I'm loving this work you're doing on the Rocque map - thank you!
I have a question about the latest panel. Newgate Prison appears to have a presence on both sides of Newgate Street. Is this correct, and if so, does it lend more weight to some people's belief that the Viaduct pub did have cells in the basement? I never realised that the footprint of Newgate Prison was so small btw, now wonder it was so wretched for those inside.
Thanks Andy. And excellent observations. I think what we're seeing with the road-spanning is the gateway called Newgate, rather than the main body of the prison. This was demolished in 1767, so was still extant on the Rocque map. The bit north of Newgate Street doesn't quite intrude upon the footprint of the Viaduct Tavern. It's slightly east. This can be seen on, for example, Layers of London if you view the Rocque map and fade it in/out with the modern map (the two maps coincide very neatly with one another in this area). I agree that it does look very small on the Rocque map. I don't know how accurate that is. Perhaps it had overspill into the buildings to the south.
Incidentally, I've been into the Viaduct Tavern's cellars. I saw nothing down there that looks much different to any other pub cellar.
Thank you for this (and all your instalments of London history and oddities!). Re the haystacks: could they be laystalls/dustheaps (in the Our Mutual Friend sense)?
Thank you for another fascinating map. I have read about Clerkenwell in the course of researching my family history. The New River Company owned the land around the New River Head and kept it free if development at this time because of the need to replace the elm pipes from time to time. The "haystacks" on your map seem to run in a line from the New River Head so I wonder whether they could be something to do with the water infrastructure.
By the end of the century the New River Company had found a way of replacing wooden pipes with a more permanent alternative (?ceramic) and that enabled the development of their land. It was a condition of development that every house was to be fitted with a flushing toilet- a nice little earner for a water company!
Thanks Ruth -- some fascinating details there. I love the idea that a tech improvement enabled the land to be developed!
As you may know, the New River Company's land will soon open (in part) to the public. The Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration is set to open this year in some of the old buildings, which have always been off limits. I'll no doubt cover it on this newsletter closer to the time.
Could the 'haystacks' be tumuli? I imagine there would have been as many tumps in London as anywhere else before it was developed. I do admit that they look a bit furry for this, but it's the first thing that came into my mind
Thanks Liz. Yes, someone else emailed me with that suggestion. It's possible. This was relatively high ground - the sort of place you get tumuli. But the leading theory seems to be that these were dust heaps (ash from fires) or dung heaps (from all the horses) or both. There are good records of such heaps in the King's Cross area from the 19th century. Perhaps these were their precursors.
Very interesting, please keep going!
I'm loving this work you're doing on the Rocque map - thank you!
I have a question about the latest panel. Newgate Prison appears to have a presence on both sides of Newgate Street. Is this correct, and if so, does it lend more weight to some people's belief that the Viaduct pub did have cells in the basement? I never realised that the footprint of Newgate Prison was so small btw, now wonder it was so wretched for those inside.
Thanks Andy. And excellent observations. I think what we're seeing with the road-spanning is the gateway called Newgate, rather than the main body of the prison. This was demolished in 1767, so was still extant on the Rocque map. The bit north of Newgate Street doesn't quite intrude upon the footprint of the Viaduct Tavern. It's slightly east. This can be seen on, for example, Layers of London if you view the Rocque map and fade it in/out with the modern map (the two maps coincide very neatly with one another in this area). I agree that it does look very small on the Rocque map. I don't know how accurate that is. Perhaps it had overspill into the buildings to the south.
Incidentally, I've been into the Viaduct Tavern's cellars. I saw nothing down there that looks much different to any other pub cellar.
Absolutely love these maps! Color makes such a difference… I’m hoping you will consider selling high-res printed versions in future? Thank you!
Thanks Melinda. It’s certainly something I’ll be considering.
You’re doing such brilliant work!
Thank you for this (and all your instalments of London history and oddities!). Re the haystacks: could they be laystalls/dustheaps (in the Our Mutual Friend sense)?
Yes, that’s a good suggestion. I’ve never seen a reference to such heaps in this area, but it’s quite possible.
Fascinating as always — and so grateful for you going to all this effort!
Thank you for another fascinating map. I have read about Clerkenwell in the course of researching my family history. The New River Company owned the land around the New River Head and kept it free if development at this time because of the need to replace the elm pipes from time to time. The "haystacks" on your map seem to run in a line from the New River Head so I wonder whether they could be something to do with the water infrastructure.
By the end of the century the New River Company had found a way of replacing wooden pipes with a more permanent alternative (?ceramic) and that enabled the development of their land. It was a condition of development that every house was to be fitted with a flushing toilet- a nice little earner for a water company!
Thanks Ruth -- some fascinating details there. I love the idea that a tech improvement enabled the land to be developed!
As you may know, the New River Company's land will soon open (in part) to the public. The Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration is set to open this year in some of the old buildings, which have always been off limits. I'll no doubt cover it on this newsletter closer to the time.
Could the 'haystacks' be tumuli? I imagine there would have been as many tumps in London as anywhere else before it was developed. I do admit that they look a bit furry for this, but it's the first thing that came into my mind
Thanks Liz. Yes, someone else emailed me with that suggestion. It's possible. This was relatively high ground - the sort of place you get tumuli. But the leading theory seems to be that these were dust heaps (ash from fires) or dung heaps (from all the horses) or both. There are good records of such heaps in the King's Cross area from the 19th century. Perhaps these were their precursors.
Laystall sounds feasible. Or what about compost heaps? Were they a thing?