Southwark

The Borough

Ordnance Survey
OS grid reference: TQ325795
Administration
London borough: Southwark
County level: Greater London
Region: London
Country: England
Other
Ceremonial county: Greater London
Historic county: Surrey (1889)
Services
Police force: Metropolitan Police
Fire brigade: London Fire Brigade
Ambulance service: London Ambulance
Post office and telephone
Post town: LONDON
Postal district: SE1
Dialling code 020
Politics
UK Parliament: North Southwark and Bermondsey
London Assembly: Lambeth and Southwark
European Parliament: London
London

The Borough 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.


Naming

The Borough is also known as Southwark (pronounced [ˈsʌðək] or, locally, [ˈsʌvək]) and is the area of London immediately south of London Bridge.

It has been called The Borough 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.

Today

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.

History

Early history

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 roads, 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.

Post 1500

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 Massachusetts 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.

Urbanisation

The Great Fire of Southwark, 1861.
The Great Fire of Southwark, 1861.

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.

Places in Southwark

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