Southwark
Engineers of the Roman Empire found a narrow strip of firm ground on the south bank around 43 AD. This geographic feature allowed them to bridge the Thames at its lowest point. The Romans routed two roads, Stane Street and Watling Street, into what is now Borough High Street. Without this specific crossing, Londinium likely would not have developed as a major settlement. The natural shoreline on the Southwark side lay much further back than it does today. Marshy tidal islands separated by branches of the River Neckinger covered most of the area. A high tide still left only a narrow stretch of water for the bridge to cross.
King Alfred the Great created the burh of Southwark about 886 to defend the bridge. The area appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 within the hundred of Brixton held by several Surrey manors. Bishop Odo of Bayeux held the monastery that became modern Southwark Cathedral. King William I owned the church known as St Olave's and its tidal stream. In 1014, King Ethelred the Unready allied with Olaf II Haraldsson to retake London from Sweyn Forkbeard. They tied ropes to the bridge posts and pulled the structure into the river along with the Danish army. Cnut dug a trench around Southwark in May 1016 to sail ships upstream past the defended bridge. Jack Cade's Rebellion in 1450 failed when his army tried to force its way across the bridge. The battle cost 200 lives before the rebels were foiled.
Reasonable Blackman worked as a silk weaver in Southwark during the 1580s. He was one of the first people of African heritage to work as an independent business owner in London at that time. Philip Henslowe set up The Rose playhouse in 1587 near London Bridge. Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare both wrote for this popular entertainment venue. The Globe Theatre opened on the Bankside in 1599 within the Liberty of the Clink. It burned down in 1613 and was rebuilt the following year. Edward Alleyn served as the impresario for these Elizabethan entertainments. He left charitable endowments including Dulwich College after his career ended. The area became known for bull and bear-baiting pits alongside taverns and brothels. This lack of oversight from the City of London allowed such disreputable attractions to flourish.
The London and Greenwich Railway created the first railway in the London area in 1836. A great fire broke out on the 26th of May 1676 and continued for 17 hours before houses were blown up. Another fire in 1861 destroyed buildings between Tooley Street and the Thames. The City and South London Railway opened in 1890 as the first deep-level underground tube line. Modern developments like More London now house international headquarters for accountancy and legal consultancies. The Shard stands next to London Bridge Station as London's tallest skyscraper. Borough Market has grown into a well-developed visitor attraction with numerous food venues. Council estates sit side by side with high value residential gated communities in this mixed development area. The former City Hall building now sits within the More London development near Tooley Street.
Archaeologists from the Museum of London Archaeology announced a massive Roman mosaic discovery in February 2022. The dining room mosaic dates from A.D. 175, 225 and features Solomon's knot patterns. Dark red and blue floral shapes known as guilloche decorate the geometric design. Work at Tabard Street in 2004 uncovered a plaque with the earliest reference to 'Londoners' from the Roman period. Evidence of early ploughing, burial mounds, and ritual activity exists prior to Roman arrival. These finds confirm pre-Roman activity in the area before the bridge construction began. The natural geography determined the location of Londinium itself through these ancient crossings.
Sir Keir Starmer was born in 1962 and serves as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. John Harvard attended the local parish free school of St Saviour's before migrating to Massachusetts Bay Colony. He left his library and a substantial donation to establish Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Michael Caine was born in 1933 and became a noted actor from this district. Ola Aina born in 1996 plays football for Nottingham Forest and Nigeria. The Borough and Bankside Community Council corresponds to the Southwark electoral wards of Cathedrals and Chaucer. Neil Coyle represents the Bermondsey and Old Southwark Parliament constituency. London's former City Hall served as administrative headquarters until 2022 when it moved elsewhere. The London Borough of Southwark maintains its main offices at 160 Tooley Street since 2009.
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Common questions
When did engineers of the Roman Empire find firm ground to bridge the Thames at Southwark?
Engineers of the Roman Empire found a narrow strip of firm ground on the south bank around 43 AD. This geographic feature allowed them to bridge the Thames at its lowest point.
Who created the burh of Southwark about 886 to defend the bridge?
King Alfred the Great created the burh of Southwark about 886 to defend the bridge. The area appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 within the hundred of Brixton held by several Surrey manors.
What happened during Jack Cade's Rebellion in 1450 when his army tried to force its way across the bridge?
Jack Cade's Rebellion in 1450 failed when his army tried to force its way across the bridge. The battle cost 200 lives before the rebels were foiled.
Which theatre opened on the Bankside in 1599 within the Liberty of the Clink and burned down in 1613?
The Globe Theatre opened on the Bankside in 1599 within the Liberty of the Clink. It burned down in 1613 and was rebuilt the following year.
When did archaeologists from the Museum of London Archaeology announce a massive Roman mosaic discovery in February 2022?
Archaeologists from the Museum of London Archaeology announced a massive Roman mosaic discovery in February 2022. The dining room mosaic dates from A.D. 175, 225 and features Solomon's knot patterns.
All sources
33 references cited across the entry
- 2bookOxford Dictionary of London Place NamesD. Mills — Oxford University Press — 2000
- 3bookSouthwark and the CityDavid J. Johnson — Oxford University Press — 1969
- 5webLondon's largest Roman mosaic in 50 years discovered by archaeologistsJeevan Ravindran — 23 February 2022
- 6webLarge Roman Mosaic Discovered in Central LondonSarah Rose Sharp — 2022-02-24
- 7webDigging in the Shadows of London's Shard, Archaeologists Discovered a 'Once-in-a-Lifetime Find': a Shockingly Intact Roman MosaicCaroline Goldstein — 2022-02-24
- 8webArchaeologists Uncover London's Largest Roman Mosaic in 50 YearsTessa Solomon — 2022-02-24
- 12bookLondiniana: Or, Reminiscences of the British Metropolis: Including Characteristic Sketches, Antiquarian, Topographical, Descriptive, and LiteraryEdward Wedlake Brayley — Hurst, Chance, and Company — 1829
- 13bookLondon South Of The ThamesWalter Besant — Adam & Charles Black — 1912
- 14bookAll the Year RoundCharles Dickens — Charles Dickens — 1861
- 15bookLondon; Being an Accurate History and Description of the British Metropolis and Its Neighbourhood: To Thirty Miles Extent, from an Actual PerambulationDavid Hughson — W. Stratford — 1808
- 17bookBlood and RosesHelen Castor — Faber & Faber — 2011-11-03
- 18bookInstitutes of the Laws of EnglandSir Edward Coke — 1644
- 19bookBlack Tudors: The Untold StoryMiranda Kaufmann — OneWorld — 2017
- 20newsTudor, English and black – and not a slave in sightBidisha — 30 October 2017
- 21journalThe prosperous silk weaver9 November 2017
- 25journalSouthwark PrisonsIda Darlington — 1955
- 27webTooley Street Fire
- 29bookGuide to the Local Administrative Units of EnglandFrederic Youngs — Royal Historical Society — 1979
- 30webLondon's Town HallsHistoric England
- 32webWhere's your community councilSouthwark London Borough Council
- 33webSouthwark Council begins move to Tooley Street officesLondon SE1 — 2 March 2009