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London’s and the River Thames' History

 

Troia Nova: New Troy: Trinovantum: Ancient London:

The legendary Brutus, or Britto, a descendant from Troy, founded Britain with London as its capital city around 1100 BC, according to certain historians.

The founding father of London and Britain according to myth, was Brutus, great-grandson of Aeneas who many years after the fall of Troy led a mass exodus of Trojans from Greece. The story goes on to say that during his voyage across the sea, the goddess Diana appeared to Brutus in a vision whereupon she told him to sail with his people to an island far to the west beyond Gaul, and establish themselves a city there, which was to become the New Troy, or Troia Nova, later Trinovantum. 

The famous Brutus Stone, or London Stone can be found at the Bank of China in Cannon Street, the ancient stone is made of Oolite and has a slight groove mark on top, the display is about two feet in height and the stone itself is set within the iron grille. The stone's original home was St Swithin's Church in Cannon Street, during WW2 the church was completely destroyed but the stone survived the bombing raid of 1941 - untouched. There is a saying that goes "So long as the stone of Brutus is safe, so long shall London flourish".


The London Stone information plaque reads:

This is a fragment of the original piece of limestone once securely fixed in the ground now fronting Cannon Street Station.

Removed in 1742 to the north side of the street, in 1798 it was built into the south wall of the church of St. Swithun London Stone which stood here until demolished in 1962.

Its origin and purpose is unknown but in 1188 there was a reference to Henry (Fitz-Ailwin de Londonestone), son of Lylwin de Londenstane, subsequently Lord Mayor of London. 

 

Historians date Brutus’ arrival in Britain to 1100 BC - the late Bronze Age. Oddly enough it was during this period that new bands of tribes were invading and settling in the London region. Their arrival in the London area is marked (historically) by the emergence of their hillforts, and defensive enclosures, otherwise known as fortified settlements. Here among the mead-halls is where the deeds of heroes were proclaimed and ceremonies of ring-giving performed; after vicious hand-to-hand contests were fought.

Findings such as; glass beads, and a two-handled black cup identical to those produced in ancient Troy, seem to reveal that the myths and legends that suggest that Londoners were descended from Trojan stock, may actually contain a slight element of truth. The most likely explanation concerning these objects is that the new wave of tribes/settlers had acquired these items through trade with other Mediterranean civilisations either before they reached the shores of Britain, or perhaps just by maintaining existing trade-links with their previous homelands (places of origin).

Based on archaeological investigations and datable evidence collected from various sites - it would seem that the London area has been continuously inhabited by humans for around 15,000 years. Finds include the remains of a 10,000 year old hearth to 3,000 year old plough marks, along with hints of earlier activity. The local place name for the inhabited region associated with ancient London was Plowinda.   

Some the earliest known sites of great interest are notably the ‘Mesolithic factory’ site at Southwark which appears to have been mass producing a wide range of flint tools and also what most people believe to have been a ‘hunting-camp’ discovered at Hampstead Heath.

The pits and post-holes are evidence of the ancient settlements that existed here -  and careful examination of material gathered from these sites; reveals that the occupants held feasts after a hunt and perhaps toasted their successes with a type of mead or beer.

Ancient British Leylines: Prehistoric Routes: Paths & trackways of Old London:

The crossroads at Angel, Islington are at the exact point where two prehistoric roads intersected.

All these paths followed the same ancient tracks and now buried paths: Old Street leads to Old Ford of Maiden Lane which then crosses to Pentonville,- and Battle Bridge to Upper Street and through to Highbury.

Names of London Streets that may be Celtic in origin: Colin Deep Lane, Pancras Lane, Maiden Lane, Ingal Road.

Excavations uncovered burnt layers from the Boudican revolt of AD 60 and further evidence was found of another tribal revolt that took place towards the end of the 3rd century AD.

Battle Bridge, London, is the former name for King’s Cross Station and the battle site where the Icenian forces led by Boudica supposedly fought the Roman troops. Archaeological evidence discovered at the site during the construction work of the rail station suggests that good Queen Boudica is buried somewhere beneath platform 10.

The alternative battle site and grave site is believed to be  Parliament Hill, between Highgate Road and the Vale of Heath, Hampstead, London.

