Home

Themes | Tours | By Area
Map | New | Hot

Latest News
Comments
On This Day in London
Can You Help?
Email Newsletter

Sign Up/Register
Forgot Password?
Contribute a Location

About Us
Friends
Contact Us

RSS Feeds

IN THE NEWS

BBC Media Village and White City 

I NEED A...

• London Xmas Shop
• London Betting
• London Bookshop
• London Car Hire
• London Car Parking
• London Shopping
• London Dating
• London Flats to Rent
• Flights to London
• London Flower Delivery
• London Hotel
• London Music
• London Finance
• London Restaurant
• London Theatre

Number of Locations:

LATEST TOURS

TOP TOURS

TOP TOUR GUIDES

    1. Ade  
    2. Jez  
    3. Dave Evans  
    4. Brian  
    5. James Robertson  

LONDON THEMES

The Elephant and Castle Story

The real story of why the Elephant and Castle are thus named.

Location: Elephant and Castle, Southwark, London

Description: There are many ideas of where the name Elephant and Castle comes from about on the Internet.

The most plausible is the most wrong, that it's from a corruption of la Infanta de Castile referring to any of a number of Spanish princesses connected to English history including Eleanor of Castile, Catherine of Aragon, and Maria, daughter of Philip III of Spain.

The second is that it's from the name of a pub (oldest records date to 1765), which places the pub in the same position as the area - where did they both get the name from?

Author John Timbs documents the story from the 21st March 1661, repeated from a pamphlet printed at the time and now in the British Library.

Some was standing on old London Bridge and saw a vision in the clouds of an Elephant with a Castle on it's back. Now, those times it was common place that if someone saw a vision then crowds flocked, in fact the author of The History of the Great Plague tells us that he was in danger from a crowd in St Giles, because he could not see an angel in the air holding a drawn sword in his hand.

This story almost certainly, once documented in rare written form, became famous in London, and pubs (as was the wont) were named after such things.

Tagged in this Tour: Weird photo ops
Tagged in this Tour: unique tour

• Location
• Comments
• More

Themes: Quirky  Literary
Submitted by: Ade 
Ranking This Month: 20/2532
Pages Hit This Month: 341
Link to This Page: http://www.shadyoldlady.com/location.php?loc=1528
Credits: Romance of London, John Timbs

The Elephant and Castle Story The real story of why the Elephant and Castle are thus named.

The Shady Old Lady points out that you can drag this map using mouse. Or visit our full massive map.

Got something to add? Write it 'ere:

Name:     Email:
Your email will ONLY be used once, to confirm the publication of your comments. We value your contribution and privacy.
<Put your comments here>
Anti-spam Security: Please enter this code: