreater London Authority and the meeting place of theLondon Assembly andMayor of London. Since 2009,Southwark London Borough Council has its main offices at160 Tooley Street, having moved administrative staff from theCamberwell Town Hall.[39]
In common with much of thesouth bank of the Thames, the Borough has seen extensive regeneration in the last decade. Declining wharfage trade, light industry and factories have given way to residential development, shops, restaurants, galleries, and bars. Most notably, major office developments have arisen alongLondon Bridge City andMore London betweenTooley Street and the riverside, housing international headquarters of accountancy, legal and other professional services consultancies. More London, in particular, features London's formerCity Hall building. The area is in easy walking distance of theCity and theWest End, which has helped its growth as a major business centre. London's tallestskyscraper,the Shard, is next toLondon Bridge Station.
To the north is theRiver Thames andLondon Bridge station.Southwark Cathedral, a priory then parish church, was made a cathedral in 1905, and is noted for itsMerbecke Choir.Borough Market is a well-developed visitor attraction and has grown in size. The adjacent units have been converted and form a gastronomic focus for London.Borough High Street runs roughly north to south fromLondon Bridge towardsElephant and Castle. The Borough runs further to the south than often realised; bothSt George's Cathedral and theImperial War Museum are within the ancient boundaries, which border nearbyLambeth.
Its entertainment district, in its heyday at the time ofShakespeare'sGlobe Theatre (which stood 1599–1642) has revived in the form of the post-1997 reinvention of the original theatre,Shakespeare's Globe, incorporating other smaller theatre spaces, an exhibition about Shakespeare's life and work and which neighboursVinopolis and theLondon Dungeon. TheSouthbank area, primarily inLambeth but shared with Southwark also hosts many artistic venues.
At its heart is the area known asBorough, which has an eclectic covered and semi-covered market and numerous food and drink venues as well as the skyscraperThe Shard. The Borough is generally an area of mixed development, with council estates, major office developments, social housing and high value residentialgated communities side by side with each other.
The area has three main tube stations:Borough,Southwark and one close to the river, which is combined with a railway terminus;London Bridge.
One of the few events to be contemporarily recorded about London during the entire period between the Romans and early Middle Ages is found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, written during Alfred's reign, for the year 886. "King Alfred occupied London [although in reality he had probably already done so for several years] and all the English people ['all angelcyn'] that were not under the subjection of the Danes submitted to him. And he then entrusted the borough to the control of Ealdorman Aethelred".
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