Sandwiched between Shakespeare's Globe and Tate Modern, on a stretch of river front known as Cardinal's Wharf, sit three rare survivors of 18th Century architecture in Bankside, Southwark. One of the houses - the tall white one - has even had a whole book written about it: The House By The Thames, by Gillian Tindall (p/b edition Random House 2007). The book doesn't just deal with the occupants of the house, it covers the whole history of this part of London. Much of it deals with the Watermen - the black cab drivers of their day. Before the river was embanked, there were numerous water stairs along it. Some survive, even if only in name. At each, Watermen would be waiting to ferry passengers either along the river or, more likely, across it. Remember that for much of its history London only had one bridge across the Thames.
The house in question is No.49. There is a plaque on the wall which claims that Sir Christopher Wren lived here whilst St Paul's Cathedral - directly opposite on the north side of the river - was being rebuilt following the Great Fire. The plaque also claims that Catherine of Aragon sheltered here on first arriving in London in 1502.
Sadly, neither event can be substantiated. No.49 was built around 1710, when St Paul's was finished, so Wren could not have been living there during the works. He did stay in the area - probably in a house that would have sat where Tate Modern now stands. When that house was demolished, a plaque was fixed to a wall near the then power station. The plaque was subsequently lost, and the one on the front of No.49 was made up in the mid 20th Century. Catherine of Aragon may well have first come ashore here or hereabouts, but this sounds unlikely. There are more likely places along the Thames than this.
The middle house, (No.51) with the yellow door, has a hanging sign describing it as The Deanery. This would refer to it belonging to the Dean of Southwark Cathedral - the church of Saint Mary Overy or St Saviour's as it has been known variously over the centuries - I'll be posting on it soon. The house is also known as the Provost's Lodgings. It was built in 1712. The Cathedral put it up for sale in 2011, with an asking price of £6 million. It is a prime location after all... It wasn't always so. The basement of No.49 used to be infested with rats, and the power station emitted a constant humming noise. The third house in the row (No. 52, closest to Tate Modern) is actually not a separate dwelling - it and No.51 were turned into a single house in 1957.
The Dean of Southwark used to complain that he had a perfect view - of the wrong cathedral.
In between No's 49 and 51 is the entrance to Cardinal Cap Alley. This is no longer a public thoroughfare, although this has been contested over the years. The Cardinal's Cap was a pub on the site of No.49, which gets a mention in Shakespeare's Henry VI Part 2. This area was notorious for its brothels, or stews - see my earlier post about the "Winchester Geese".
Just to the right of this row, where Tate Modern now stands, would have been the home of Philip Henslowe, owner of the Rose Theatre who staged many of Shakespeare's plays. He is buried in Southwark Cathedral (as is Shakespeare's brother Edmund - also an actor, died on New Year's Eve 1607).
Of course the current Globe Theatre is not built on the exact site of its earlier incarnation. There was a Globe Alley (later Globe Court) marked on maps a little further to the east and well back from the river. Behind these houses lies the site of another form of popular entertainment of yesteryear - bear baiting pits. Henslowe invested in these as well.
We all know that the Tate Modern art gallery is housed in an old power station. Before this was built, the site belonged to the Phoenix Gas Works. Go further back to the 1700's, when these houses were still new, and there was a park called Pye Garden, as well as a glass-making factory.