Some facts about ancient London - the Iron Age settlement was established between two hills Cornhill and Ludgate Hill - basically because the River Thames was twice as wide as it is today. The ancient hills were originally over 45ft high, and the now dried up River Walbrook ran between the two hills creating a valley. A number of skulls were recovered from the river bed during excavations - which have been dated to the post-Boudica period.

The three sacred hills of the Druids (Triads) of London.

According to some, London, in prehistory was controlled from the three sacred mounds of Penton Hill, Tothill and White Mound (now known as Tower Hill), a belief that was enhanced when evidence of a late Iron Age burial was uncovered at Tower Hill.

The Roman Waterwheel
The Roman Waterwheel, the water lifting device from Gresham Street was a "hybrid" the only one of its kind - out of four different (known) types of waterwheel found in Britain.

 

The Guildhall, Gresham Steet, London

The Guildhall site in Gresham Street is steeped in history, underneath its ancient walls lie the remains of a Roman amphitheatre, and the ancient Husting Court of Saxon London. There is evidence that this site housed the city’s first civic administration building which stood here from the 12th century. It was from this earliest seat of municipal government that London’s first Lord Mayor was elected into office in 1189.

It is believed that the present day Guildhall building was constructed sometime between 1411 and 1430, although its medieval walls, porch and crypt at the west end of Guildhall Yard, date from the thirteenth century.

The ancient walls of the Guildhall have emerged relatively unscathed from two devastating fires during the Great Fire of London in 1666, and the Blitz bombing raid of 1940. A Grade I Listed building, this national treasure is a rare example of civic medieval architecture at its finest.

Gog and Magog statues, Guildhall, London

The legendary giants Gog and Magog, are both mentioned in the Bible and also the Koran and also in the medieval legends of Alexander, in the Arthurian cycle and Spenser’s “Fairie Queen”, as Gogmagog, Gremagot, or Goemagot as the chief giants of Albion. Another story tells of how Gog and Magog  were both taken prisoner, and then forced to work as porters at the Royal Palace, the site of the Guildhall, London. The giants were originally known as Gogmagog and Corineus, and their statues are thought to have stood at the west gallery of the Great Hall from the reign of Henry V. The Great Fire of 1666 destroyed the original giant carvings, but in 1708 they were replaced with some new wooden figures carved by Richard Saunders which were over 14 feet in height. During the Blitz of 1940 a German air raid caused a fire which destroyed these magnificent effigies, and in 1953 they were replaced by another set of figures carved in limewood by David Evans. Traditionally during the annual Lord Mayor shows processions giant wicker effigies of Gog and Magog were paraded through the streets of London.    

Lundein, Londinium,

London,  the capital city of the United Kingdom has a name that is internationally famous but unfortunately has no internationally accepted origin, or indeed any reliable explanation at all. It was long held to derive from a conjectural Celtic or pre-Celtic root element Londo-, said to mean "bold" and to have possibly given a personal or tribal name, such as Londinos. But this theory is now discredited, and the true origin remains unexplained. The Roman name for it was Londinium  and some versions of the name ending with '-chester' (denoting a Roman settlement) have been recorded, such as Lundenceaster in about 890. It is clearly a very old name and the settlement here an ancient one, which no doubt accounts for the obscurity of the name.

THE LEGENDARY KING LUD:

Myth would have us believe that King Lud gave his name to London. Originally 'New Troy',Lud had a great affection for the city, it becoming known as Lud's city, Caer Lud, later corrupted into Caer Lundein, from which 'London' is derived. An area known as Ludgate in London, is reputably where Lud died - he was buried beside an ancient gateway which was later named Lud's Gate as a memorial to him - although nothing survives of this gateway today. An area of London known as Ludgate Hill was named after King Lud, the Statues of King Lud and his two sons can be viewed at the church of 'St Dunstan in the west'- just inside the porch, they were taken there from the famous  'Ludgate' which was one of the main entrances into the City.

One of London's most famous buildings - St Paul's Cathedral  can be found at Ludgate Hill EC4. Erkenwald the patron Saint of Londoners - was an Anglo-Saxon Saint of Royal 'East Anglian' descent and Bishop of London; d.693. His shrine at St Paul's Cathedral was destroyed during the reformation. St Erconwald's shrine was also a great  focal point  for devotion by Londoners and the place of miracles.

