LONDON 2000 YEARS AGO
Before the Romans arrived some 2000 years ago there is no evidence of London existing as any sort of thriving town or village
When the Romans arrived they quickly chose the London area as the HQ for all activities in their new island colony perhaps because
the area between present day Cannon Street Station and the Tower of London, on the north bank of the River Thames made an ideal
port and with quick access to high ground. An ideal place to make a settlement.
In addition, at this point two smaller rivers join the Thames from the north providing easy access to extra clean drinking water and
additional defence from attackers.
These two rivers are now no longer to be seen but can easily be located.
The first is The Walbrook. The mouth of the Walbrook is now under Cannon Street railway station and it's passage from the north
follows Walbrook Street which connects Cannon Street station with the Mansion House and the Bank of England almost due north.
The original Roman settlement stretched from The Walbrook river (Cannon Street Station) in the west to the Tower of London (which
did not exist) in the east.
The second river is the Fleet just over a quarter of a mile west of the Walbrook which is a much larger river and flows north south under
present day Ludgate circus and Farringdon street. Roman London eventually stretched from the Tower (built 1000 years later)
in the east to the Fleet River in the west. London Wall was the northern boundary and over a bridge (on the site of present day London
Bridge) to present day Southwark described the city limits in the south . Hence the area north of the Thames was approximately ½
mile north south and just over a mile east west.
After only a few years of Roman occupation, when the town had no protective walls a local British Queen "Boudicca", from East Anglia
burnt the place to the ground!
After Boudicca, over the next 200 years the Romans built "Londinium" into a fortified city of considerable wealth and comfort covering
an area of some 330 acres surrounded by a wall 20 feet high.
The Romans used London to bring in all their vital goods from the rest of their empire particularly of course military equipment.
Also of course the comforts they were used to including: Olive oil, wine, dates, figs and salted fish. The containers would have been
the typical earthenware jars of the day called Amphorae. They also imported bronze ornaments, pottery, glass and millstones. London
would have had all the trappings of Rome at that time.
LONDON 1500 YEARS AGO
When the Romans left (to defend Rome against the German Vandal tribe) the German Saxons moved in. Being basically rural peoples
they had no use for towns and London was abandoned. The Saxons chose Winchester just north of present day Southampton as their
base. It was not until some 200 years after the departure of the Romans (about AD 670) that the London area was reoccupied
(by the Saxons) to any effective level and it was in a new area around present day Charing Cross and Trafalgar Square that was to be
their base for their new city and port. The old Roman city must not have been worth inhabiting for rural peoples?
For those who know London this area would obviously have made a good port with immediate access to high dry ground.
(Note the present day embankment did not exist.) The only building of note in the old Roman area which was used by the Saxons was
the site of St Paul's for a church of that name. There was also a Saxon Palace (position not known).
International trade through this port would have been mainly sheep's wool and woollen clothes for which Britain was famous.
Silver coins were also minted in London (then called Lundenwic by the Saxon inhabitants).
LONDON 1000 YEARS AGO
When William the Conqueror arrived in 1066 he made London his HQ and following his Norman strategy built up a nation-wide system
of defensive castles. The most famous one in London being the Tower of London built at the place were the old Roman city wall joined
the Thames at it's eastern limits. The original Castle, now almost 1000 years old, was called the White Tower and can still be visited
within the walls of the Tower of London. The Tower of London remained a home for the kings from 1087(William 2nd ) to 1500
(Henry 7th ).
During this period and until the end of the middle ages, that is for the next 500 years London remained much the same as follows.
The main city area remained within the original Roman city walls.
A new area to the west at Westminster was established as the headquarters for the King and all the trappings for running the country
plus the magnificent Westminster Abbey. Government offices like the Treasury were slowly moved from Saxon Winchester to
Westminster. The City of London and The City of Westminster were connected by both road and river.
The latter was the fastest route and other than for processions the river was always used by the Kings. The road route can still be
followed today. West to East: Whitehall, Trafalgar Square, turn right The Strand, Fleet Street then through Ludgate (now circus.)
The area of Southwark is in exactly the same place now as in Roman times.
London Bridge was the only connection between the walled City and Southwark and the important roads south, notably to Winchester
and Dover for France.
Two building projects early in this period are worth noting. Lambeth Palace was built as the London home for the Archbishop of
Canterbury. Lambeth then as now is almost directly across the river from Westminster Abbey. 1000 years ago both areas were
surrounded by marshes so the best route from one to the other would be to take the short ferry boat trip across the river.
London Bridge was rebuilt in stone in 1172. Up to this time the bridge was made of wood.
This new bridge with 19 arches was completed 33 years later.
It is also worth noting the vast number of churches that were built in London at this time. (Over 100 by 1200 AD).
Population. Maximum 80,000 people between 500 and 1000 years ago falling to perhaps 40,000 during the times of the plague.
The bulk of Londoners lived within the old (Roman) city walls.
LONDON 500 YEARS AGO
There were no major changes to the layout or skyline of London since the time of the Norman Kings onwards with the notable
exception of St Paul's Cathedral built in Gothic style around AD 1200 with an outstanding spire . (On the site of the earlier Saxon
Church.) The magnificent spire was unfortunately struck by lightning in 1561 and was dismantled for safety. (Note this magnificent
church was destroyed in the Great fire of London in 1666 and replaced by the present smaller domed structure designed by
Christopher Wren.)
The Inns of Court were formed in England in 1310 at the time of Edward the 2nd who in general had an appalling record in office! Called
"Inns" because as Oxford and Cambridge Universities did not teach law, students needed a place to stay and study.
Where better than in rooms close to the law courts. These Inns, now some of the oldest buildings in London as they were not in the
path of the Great Fire are:Lincoln's Inn close by the junction of High Holborn and Chancery Lane.Middle Temple and Inner Temple on
the river side "Embankment" between Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge.
500 years ago Henry the 8th saw to many improvements. Initially he was a builder of fine Palaces (for himself) perhaps he needed
some of them as both his Westminster Palace and his City Palace in the Tower of London suffered fire damage. He built:
Bridewell Palace just outside the city walls on the west bank of the river Fleet and the banks of the Thames and Baynard's Castle
(actually built by Henry 7th) just inside the city walls also on the banks of the Thames.
Economic growth and the expansion of LondonLondon was the largest trading centre in England with trade at that time being
dominated by the sale of fine English wool (from Sheep) to Antwerp mainly where it was woven into cloth.
LONDON 250 YEARS AGO.
We must start this period some 100 years earlier in 1660 that is just before the Great Fire of London. The population of London had
increased from 80,000 in 1500 to 250,000 in 1600 and 375,000 in 1650.
During the short period when England was a republic under Oliver Cromwell London was continuously under threat from the
pro-Royalists so Cromwell built a new defensive city wall which conveniently defines the limits of London at that time.
This wall was never attacked and was demolished in 1647 such that today almost nothing remains.
In 1665 London was hit by another massive bout of Bubonic Plague which mainly hit the poor areas outside the old Roman city walls
(Although all areas were affected to some extent)
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