As Daniel mentioned, this excursion began where we started on the first day of class. It was a nice callback and set a tone of reflection for this particular outing. In many ways, the Southwark visit served to reinforce some of the themes of the course.

A consistent emphasis was placed on the limits of our archeological evidence. Property, especially in regards to land value, became a connecting theme throughout the course. Much of medieval London no longer exists due to the rebuilding and renovation of valuable properties. However, as we discussed, atmosphere and names are among the last aspects of the urban landscape to change. Southwark’s history as a sanctuary for the marginalized groups of medieval society can still be seen in the contemporary area.

Southwark’s proximity to London made it an attractive prospect, but the land was marshy, making it difficult to build. Land was undeveloped and cheap. This is another note on the importance of property, which in this case served to provide an affordable place for outsiders. Consequently, Southwark attracted immigrants and other alienated groups. Large populations of immigrants and other marginalized groups meant that Southwark existed as a poverty stricken area.

As a poor area, it would be reasonable to expect little information and few sources. This would fit in with the course discussions on the limits of information and the bias inherent in sources. Indeed, far less would be known about this area had there been no interaction with upper classes. As it were, some cross-class interaction did occur. One example is the fact that several houses were owned by various ambassadors to London. Business conditions in Southwark also helped to build contact.

The simultaneous proximity and distance from London created a liminal space that was well suited to the more questionable aspects of society. Things not considered completely moral in public opinion like theater, prostitution, and drinking all found a place in the community of Southwark. The distance afforded such businesses a certain degree of freedom, while still attracting patrons from London proper. Brothels showcase this unique relationship particularly well. Church teaching dictated that extramarital activities were wrong and should be punished. As such, bordellos were condemned in the City of London. Of course, demand still existed and prostitution flourished on the opposite bank. Interestingly, the Bishop of Winchester owned several brothels, despite his association with the church. This was made possible by the social distinction between the two spaces.

However, such spatial division served to further disadvantage the marginalized residents of Southwark.  Inclusive spaces were reserved for those of upper classes with better reputations. Exclusion prevented access to the social capital necessary for forming valuable networks. This built up a culture of poverty wherein poorer people could not make the connections necessary for escaping their financial situation.

Overall this excursion, and the course as a whole, provided tools for looking at medieval culture through a much broader historical lens. The themes mentioned above built a sense of course coherence that enabled greater exploration of medieval life in London.

Interestingly enough for this excursion we met at the exact same meeting point of our first one. However, during this trip we would be exploring the area known as Southwark. During the medieval times this area wasn’t actually in the city of London. It was outside of the city, and on the other side of London Bridge. While walking around it was explained that this area housed a large portion of immigrants and those who were not from the city London.

During our walk around Southwark one of the main attractions we saw was The Globe. This was where Shakespeare staged his plays during his career. It was interesting to note that this version of the Globe was built to be almost identical to the original one. As explained, one version of the Globe was completely taken down and moved into storage in one night, because the landlord wanted it to be taken down. Another version had actually burned to the ground because of a cannon used on set malfunctioned. The current Globe was only open for part of the year and getting tickets to shows there was very difficult.

After walking a bit around Southwark, we concluded the excursion with a trip to The George, one of the oldest pubs in London. After Daniel gave a presentation on pubs, Eyal went into greater detail about The George. It attempted to replicate the feel of a real time medieval London pub. One of the key ways this was done was by having the room dimly lit with not much light coming in. Eyal explained that this was how medieval pubs in London looked like. The pubs were typically illuminated by candle light hanging around the walls and The George also had one fireplace which was sadly not lit. It was very interesting to hear that because of the poor lighting back in medieval London, more people relied on their other senses. For example, sight is the only admissible for of evidence in court in todays world, but in medieval London you could convict based on something such as hearing another persons voice.

Fortunately, we had a whole room to ourselves where we sat after ordering our drinks. Many people ended up being confused and kept walking into the room we were sitting thinking this was where they could receive service. Much of our discussion was looking back on our class over the past semester. We pretty much talked about how the class went over all and if it could be improved in any ways. The general consensus was that everyone greatly enjoyed the course, and that excursions were a great way to go see London in a new light. There is much more to the city of London that someone wouldn’t know without studying its medieval past. Even the students that had lived in London for quite some time hadn’t seen some of the things that we went out and did. After finishing our drinks and ending the discussion we had a sad goodbye and that was the end of the awesome London Before the Fire course.

Museums are a valuable resource for those who study the past. On our excursion to the Museum of London, we had the amazing opportunity to see fragments of London’s history up close and personal. We were fortunate enough to get a tour of the medieval section from the curator herself, whose knowledge is furthered by her years of experience as a working archeologist in London. Archeological evidence, which makes up a good portion of the museum’s collection, can be very useful as long as it is considered alongside other kinds of sources.

The same can be said for museums more generally. While museums provide the opportunity to study artifacts for oneself, we must remember to also examine the way in which the museum chooses to present those artifacts. The importance of considering the museum’s interpretation cannot be overstated. An example of the Museum of London’s interpretation of a historical event was the short film on the 1348 Black Death in London. The film sought to emphasize the uncertainty and fear of the time period through the use of many low voices talking in the background. These voices listed locations that the plague had struck and symptoms of the disease, as well as reciting apocalyptic biblical verses. The film used imagery of fire and bones heavily. This film was the Museum’s attempt to picture life in London in 1348-49, an attempt that may or may not have been entirely accurate.