Dr Johnson said: When a man is tired of London - he is tired of life".

The district and borough of Westminster, London. 

The place name and borough of Westminster in Greater London is derived from the OE name first recorded in 785 as Westmunster and later Westmynster 975, although the original name for this marshland area was ‘Thorney’ (OE) meaning  ‘thorn island’ (i.e. an island overgrown with thorn bushes). The place-name of Westminster refers to the site of the west mynster, munster, or west monastery that lay to the west of London. The present day abbey was built in the 13th century on the site of the former 8th century mynster (or monastery).

Roman gold coin hoard ; 1st-2nd century AD, Plantation Place, Fenchurch Street, London.

A hoard of 43 Roman gold coins known as aurei spanning a period of just over 100 years was found in Fenchurch Street, London. The hoard dates from the reign of Nero in 65 AD to Marcus Aurelius AD 174, and was found buried underneath the floor of a substantial Roman villa building in a safety-deposit box. It is believed that the wide collection of coins probably represents the wealthy owner’s personal savings. Coins such as these were never used as everyday currency - but were exchanged as legal tender between bankers, wealthy merchants and administrators. No doubt the owner had buried his money at that particular location for safe-keeping purposes – but for some unknown reason he/she was unable to retrieve them.

The London Wall

The London Wall Walk follows the line of the City Wall from the Tower of London to the Museum of London. The Walk is 1. 75 miles long (2.8 km) and is marked by twenty one panels which can be followed in either direction. The City Wall was built by the Romans c AD 200. During the Saxon period it fell into decay. From the 12th to the 17th century, as London expanded rapidly in size, the Wall was no longer necessary for defence. During the 18th century demolition of parts of the Wall began, and by the 19th century most of the Wall disappeared, only recently have several sections again become visible. 

  
The Roman Wall map

Roman Fort and City Wall

A fort occupying an area of about 12 acres was built on the north-west edge of the Roman City c AD 120. It had a gate in each side and would most probably have conformed to the common Roman rectangular fort plan.

The fort was probably built to house the official guard of the Governor of Britain, who was based in London. At least 1,000 men, cavalry and infantry, would’ve been housed in the fort’s barrack blocks around the central range of administrative buildings and stores.

The walls surviving here form the curved south-west corner of the fort with the foundations of a rectangular corner watch-tower. The fort wall was originally about 4 feet (1.2 m) thick and at least 15 feet high (4.5m).

When the Roman City Wall was built c. AD 200, two sides of the fort were incorporated into the City’s defences. The City Wall (left), 9 feet (2.7 m) thick, joins the south-west corner of the fort. Along the western and northern sides of the fort an extra thickening was added to the inside of the wall to bring it up to the standard strength. (Source: Public Information Board)

Tower Hill Wall

This impressive section of wall still stands to a height of 35 feet (10.6 metres). The Roman work survives to a level of the sentry walk 14 ½ feet (4.4m) high, with medieval stonework above. The wall was constructed with coursed blocks of ragstone which sandwiched a rubble and mortar core. Layers of flat red tiles were used at intervals to give extra strength and stability. Complete with its battlements the Roman Wall would have been about 20 feet (6.3m) high. Outside the wall was a defensive ditch.

To the north is the site of one of the towers added to the outside of the wall in the 4th century. Stones recovered from its foundations in 1852 and 1935 included part of the memorial inscription from the tomb of Julius Classicianus the Roman Provincial Procurator (financial administrator) in AD 61. In the medieval period the defences were repaired and heightened. The stonework was more irregular with a sentry walk only 3 feet (0.9m) wide. To the west was the site of the Tower Hill scaffold where many famous prisoners were publicly beheaded, the last in 1747. (Source: Public Information Board)

 Gaius Julius Alpinus Classicianus

The inscription above which is a replica of London’s earliest inscribed monument, found close to this spot commemorates Gaius Julius Alpinus Classicianus Procurator (or financial officer) of the province of Britain from 61 to about 65 AD. By his action the province was pacified without vindictive reprisals after the destruction of London during the revolt of Queen Boudicca and the Iceni. The words (from which two lines giving details of his earlier career are missing) were carved on a funeral monument erected in the neighbouring cemetery by his sorrowing wife Julia Pacata. (Source: Public Information Board)                 


The Roman water lifting devices of London:

In Gresham Street, Cheapside in the north-west quarter of the Roman town (London’s ‘City’ area), the archaeological dig concluding in late 2001 revealed a solution to the mystery of how the Roman occupants provided sufficient water supply to satisfy the needs of establishments such as the Cheapside Baths, the Guildhall amphitheatre and the Cripplegate fort.

