Chancery Lane
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Papal bulls, Chancellors, and Victorian knickers
On 25 February 1570 Pope Pius V issued a papal bull, Regnans in Excelsis, or ‘reigning on high’, referring to Elizabeth I as “pretended Queen of England and the servant of crime”. She was branded a heretic and the pope released all her Catholic subjects from allegiance to her, threatening excommunication to any who obeyed her Continue reading
WHAT’S SO FUNNY ABOUT
HA HA ROAD?
What is so funny about Ha Ha Road, and whose heart bled in Bleeding Heart Yard? Why did Broken Wharf break? Who was unfortunate enough to head off down Wild Goose Drive?
Beware: you wouldn’t make wine from the grapes of Grape Street, put the stew of Stew Lane on a menu, or finish off with the pudding from Pudding Lane.
Nothing is what it seems: London streets and their names provide an endless source of entertainment and information mixed in with political intrigue, bloody murder and celebrity scandals.
Come in and sample the wonders of the city’s A-Z: the legends, the history – and the theories – behind the streets, their names, and their residents.
About Me (and my Obsession)
My obsession with London street names began in the early 90s when I worked in the Smithfield area and happened upon Bleeding Heart Yard. In my wanderings around London, I kept adding to my store of weird and wonderful street names. Eventually it was time to share – hence my blog. I hope you enjoy these names as much as I do.
– Elizabeth
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