3d (edited) • Miscellaneous Posting
Burnings, Butchery & Black Death: London's Bloody Past
Hello friends!
It's a bit long, but you'll learn some very interesting things.
We did a 2-hour tour with the guide, Tom . I recorded it in secret, and today I want to share a summry of what I learned.
Let's take a walk through the historic district of Smithfield. There are so many surprising secrets hidden in these streets.
Kings, Religion, and Punishments
In the past, the King or Queen had all the power. If you did not follow their religion, the punishments were terrible. For many years, Catholics and Protestants took turns in power. When a new king came, the other group was in danger. Kings used Smithfield for public punishments to show their power and frighten the crowd.
St Bartholomew’s: Hospital and Church
But Smithfield was also a place of hope. Long ago, in the 12th century, a man named Rahere built St Bartholomew’s Hospital to help poor and sick people. Right next to it, he built St Bartholomew the Great, London’s oldest church. Inside, the old stone walls make you feel like you are walking in the Middle Ages.
The Plague: Protecting the Rich
When the terrible plague came to London, the hospital became a very busy place. But isolating the sick here also had a dark reason: it kept the disease inside the poor areas. This way, the rich people could stay safe and sound in their clean, big houses far away.
Wooden Pavements
If you look closely at some of the old streets near the hospital, you can see something strange. Instead of stone, the roads are made of wood blocks. Why? Because the noise of horses and iron wheels on stone was too loud for the sick people in the hospital. The wood made a "silent street."
The Lost River: From Water to Sewer
Did you know that a river flows under our feet here? It is called the River Fleet, and it goes to the River Thames. Long ago, it was clean and boats used it. But when more people came to live here, they threw all their rubbish and dirty waste into it. It became so smelly and dirty that it made everyone feel under the weather. Finally, in the 19th century, workers built big brick tunnels to hide the river and turn it into a giant underground toilet (a sewer).
Famous People: Shakespeare and Dickens
Many famous people walked these same streets in the past:
- William Shakespeare: The famous writer knew this area very well. He even bought a house near here, and his actor friends lived around Smithfield.
- Charles Dickens: The great author wrote about Smithfield in his books. In Oliver Twist, young Oliver goes to the crowded, muddy, and very busy Smithfield meat market. Dickens described the noise and the bad smell perfectly because he walked here often.
Benjamin Franklin and the Printing Press
In the 1720s, another famous man came here: a young American named Benjamin Franklin. Before he became a leader of the United States, he worked right here as a simple printer! His printing machine was inside a room of the old St Bartholomew’s church.
The Great Fire and St Paul's Cathedral
In 1666, the Great Fire of London started in a small bakery. It destroyed most of the city, including the old St Paul's Cathedral. Luckily, the fire stopped just before reaching Smithfield! Later, a famous architect rebuilt St Paul’s with its huge dome, which you can still see near Barbican today.
The Modern Market and the Japanese Temple
The old meat market changed over time. Later, beautiful buildings of iron and glass were made. But during World War II, a bomb fell directly through the market. Under the market, a secret underground room was later used as a Japanese Temple (a school for martial arts)—a funny mix of British history and Asian culture!
Hercule Poirot's Home
Finally, let's look at modern times. Near Charterhouse Square, there is a beautiful, elegant building called Florin Court. If you like mystery stories on TV, you will know it. It was used as the home of Agatha Christie’s famous detective, Hercule Poirot!
Thank you for listening! As you can see, every corner of this place has a great story to tell.
Pictures
1 - The Charterhouse
2 - Smithfield Market
3 - Wallace Plague ( The Hero: William Wallace fought for Scotland's freedom against the English king more than 700 years ago.)
4 - the oldest Church
5- Ye Olde Mitre ( The Big Story (1546): The pub says it opened in 1546 for the servants of the Bishop of Ely, who lived in a palace nearby. Inside, you can still see an old cherry tree trunk. Legend says Queen Elizabeth I once danced around it!)
6- St John's Gate (The Knights (1504): The gate was built in 1504 by the Knights Hospitaller (an order of religious knights who protected sick travelers). It was the grand entrance to their massive priory (church land).
7- Florin Court ( hercule Poirot's house )
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Burnings, Butchery & Black Death: London's Bloody Past
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