Hundreds of wells have been excavated across London, but these at best could have each served only 2 or 3 neighbouring houses, being just1 metre square or smaller.

The Cheapside dig uncovered 2 wells. The Western well and The Eastern well. The Western well was an amazing 2.6m square and 4.5m deep. The Eastern well was an even more staggering 3.5m square and 5m deep. In the fill of these two wells was the answer. The remains of  complex bucket-chain lifting systems in remarkable condition owing to the high water table in the area maintaining wet underground conditions. Among the finds were complete box-buckets from each system and wrought iron links with plenty of clues as to how they were put together. It is thought that these systems would have been powered by a treadmill or capstan drive. (plenty of graft for the slaves).

Despite the very clever idea, it would appear that these wells had quite a short useful lifetime, this probably due to the engineering prowess of our Roman friends being somewhat lacking. The Western well was constructed around AD 58-63 and had collapsed and been filled around AD 69-71, giving it a life of 6-13 years. (dendro dating system). The Eastern well did a little better having been constructed by AD 109 and filled around AD 125-130, 16-21 useful years. These dates show that the two wells found at this site were not chronologically consecutive, which opens the exciting prospect of still more amazing finds to come from the area.
The Gresham Street dig was televised featuring the Time Team. This episode aroused so much public interest that a second programme was screened featuring the reconstructed full scale working model of the Eastern well’s lifting system. This Water lifting device can be viewed at the Museum of London (see fig 1).

    fig 1 Waterwheel

Anglo-Saxon London

The Roman town of Londinium was abandoned following the Romans departure from Britain in AD 410, and it was not until the seventh and eighth centuries, some 200 years later that the new Saxon market town of Lundenwic was established in the Aldwych area. (Aldwych O.E. meaning ‘old town). Lundenwic (or ‘LONDONIU’)     became a thriving market town though its exact location was unknown until the excavations of 1985 revealed evidence of the Saxon town stretching from the Aldwych area to Covent Garden along the Strand to Trafalgar Square. The Strand during the Saxon period was literally a strip of land running adjacent to the edge of a body of water, which, in this case was the River Thames. Depending on tidal flow the Strand at certain times became a beach, an ideal landing place for ships to dock to either unload or load their cargo, before sailing out with the high tide. During the 7th – 8th centuries the River Thames was around 80 – 110 yards wider than it is today. 

 
King Alfred’s Lundenburg

By the ninth century Viking raiders attracted by the wealth of the town gradually took control, and Lundenwic was abandoned by the Saxons. King Alfred (the great) fought a number of battles against the Danes between AD 880 – 6, eventually winning back the land of his forefathers, and in 886 founded the new town of Lundenburg. Alfred’s new town was founded within the old Roman city walls as the suffix ‘burg’ suggests it was a walled town, or fortified place. Alfred issued a silver penny to commemorate his historic victory. On one side the king is depicted as a Roman emperor, while the reverse bears the letters L-V-N-D-O-N-I-A which is a monogram of the Latinised form of Saxon London.  The king reinforced and rebuilt the old city walls, and also turned his hand to city planning. Many streets that Alfred laid out in his new city in 886 are still in existence today, such as; Bow Lane and Cheapside, and the outline of the road he built from Aldgate to Ludgate, just inside the old Roman walls is still visible today. It is from this point that London’s continuous history and reputation as a flourishing centre for trade and commerce can be traced.


One thousand consecutive years of English history: King Alfred and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles.
The four best known surviving annals or manuscripts were commissioned by King Alfred in the 9th century. The chronicles were written by monks using vernacular rather than Latin text, and that in itself is truly remarkable. Centuries later the vernacular text was translated in to Old English then Middle English. Different cultures and influences meant that our language continued to go through many more transformations until this eventually developed into the English that we know and use today.      
 

