The Gates Of The City Of London
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The City Gates As They Appeared Before They Were Torn Down, engraved for Harrison’s History of London 1775
As we enter a new year, I am delighted to show you this eighteenth century print that I came across in the Spitalfields Market for a couple of pounds with the plangent title “The City Gates As They Appeared Before They Were Torn Down.”
Printed in 1775, this plate recorded venerable edifices that had been demolished in recent decades and was reproduced in Harrison’s History of London, a publication notable for featuring Death and an Hourglass upon the title page as if to emphasise the mutable, ever-changing nature of the capital and the brief nature of our residence in it.
Moorgate (demolished 1761)
Aldgate (demolished 1761)
Bishopsgate (demolished 1760)
Cripplegate (demolished 1760)
Ludgate (demolished 1760)
Newgate (demolished 1767)
Aldersgate (demolished 1617)
Bridgegate (demolished 1762)
Sixteenth century figures of King Lud and his sons that formerly stood upon Ludgate, and stowed ever since in an alley at the side of St Dunstan in the West, Fleet St
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Which part of London was Bridgegate situated in?
Thank you … I never knew what they looked like before. And thanks for all the enjoyment your posts have given me all year. Merry 2022.
Fascinating. I would be even more interested in why these great edifices were demolished. As the dates differ considerably I imagine there were a number of different reasons caused by the exigencies of the relevant time.
Never knew there was a Bridge Gate. But it makes sense!
Today the coat of arms from Bridgegate can be seen on the front of the Kings Arms pub on Newcomen Street, Southwark. This is an east turning off Borough High Street, a short walk from Borough tube station.