Bradshaw's Handbook to London by George Bradshaw

Author:George Bradshaw [BLANCHARD., E. L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781784423339
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2019-11-23T16:00:00+00:00

EIGHTH DAY’S ROUTE.

DISTRICT II.

GRAY’S INN LANE—KING’S CROSS—COLDBATH FIELDS—HOUSE OF CORRECTION— SADLER’S WELLS—THE NEW RIVER—PENTONVILLE—MODEL PRISON—CALE-DONIAN ASYLUM—COPENHAGEN FIELDS—ISLINGTON—CANONBURY—HIGHBURY —CITY ROAD—OLD STREET ROAD—ST. LUKE’S—BUNHILL ROW—ARTILLERY GROUND—CLERKENWELL, &c. &c.

TAKING again a northerly course, we pursue our way from Holborn up GRAY’S INN LANE, in which stands the ROYAL FREE HOSPITAL, founded in 1828, and affording, as its name implies, immediate assistance to all destitute persons requiring medical relief. From the period of its foundation till 1849, 310,547 persons have been gratuitously relieved, and of these 28,190 belonged to 1849 alone. The road leads to KING’S CROSS, so called from an execrable statue of George IV., that stood there till 1842, and which has also derived the name of Battle Bridge from a sanguinary battle fought at this spot between King Alfred and the Danes. Here is the terminus of the GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY, for which the site was cleared in 1850. The road, close by, branches off in a north-westerly direction to CAMDEN TOWN and KENTISH TOWN, leading past the old Church of ST. PANCRAS, originally erected in 1180, and repaired and enlarged in 1848. Nearly opposite to the church is a neat and commodious range of residences known as THE MODEL BUILDINGS, and supplying all the conveniences of a metropolitan lodging-house on a better and more economical principle.

For the sake of visiting localities of greater interest, we shall, however, turn aside from Gray’s Inn Lane, nearly opposite Theobald’s Road, and enter COLDBATH FIELDS, a district long built over, but once famous for a cold spring that still exists in Bath Street. Here is the MIDDLESEX HOUSE OF CORRECTION, opened in 1794. There are 530 cells, and the average number of prisoners daily within the walls, and subject to penal discipline, is 1,000. Workshops on a large scale have been recently added, to furnish employment to the prisoners.

The eastern wall of the House of Correction runs parallel with the Bagnigge Wells Road, where stood Bagnigge Wells, a kind of minor Vauxhall of the day, and existing within the last half century; but of late it has been built over by the Messrs. Cubitt, who have extensive premises at the back, forming quite a little town of itself. In Exmouth Street is the SPA FIELDS CHAPEL, once a theatre, and purchased for its present purpose by the Countess of Huntingdon.

SADLER’S WELL’S THEATRE is in the immediate vicinity, its western side, till very lately, having a fine grove of trees forming an avenue to the St. John Street Road. The name originates from the discovery, in 1683, of a well on this spot, by Mr. Sadler, one of the surveyors of the highways, and who built a Music House to divert the company attracted by the mineral spring. Latterly, having enjoyed the advantages of more creditable management, it has become one of the most favourite establishments in the metropolis. A neighbouring tavern reminds us of our proximity to the NEW RIVER head and reservoir, which, after having originated with the enterprise of Sir Hugh Myddelton, who was ruined by the scheme, now brings a fortune to every shareholder.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.