Blackfriars, London
The name Blackfriars first appears in official records from 1317, though the community itself began decades earlier. Dominican Friars established their initial priory during the 1220s just west of Holborn bridge at the top of Shoe Lane. This location sat near what is now modern Holborn Circus. The friars moved their entire operation a few hundred metres south to settle between the tidal Thames and the west of Ludgate Hill around 1276. Ludgate Hill rose as a modest but significant elevation within the city proper. Edward I granted permission to rebuild London's city wall against the Fleet brook and Ludgate Hill north and west of their precinct. The site became a focal point for state occasions including meetings of Parliament and the Privy Council. Emperor Charles V visited the area during a state visit in 1522. Seven years later Catherine of Aragon held her divorce hearing before Henry VIII within these walls.
Blackfriars Priory hosted great occasions of state throughout its existence. Meetings of Parliament took place within the precinct while the Privy Council convened there regularly. State visits included the arrival of Emperor Charles V in 1522. A divorce hearing involving Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII occurred seven years after that imperial visit. Katherine Parr, Henry's sixth and final wife, was born in an associated parish nearby. The priory remained a center of political power until legal dissolution in 1538 under Henry's dissolution of the monasteries. Local wharves like Puddle Dock stood by substantial mudbanks often dredged up to pier- and mooring post-lined shores. These structures existed in the south-east of modern Blackfriars near the tidal foreshore. Paul's Stairs led east from the modern floating pier toward much narrowed areas immersed during tidal phases.
The priory was dissolved through legal process in 1538 as part of Henry's broader dissolution of the monasteries. Some buildings were later leased to a group of entrepreneurs who created the Blackfriars Theatre on the site. This theatre stood near Shakespeare's Globe Theatre which sat almost directly across the river. In 1632 the Society of Apothecaries acquired the late medieval guesthouse they converted into their base. The Great Fire of London destroyed this structure in 1666 but the Society rebuilt it. Today's Apothecaries' Hall sits due north of the station. A notably long road called Blackfriars Road extends into Bankside Southwark serving as a main approach to the road bridge. Skyscraper One Blackfriars rises near its northern extreme facing mature trees on a hardscaped small square or piazza.
Until the early 20th century local wharves linked to the main street by the formerly narrow street Puddle Dock. These structures stood by an often dredged up to pier- and mooring post-lined substantial mudbank of the City. Among these specific locations was Wheatsheaf Wharf. Paul's Stairs lies east of the modern floating pier leading to much narrowed wholly tidal foreshore areas immersed for much of the tidal phases. Blackfriars Millennium Pier serves as a stop for river-bus services on London River Services southeast of the circle around the large station complex. Victoria Embankment stretches along the north bank of the river west from Blackfriars to Westminster Bridge. Unilever House stands as a large Art Deco building while the Art Nouveau Black Friar pub faces the station's gyratory. The Bank of New York Mellon building and Mermaid Theatre now function as a conference centre nearby.
One or two elaborate streets of Blackfriars were well repaired after the City suffered heavy bombing during the Blitz between 1940 and 1945. Genuine Victorian or city Georgian architecture remains visible in these restored sections. These buildings frequently serve as sets for film and television series including Sherlock Holmes and David Copperfield. Blackfriars station sits at the very centre of the zone equidistant from stations by post-pariochial terms. Southwest of this point lies Blackfriars Bridge and south the railway bridge. Crowne Plaza London The City hotel converts from Spicers Brothers papermakers headquarters built in 1916 facing a few mature trees on a hardscaped small square or piazza. The narrowest building facing the station's riverside gyrary is Grade II* listed with a rare Flatiron Building shape housing apartments above. Burials at Blackfriars include Elizabeth de Badlesmere Countess of Northampton and Edward Hastings 2nd Baron Hastings among others.
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Common questions
When did the Blackfriars community first appear in official records?
The name Blackfriars first appears in official records from 1317. The Dominican Friars established their initial priory during the 1220s just west of Holborn bridge at the top of Shoe Lane.
Where was the original location of the Blackfriars Priory before it moved south?
The friars established their initial priory during the 1220s just west of Holborn bridge at the top of Shoe Lane. This location sat near what is now modern Holborn Circus before they moved around 1276 to settle between the tidal Thames and the west of Ludgate Hill.
What major historical events occurred within the walls of Blackfriars during the reign of Henry VIII?
Emperor Charles V visited the area during a state visit in 1522. Seven years later Catherine of Aragon held her divorce hearing before Henry VIII within these walls, and Katherine Parr was born in an associated parish nearby.
In which year was the Blackfriars Priory legally dissolved under Henry VIII's orders?
The priory was dissolved through legal process in 1538 as part of Henry's broader dissolution of the monasteries. Some buildings were later leased to entrepreneurs who created the Blackfriars Theatre on the site.
Which notable building stands due north of Blackfriars station today?
Today's Apothecaries' Hall sits due north of the station. The Great Fire of London destroyed this structure in 1666 but the Society rebuilt it after acquiring the late medieval guesthouse in 1632.