Comments on: Paul Pindar’s House In Bishopsgate

By: Annie

Annie — Sat, 27 Apr 2019 12:26:39 +0000

Thanks for the interesting history.
I occasionally worked in the V&A shop area back in the late 90s which was where the frontage of the house was at that time.

By: Paul Loften

Paul Loften — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 11:51:23 +0000

What a remarkable life Pindar had living through those momentous times. It seems a common theme that the wealth and property accumulated by wealthy merchants, in those far off days, was taken by the debts owed when they died. The substantial sums they had to pay to royalty to keep the favours bestowed on them were never forgotten .
Had CR Ashbee succeed in is aim of preserving at least the frontage of the house it would have been a veritable treasure and attraction to millions of visitors. However Bishopsgate is such a busy place it may have been difficult to sustain. Possibly the Bishopsgate entrance to the station could have been sited elsewhere and the beautiful house preserved.
A close watch must always be kept on planners, developers , businessmen , local authorities and whoever has an interest in rebuilding for their own gain.

By: Stephen Barker

Stephen Barker — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 10:56:42 +0000

Do you know if the details of the paintwork were recorded before it was stripped back to bare wood. In the various paintings you have shown the woodwork appears to be painted in a pale stone colour. If this was the background to the elaborate carvings which were no doubt painted in bright colours with gilding it would have looked magnificent in its hey-day. I suppose we must be grateful that we still have this fragment of his house.
Sir Paul Pinder loans to the crown proved an unwise investment. The same could be said for the London merchants who loaned money to Charles II who cancelled his debts bankrupting many merchants.

By: Helen Breen

Helen Breen — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 10:39:38 +0000

Greetings from Boston,

GA, what a great number of images through the ages of Paul Pindar’s house – at least we have those. Most interesting…

By: Annelise Goodsir

Annelise Goodsir — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 09:32:08 +0000

Oh what a dreadful loss! I will never understand how developers can be so utterly short-sighted and foolish, and so careless of history. What a beautiful house, it should have been preserved. What a shame the monarch of the time didn’t step in and protect it. Very sad. Thank you for sharing the wonderful pictures.

By: Wendy Lowe

Wendy Lowe — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 08:21:33 +0000

Thank you Gentle Author. I visit both Bishopsgate and the V&A often so will visit the remains of the house on my next V&A visit and think of it in situ when next in Bishòpsgate. What a great shame not to be able to see the rooms and garden.

By: Hayley Bell

Hayley Bell — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 07:50:07 +0000

What an interesting story. And as you say, it proves that demolition and redevelopment of historic buildings is not just of our time. The Victorians must have cleared so many properties in the name of progress and modernization.

By: John Barrett

John Barrett — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 07:31:51 +0000

I do love the Paul Pindar article Thanks GA Poet John is with you all the way on this one.

By: Jill Wilson

Jill Wilson — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 07:08:11 +0000

What a fantastically decorative bit of architecture and what a great loss for London (sigh!)

By: David Wilson

David Wilson — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 06:50:43 +0000

Hi Gentle Author

If you aren’t familier with John Wykeham Archer’s work, do have a look at the BM’s entire collection of his drawings/water colours on their website. They date to the 1840s-1860s and deserve to be much more widely known. Archer derived a series of engravings derived from them in 1851, but the originals are more immediate, and provide a colourful counterpoint to the b&w Henry Dixon photos of some thirty years later. One of these days I’m going to arrange with the BM to get to study them in the flesh (the portfolio is stored offsite). They give us another poignant glimpse of a lost and curiously vulnerable London…