Comments on: At Plough Yard

By: Amanda Thomas

Amanda Thomas — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 18:49:31 +0000

I do hope you see this as your piece about Plough Yard was published some time ago. However, I am an author and historian and I am currently researching the area around Plough Yard, although I am looking at the 175os to early 1800s. I find it distressing that so much of this part of London is being eradicated and there are few photographs or illustrations of the courts and yards. I don’t know how old those houses were that you photographed in Plough Yard, but I would love to discuss this with you and perhaps use a photograph if it is relevant and/or possible. Thank you!

By: keith simpson

keith simpson — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 09:39:09 +0000

My ancestors lived at the Plough in Plough Yard and he was called Thomas North. I’m happy to share my research around the Plough at Plough Yard and the North family. They also had a licence for The Unicorn on the high street. I have insurance document for Thomas North at Kings Head Court of 1789. he was a butcher and licenced victualler. It was his son Thomas North who had the plough and Unicorn. His son another Thomas North left and went to Shrewsbury. His great grand Daughter Lizzie May North was my grand mother.

By: judith byrne

judith byrne — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 14:34:35 +0000

I recently found out that my ancestors in the late 1700s were born, brought up and plied their trade of gin distillation and selling from Plough Yard. I wonder what Thomas North and his family would have thought about the way their London was being destroyed.

By: keith simpson

keith simpson — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 23:00:43 +0000

Does any one know the once whereabouts of the plough inn in plough yard? If so does anything still exist?
thank you
Keith

By: Paul Sennett

Paul Sennett — Fri, 27 Nov 2015 13:52:05 +0000

Just read a planning info sheet on this proposed tower block. Apparently the Curtain Theatre (where Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was first performed) is being preserved below as an exhibition and performance space and is expected to become a major tourist attraction.

By: Johnny T

Johnny T — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 17:29:05 +0000

I used to work as a Finished Artist for a company called Eureka Arts in a rickety old building in Bowl Court off Plough yard….. Freezing in the winter sweltering in the summer, most of the time we spent either huddled around heaters or fans. The street lighting was very poor and consequently was very dark at night time, come opening up time we often had to sweep away the evidence of the working girls who plied their trade in our doorway. Every day we toiled away with Rotring pens, scalpels, hairdryers, drafting film, drawing boards and wax machines on the attic floor of what must have been a very old warehouse given all the doors and crane jibs on each floor …. Our fire escape was a kind of harness thing that hung from the jib outside and we looked out onto an old railway viaduct which was overgrown with grass and blackberry bushes, was lovely to look at in the summer…It was a hard life (especially for our busy courier Jamie who had to walk up all those flights of stairs countless times a day) but oh what fun and what a great area to spend the late 80’s to late 90’s, we were witnesses to the whole trendification (is that a word) and artying-up of the area probably because of clubs like the Blue Note in Hoxton. It’s such a shame to see this go I will always have a soft spot for it I spent many happy days there.

By: Gill

Gill — Sun, 18 Jan 2015 15:46:07 +0000

I’m all in favour of progress but at what price? The developers have obviously chosen to ignore the lessons of the past. People don’t like living long term in high rise buildings. They are depressing. The design of the Bard has absolutely no imagination. It looks soulless. I would hate to live/work there. Can it be stopped? Why bulldoze our history. Regeneration of the existing is surely a better solution.

By: valerie-Jael

valerie-Jael — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 11:34:46 +0000

So sad! The higher the buildings, the lower the morals. Valerie

By: Lynne

Lynne — Sun, 12 May 2013 00:10:38 +0000

That is so sad, everyone seems to be so content and thriving in this small community in such a historic location.

By: andrew plume

andrew plume — Thu, 02 May 2013 21:36:19 +0000

and……………..inspired yet again by the outstanding blog that we have here, I made a deliberate visit today to visit Plough Yard and to photograph what’s there and also to do the same from the garden of the adjacent ‘Crown and Shuttle’

if Boris and the developers have their way, all that remains of anything different will be demolished, progress isn’t good at all and isn’t needed