Bermondsey Street Back Stories

Number 14: ‘Taking the Waters’ at Bermondsey Spa By Jennie Howells October 2020

Spa House

Spas and pleasure gardens Spas, based on springs of mineral water with curative properties have a long history. They were much sought after and established resorts such as Bath, Buxton and Tunbridge Wells were popular for 'taking the waters' in the 18th century. In London, Sadlers Wells and Bagnigge Wells, both north of the river were fashionable. Pleasure gardens that offered refreshment and entertainment were also in vogue. Vauxhall and Ranelagh were celebrated meeting places. In Southwark, Finches Grotto near Southwark Bridge Road and St Helena Gardens in Rotherhithe drew the crowds. Entrepreneur Thomas Keyse moved to Bermondsey Thomas Keyse left Gloucestershire to move to Bermondsey. In 1765, he bought a tavern called The Watermans’ Arms together with an acreage of land near to Grange Road. An artist, publican and impresario, Thomas was described as ‘a little thickset man of cheerful disposition with a round face, closely curled wig and a three-cornered hat worn at a jaunty angle’.

Thomas Keyse

A mineral spring was discovered In 1770, by great good fortune, a chalybeate spring was discovered on the plot that Thomas had purchased. Chalybeate contained various mineral elements, including iron, and was thought to have health giving properties. It was prescribed by doctors at several spa locations. According to a 17th century physician,‘It cured the colic, the melancholy and the vapours; it made the lean fat, the fat lean; it killed flat worms in the belly, loosened the clammy humours of the body and dried the over-moist brain’. Truly, a miracle remedy!

The Waterman’s Arms became Bermondsey Spa The tavern was in a rural area with many streams and ditches. Thomas quickly saw its potential. At some expense, he transformed the open fields into pleasure gardens with a building known as the Spa House, an art gallery, a tea garden with dining booths and an impressive outdoor space for fireworks and other displays. The Spa House was probably a wooden structure, embellished with stone facings to give it a grander appearance.

Map of Bermondsey Spa Gardens (Blue Anchor Road is now Southwark Park Road)

Still Life by Thomas Keyse

Thomas Keyse was also an artist The art gallery at Bermondsey Spa exhibited Thomas’s own paintings. He was a self-taught artist who specialised in still life with natural subjects, for which he became well known. His fruit, flowers and food were meticulously depicted. Many expressed surprise when they saw what they thought was a butcher’s shop at the Spa. In fact, they had glanced into one of the rooms in the gallery and assumed it was a larder because the meats and game were so lifelike. Note the reference at the bottom of the handbill about the Siege of Gibraltar entertainment to Thomas’s own painting of the king.

Handbill for Siege of Gibraltar entertainment

Inventor Thomas was active in artistic circles. He was a founder member of the Free Society of Artists. In 1764 he had received ‘a bounty’ of 30 guineas from the Royal Society of Arts for the invention of a waterproof crayon that resisted damp and deterioration. His work was considered significant enough for the eminent artist, Sir Joshua Reynolds to pay Thomas two visits for a discussion of his techniques and methods.

The famous Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens in 1729

Running the pleasure gardens Aspects of the Spa may have been modelled on the famous Vauxhall Gardens in Lambeth, owned and managed for some years by Bermondsey-born Jonathan Tyers. To encourage custom, Thomas offered metal tokens. These could be exchanged for refreshments to the value of half the admission price. Also available was Thomas’s esteemed and remarkable cherry brandy – undoubtedly more of an attraction than the worthy but unpleasant ‘Bermondsey Water’.

Tokens from 1796

Musical evenings Thomas had applied for a music licence in 1784 and entertainment at the Spa was of high quality. Many well-known artistes were employed for musical evenings during the summer months. One of the performers, who was later to forsake show business to become an historian, librarian and author was William Herbert Wilderspin (William Herbert). He was employed at the Spa in 1788. In a memoir written in later years, he described how, beset by nerves and disappointed in his performance, he called in at a chemist in Borough High Street to take a glass of ‘cordial’ to revive his spirits. Whatever the contents of the cordial, it proved effective and William not only recovered his spirits but also became friendly with another singer, Sarah Youens. Mrs Sarah Herbert Romance blossomed, William proposed and they married at St.John Horsleydown church in July 1795. However, it seems that in real life things were not so simple. The young lady’s parents did not approve and Sarah’s father reclaimed his daughter. She wrote to William telling him of her plight and all ended well when he negotiated a reconciliation. She then continued to perform at the Spa under the name of Mrs Herbert.

Popular Song Book A song book of ballads popular at the Spa was published in 1790. Subjects often had rural, pastoral or hunting themes. Several notable composers of the time such as Jonas Blewitt who lived nearby, wrote pieces for musical evenings. Thomas would always attend to support his performers, even on occasions when the weather was unkind and the audience was sparse.

Street lighting installed Over its 30 years existence, many thousands of visitors found their way to the Spa. However, this was Bermondsey, so matters of security were important. ‘One Wednesday evening, a Mr.Moorlake of Rotherhithe was stopped by a couple of footpads near to the Spa. They demanded money. Mr.Moorlake told them that he was resolved not to be robbed just then and knocked one of them down with a stick. He was then attacked with a larger stick by the other man and he soon had both fellows upon him. It seems that, by standing his ground, he was able to beat the two thugs off’. Not all visitors were as cool as the intrepid Mr.Moorlake and following incidents such as this, advertisements were placed in local newspapers. ‘The Spa Gardens, in Grange Road Bermondsey, one mile from London Bridge; for the security of the public the road is lighted and watched by patroles every night, at the sole expense of the proprietor.’

Handbill advertising Fireworks by Rossi & Tessier as shown at Bermondsey Spa

Fireworks An evening out at the Spa could include a bespoke firework display. Thomas employed none but the best to stage these. Signors Rossi and Tessier mounted set piece extravaganzas – some enjoyed from outside the gardens by local residents without an entrance fee. The Spa was especially famous for a series of mock battles staged with elaborate scenery. Perhaps the most renowned was a recreation of the historic ‘Siege of Gibraltar’ (1779-82) The spectacle featured a model of the rock reputed to be 50ft high and 200ft long. The whole apparatus covered an extensive area and made for an exciting encounter featuring naval vessels, exploding bombshells and realistic gunfire.

The death of Thomas Keyse and his pleasure gardens Thomas Keyse died in his house at the entrance to Bermondsey Spa in February 1800. He death was registered at St.Mary Magdalen church, near to the pleasure gardens to which he had devoted much of his life. The Spa continued in operation for a few years but without Thomas’s verve and enthusiasm, it could not survive. There had been complaints from neighbours about noise and disruption and the Spa closed in 1805. His paintings were sold at auction. The House became a boarding school until it was demolished in 1828 and the land sold for development.

Victorian Industry Much of the local area was taken during the 19th century for factories – jam, biscuits, leather and other essentials. Bermondsey Spa was still remembered though in Spa Road railway station, which opened in 1834 with the new commuter railway line from London Bridge to Greenwich, and whose booking hall façade can still be seen. Later, a recreation area opened on part of the site of the Spa. This was followed at the beginning of the 21st century by the major regeneration project that created the Spa Gardens and surrounding neighbourhood as it is today.

Spa Road railway station