After the tour and browsing the displays, we moved to a learning space to handle medieval objects from daily life. Some of the objects, like chain mail, were instantly recognizable, while others appeared strange and alien. These objects allowed us to begin to piece together the day-to-day life of the medieval Londoner. They showed us how he cooked, dressed, and did business. These small things all add up to a way of life that is very relevant to the study of history.

Moving outside the Museum, we came to a section of the old London city wall. The wall was constructed by the Romans around 200 CE, most likely as a response to the civil wars in the empire during the late second and early third centuries. It was built of ragstone shipped up the Thames from Maidstone, and the wall’s interior space was filled with ragstone rubble and a hard mortar. Horizontal bands of red Roman tile were also laid, and these helped to ensure that the wall remained level over distance. These bands are more readily visible in the section of wall by Tower Hill than in this one. However, this wall did show the medieval repairs and additions that often cover the Roman parts. With its backdrop of a modern building, it also demonstrated the vital nature of the city. Because London has been a significant city for a very long time, construction and growth were and continue to be almost a constant. The old and the new exist together, and often right on top of each other.

Meeting at tower hill tube station, the first thing that strikes you is two of the few remaining pieces of medieval architecture in the city. The Tower of London to the north and part of the old medieval city walls to the east. They are surrounded by modern architecture and show evidence of repairs and updates themselves, and this impact of the old against the new sets the tone for our excursion.

We make our way to the site of St Mary Graces entering through a gate to what is now the under croft of a 1980’s building.  Looking at the remaining ruins again one can clearly see the contrast of the old against the new with additions from when the site was used as a yard for the Royal Navy. Owing to the ruins being essentially part of the basement it is difficult to gauge to size and scope of the buildings but the pieces of stonemasonry that are still visible begin to give an impression of the building as it was. We discussed the history of the place, its continued uses over time. In particular it is intriguing that it is only in recent years that the site has been used for anything residential. It seems that the stigma of the plague pits lingered.

After having a good look around the remains of the abbey we then walk through London taking in the contrast of London’s some of London’s few remaining medieval buildings, the lingering road names. We head to the Guildhall to view some manuscripts which could give us additional insight into the experiences of the plague.

The first of these documents provide details of the transference of Property between a Mother and her Daughter, both widowed, over the few years that the plague was rife. The documents give an excellent insight into the mentality of the pair, clearly concerned about what would happen to their property in the case of eithers death. It is also interesting to note that both are widowed at the same time which would have been highly unusual. We then see in a later document that the property is transferred back and at this time it can be seen marriage has been made to another member of their guild of the weavers, indicating guild practises of taking care of their own.

Going on to look at the other documents we see more yet evidence of the impact of the plague. Particularly striking are the details of the huge uptake of new members into the guild following the plague in one of the books, presumably to replace those that have died.

The books containing records have many pages added from later dates, pages left empty for new additions spaces left for the work of illuminators which have never been added. The books, like London, have morphed and changed over time. The materials used in the books have also changed with the shift to paper being very apparent to the touch.

It is apparent that though there are continuous changes both through the books and the buildings making it clear that it is vital not to take just a snapshot it time but also to consider what came before, what came after, and what may still be to come.

It is the victors who write history, and with that being said, there is not too much to be learnt about the experiences and struggles of the peasants during their revolt of 1381. One of the advantages of walking in the footsteps of these people, is that still just over 600 years later we are able to piece together a sense of what the city would have looked like, and felt like from their perspective. Perhaps the best example of this is crossing London Bridge which was the only bridge allowing people to get to the other side of the Thames. One can not only imagine the narrow and cramped nature of the crossing, but also the feeling of awe which would have met a crowd of country-men for which this would possibly be their first and last trip to the capital.

Obviously, trying to imagine a medieval city in modern-day London has its difficulties; a series of reformations, a great fire, a blitz, and not to mention the introduction of several new office-buildings, all serve to make such a task a real challenge. Having said that, one of the best ways to appreciate medieval London and what would have been there, is by looking at those things which do not change quite so quickly over the centuries – street names. London, like today, was a city centred on work. We can see for instance, street names such as Bread Street where bakers worked, Milk Street where cows were kept, Threadneedle Street which was where tailors would carry out their work, Bucklesbury which was possibly home to bucklers, and Cloth Fair where merchants would buy and sell their cloth at the market by St Bartholomew Church. We can tell that this latter street for example, would have been one of the wealthiest in London. Though the many monasteries of London are now non-existent, the street names still hold their legacy; hence we have the road names Greyfriars, Blackfriars, and Whitefriars.

The Tower of London and Westminster Abbey are the only buildings from the Middle Ages which have survived the test of time; this was because they were owned by the monarchy, and were therefore not pulled down in order to make money. However, there is still a lot to be learnt from looking at the remains of other buildings, or even reconstructions of old buildings. Temple Church, which dates from the end of the twelfth century provides a useful idea of what the churches of the era would have looked like. This being said, the round style of the church (which is based on those in the Holy Land) is much less typical of English churches, and bears more resemblance to those found far more frequently in Europe.

Though slightly off the route of the Peasants’ Revolt, again by looking at Staple Inn in High Holborn, it is possible to imagine the medieval street. This survived the Great Fire but was unfortunately damaged in the blitz. Nonetheless it offers a fine example.

London therefore is a source in itself. The Peasants’ Revolt can be traced and imagined; from picturing their determination to attack the lawyers at Temple, to their excitement at destroying the Savoy.