The ancient waters beneath London.

Underneath London lies a vast network of subterranean chambers and tunnels, the sheer complexity of which makes it quite unlike any other Metropolis or capital city in the world.

Since the 18th century most of London’s ancient rivers, brooks and streams which originally flowed into the River Thames have been either piped, or arched over. The largest being the river Fleet, which was also known as the River of Wells, the Holborn or Old Bourne. Place-names such as Fleet Street, Holborn, and the brooks, springs, wells and ditches that fed the Fleet such as; Sadler’s Wells, Clerkenwell, Lamb’s Conduit, Chadwell are all that remain today.

Throughout history until the Middle Ages the Fleet was large enough and navigable as far as Holborn Bridge. In 1732 its condition had deteriorated so badly that an Act of Parliament decided to cover over the foul-smelling black waters of the Fleet. Then in the 19th century it was finally incorporated into the underground sewage system.

Other vanished rivers of London include the Walbrook, the Tyburn, and the Westbourne which became part of the Ranelagh sewer, and finally Effra Brook, traces of which can be found in the outline of the Oval cricket Ground.

London Bridge:

In AD 1209 London finally got its first stone bridge which was aptly named 'London Bridge', after centuries of repairing the old timber built Roman bridge; which was incidentally the only bridge over the River Thames, though today the exact number of bridges (across the River Thames) in London amounts to thirty. 

The new London Bridge was no ordinary bridge, it was an entire village of commercial buildings spread out across the Thames, suddenly transformed into a bustling trading port/post it became the centre of economics and trade throughout the capital thus becoming a 'city on a bridge.' London's foundations for future success were firmly laid here.

London Bridge eventually ended up in America - after it was dismantled stone by stone in c.1831.

Considering that the City of London has endured many disasters throughout its entire history - such as the Bubonic Plague (the Black Death), the Great Fire, Floods, and the Bombing Blitz of WW2; London, is 'England's Phoenix' that keeps on rising up again, and again - from the ashes.

Today London is one of three great cities of the world - ranking alongside the cities of Paris and New York.

The River Thames London.

 England's most famous river rises in the Cotswold hills not far from Cirencester and flows east through the capital city of London and on to its estuary on the east coast.

 The name "THAMES" is derived from a conjectural British-Celtic root  element "teme" ; meaning either simply "river" or probably more  specifically "dark one".

 Leading experts are still in the process of studying the origins of  this source and similar related names such as Tamar, Taff, Teviot, although most tend to dispute the "river" theory and favour  the "dark" interpretation, as traces of this root element word can be found in many other different ancient languages, for an example Sanskrit tamisra=dark, Latin tenebrae=darkness, shadows, Irish teimhe=darkness, Russian temnyy=dark. The actual Roman name for the Thames was in fact "Tamesa" or "Tamesis". Some authorities argue that as the name occurs frequently throughout the country in variant forms the "river meaning" theory still remains a strong contender.

The Vauxhall Bridge excavations: A race against the tide.

The underwater excavation of the remains of an 4m wide ancient bridge (or jetty) structure at the River Thames at Vauxhall was one of the shortest investigations that archaeologists have been involved with over the years.  Past excavations have revealed evidence of ancient settlements with bridges & causeways/walkways leading to islands that stretched for 20 miles along the shore of the Thames; indicating that the London area was continuously occupied 1,000 years before the Romans. The Vauxhall Bridge once consisted of 22 posts, most had been badly eroded by the tides but post samples sent for testing revealed that the construction was three and a half thousand years old, built somewhere between 1700 - 1200 BC.

Core samples of sediment were sent off to labs and the discovery of Diatoms - a type of microscopic Algae is found only at estuaries & the tidal head between the sea; which is interesting as the tidal flow of the Thames was believed to be further upstream at Westminster around 3,500 years ago. This bridge marked the point of a magical tidal head - a very important place to the ancients. A place where the river runs  backwards – the river runs halfway then fords again, this would have been of great significance as Westminster was only a few hundred yards upstream….. Vessels are swept downstream on the outgoing tide then swept upstream on the incoming tide, the ideal place to make votive offerings to the water deities.

