Bermondsey Street Back Stories

Number 12: Beneath the Street by Jennie Howells August 2020

16th century Elizabethan map of showing Street (bottom right)

‘Then have ye, from the entering from the said Horsedown (Horselydown) one other continual street called Bermondes high street, which stretcheth south likewise furnished with buildings on both sides, almost half a mile in length, up to the late dissolved monastery of St.Saviour called Bermondsey’. Historian, John Stow - writing in 1598

A causeway across marshy land Bermondsey Street began as a causeway across low lying land crisscrossed by watercourses and ditches. Just to the south of the river Thames, it led to the Cluniac of St Saviour. Founded at the end of the 11th century, the Priory was a popular place of pilgrimage and had an extensive precinct. It was raised to the status of in 1399 and dominated the area until its dissolution in 1538. The name Bermondsey Street (Bermondeseystrete) was first used in the late 14th century. Before this, it had been known as ‘the causeway leading to Bermondsey’ and was subject to frequent flooding. Land reclamation led to ribbon development. Medieval Bermondsey Street became a townscape of small plots with yards, workshops and gardens occupied by a succession of properties.

Prehistoric, Roman and Saxon Finds Documents and maps tell us a lot about our past– but it is excavation and investigation by archaeologists that reveal tangible aspects of the life of former residents. They look at things people made, used and left behind. Their excavations, finds and observations offer an often intimate picture of community life. The remarkable archaeology of the Bermondsey Abbey site has been the subject of major investigation and published reports. There have also been many revealing features and finds in archaeology around Bermondsey Street itself. These ranged from the prehistoric era onwards.

To start at the beginning, a prehistoric cooking pit, flint implements and pottery possibly of Bronze Age, were found on sites in Tanner Street and White’s Grounds. In Roman times, this part of Bermondsey, which formed a hinterland to Londinium on the north bank of the river Thames. This part of the south bank was partly used for agriculture. Roman pits, ditches, and a coin were found where the Trocette Mansions now stands, as well as burials from the Roman period. Pottery, tiles and other artefacts from the Roman and Saxon periods were found here, at Tanner Street and Leathermarket Street.

Medieval remains As Bermondsey Street developed, houses and outbuildings were built and rebuilt. The marshy land was reclaimed and the ground level raised to provide a stronger and more robust surface. There was constant re-cycling , sometimes using worked stone and demolition fragments from the Abbey. Part of the monastery wall found on the Trocette site, aligned east-west may have survived until at least the 18th century.

The Trocette Site at the Junction of Bermondsey Street and Tower Bridge Road

At 8 Tyers Gate, brick, ragstone, re-used roof tiles and Reigate stone were found in walls of two buildings of the 16th and 17th centuries. The walls were narrow suggesting a timber structure above and timber floor below. They were modified and remodelled in the 18th and 19th centuries. At 163- 167 Bermondsey Street, there was a sequence of buildings and structures dating from the medieval period onwards. These included a wall remnant that could have been part of the precinct of the abbey, an alleyway between buildings, a hearth and a garderobe (private room or privy). Medieval and early post-medieval remains have been preserved at the site, covered by a protective layer of specially designed material.

Archaeological remains at 163-167 Bermondsey Street

The Tudor period At 100-104 Bermondsey Street, the sequence of buildings began in the late Medieval or early Tudor period. Another phase of construction in the 18th century included a courtyard with a cobbled surface. At several locations, timber bridges and revetments were constructed over and around the remaining, streams and ditches that still wound through the area.

17th and 18th century finds Decorative Flemish tiles sometimes covered floors in more substantial houses whilst others used mortar or timber. Associated with the wool and tanning trades, knuckle bone flooring was popular in southern and south-east in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The occupants of two Bermondsey properties (8 Tyers Gate, 151-153 Bermondsey Street) found a use for the many sheep bones at their disposal. Re-cycling is not new and our predecessors were adept at making sure no elements of the animals that were the basis of the leather and wool stapling industry were wasted. Knuckle bone floors, constructed by ramming the ends of sheep bones into an earth surface were both decorative, hard wearing and durable. With a ready supply of materials, they were popular for both domestic and commercial use. A similar surface was found at Tabard Square nearby.

A knuckle bone floor

The Leather Industry The leather industry was well established by the late 15th century and dominated the area by the 19th century. Evidence of this has been found on several local sites. Related trades such as glue- making, horn or bone working, wool storage and processing crowded into the densely populated streets.

A dipping tank and the remains of tanning pits at The Tanneries, Bermondsey Street

Excavations have revealed sunken barrels used for liming smaller hides and large wooden tanks for tanning. There was extensive use of horn cores to line the edges of tanning pits.

A horn-core lined tanning pit at a site on

Some could have been in use from as early as the 16th century. Over 300 set in clay were found in an 18th century pit, later used for domestic rubbish. Drains to discharge water and waste products led to nearby ditches. As well as the structural elements of the leather trade, finds included leather working tools and a collection of shoes, a fine 13th century leather scabbard and a horse harness pendant dated from the 13th century.

Signs of Domestic Life Bermondsey Street was a place of trade and industry, but also some large and substantial houses belonging to successful business owners. Tableware such as Chinese porcelain, a Tudor jug and pewter vessels were in use, along with more everyday items such as a stoneware chamber pot.

At the eastern end of Tanner Street, a quantity of plates, ladles, knives and spoons, pewter bowls and mugs was a surprise find. The discovery of five turned wooden bowls of the medieval period found at a site within the likely precinct of the Abbey, suggests a connection with the monastic life. Bermondsey Street residents enjoyed seafood such as mussels and cockles as well as wild fruits, game, fowl and field animals. Evidence of edible plants as well as herbs that could have been used for medicinal purposes have also been found. Food preparation vessels such as cauldrons, jars, dishes and a tripod pipkin were found at one site.

Details of porcelain finds at 100-104 Bermondsey Street

Domestic refuse and organic finds are a rich source of insight into everyday life. Clay pipes were common and 26 were found at 100-104 Bermondsey Street. Some had heraldic designs and could have been made by well-known pipemaker, Henry Blundell – who worked in at Kent Street (Great Dover Street) nearby.

Examples of Heraldic Clay Pipes

Leisure and Games Other leisure pursuits were represented by a wooden gaming piece. An Elizabethan silver sixpence dated to 1592 and a toilet set from the 16th century were intriguing glimpses into a grander lifestyle. The find of a 16th century chatelaine from which keys and other personal items would be suspended suggests a high status property. The 16th century toilet set included four implements made from copper and plated with silver. They were an ear pick, a tooth pick, a tongue scraper and a probable ear pick.

In a quiet moment, whilst enjoying a coffee or meal on Bermondsey Street, remember the folk who went before. Today’s coffee shop might be the site of the remains of a substantial 18th century house or a busy leather workshop and tan yard. Below may be the walls or re-worked stones from the famous Cluniac priory and abbey. Whether you live, work or are just visiting, you are part or Bermondsey Street’s present and its past.