Southwark

The Borough or Southwark (pronounced "suthuk") is is an area of London and part of the larger London Borough of Southwark. It has been called The Borough since the 1550s, to contrast it with the neighbouring City, but now mainly to distinguish it from the larger area.

Table of contents

1 Places in Southwark
2 History
3 External Links

Places in Southwark

History

Southwark is on a traditionally marshy area south of the River Thames. It first became settled as the endpoint of the Roman London Bridge, and when the Romans left it was abandoned. It is next recorded as a fort constructed by Alfred the Great to defend the City of London. In 1066, during the Norman conquest of England, London refused to submit, and 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 middle ages it 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.

After many decades petitioning, in 1550, Southwark was incorporated into the City of London as 'The Ward of Bridge Without'. It 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 South Bank 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. 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 painting of Southwark Fair (1733). In 1844 the railway reached Southwark with the opening of London Bridge station.

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.