The henges, burial mounds and causeways, seem to show that the Bronze Age era didn’t have a lot to do with metal at all. As the experts say the Bronze Age and water are inextricably linked…did this custom continue in the Iron Age? Fact is; a great number of elaborate bronze artefacts have been recovered from the Thames over the years….which date from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age - all are believed to have votive offerings to the Thames water gods, probably to protect against flood, some of these objects were badly damaged - possibly ritually killed.  Perhaps the River Thames holds even more secrets than we realise…….??

Thames History Continued:

According to experts the River Thames followed a completely different course to the one we know today, as Britain was once joined to the mainland of Europe over half a million years ago . Amazing as it seems; the Thames was once a tributary of the Rhine, flowing out to join it where the North Sea lies today.

The River Thames has an extremely powerful tidal current; the tidal flow consists of about 3,000 tons of water every second moving along at ‘jogging pace’.

The Thames is also prone to bursting its banks, and is especially vulnerable to severe weather conditions as it is a North Sea coastal river which is at risk of what weather experts describe as a ‘storm surge’. Heavy rain and high tide can amount to huge quantities of water being funnelled into the river – here the Thames Flood Barrier comes into play.

 Woolwich Reach Flood Barrier London:

The Thames Barrier is designed to prevent a surge tide caused by an intense area of low pressure forming in the North Sea, from funnelling up the River Thames and flooding London and the surrounding area. It is the largest moveable barrier in the world, costing over 450 million to construct, and came into operation early in 1983.

The barrier is tested regularly at least once a month, and has been used when the possibility of flooding developed. The barriers in the form of curved metal gates, which normally lie flush with the river bed, can be raised into the vertical position. These gates can hold back walls of water up to 20ft high, though with the effects of global warning it is anticipated that water levels may rise to 25ft.  Smaller barriers have also been built across all the rivers and creeks downstream of the main barrier as part of the flood protection scheme.

 

Tower Bridge, London the cantilever bridge first opened in 1894, its brightly painted ironwork and the Gothic spires of its piers are beautifully contrasted, and blend in perfectly with its surroundings.


Tower Bridge, London

Southwark: Greater London:

The borough of Southwark (from OE suth + weorc)  on the south side of the Thames, has a name that means 'southern work' a reference to a defensive post (fort) which once stood on the south bank of the river forming an outpost of the City of LONDON. The 'south' of the name also relates to the 'south' contained in the name of SURREY, as shown in a tenth-century reference to Southwark as "Suthriganaweorc", meaning 'fort of the men of Surrey'. The Domesday Book recorded the name in 1086 as "Sudwercha". Southwark is still known by its alternative name of "The Borough", a title that dates from the middle of the sixteenth century, when it became the city ward of Bridge Without (i.e. beyond the bridge over the Thames).'Borough' as used here strictly means 'suburbs'.




Historic Southwark, ‘Nancy’s Steps’ information board reads:

These steps and arch are surviving fragments of the 1831 London Bridge designed by John Rennie and built by his son Sir John Rennie . The steps were the scene of the murder of Nancy in Charles Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist.

 


 


Nancy's Steps, Southwark, London

The first traffic lights of London:

The first traffic lights were erected on a 22ft high pillar at the corner of Bridge Street and New Palace Yard off Parliament Square, London, and came into operation on 10 December 1868. The installation was made at the direction of the Metropolitan Commissioner of Police, Richard Mayne, and was intended for the benefit of MPs wishing to gain access to the Houses of Parliament.

Manufactured by Saxby & Farmer, the traffic-signal was surmounted by a revolving lantern with red and green signals. Red indicated 'stop'and green 'Caution'. The lantern, illuminated by gas, was turned by means of a lever at the base of the standard so that the appropriate light faced the oncoming traffic. Manning this lever was not without its hazards. The unfortunate Constable assigned to this duty on 2 January 1869 was badly injured when the gas apparatus exploded and blew gravel into his eye.

The signal was unpopular with the general public, one hansom-cab driver complaining that it was 'another one of them fakements to wex poor cabbies'. It remained the only traffic-light in London, and after it was removed in 1872 there were no similar experiments for over half a century.

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