The Last Wherryman's Seat
This is the last surviving Wherryman's seat.
Location: Bankside, Southwark Bridge, Southwark
Description: Here, wedged into the wall of The Real Greek restaurant on Bankside is a peculiar stone tablet. It's at the top of Bear Gardens, and not far from Shakespeares Globe Theatre, and it's actually a seat.
According to shiny plaque above it, this is the last surviving example of the many boatmen's seats that once lined London's South Bank.
Avoiding tolls on the few bridges back then, wherrymen ferried passengers across the Thames and back again, in narrow water taxis called wherries. The 'wherrymen' waited on these rather slim rough stone benches while their passengers boarded.
This part of Southwark was similar to our present-day Soho, full of various many much unsaloubrious entertainment of the night. Bear baiting took place a hundred yards down this road.
Ancient
River
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This is the last surviving Wherryman's seat. |
Ranking This Month: 1571/2841
Pages Hit This Month: 8
Other places nearby:
Are you Insured?», 1.6km
Lloyds Law Courts Pedal Power», 0.8km
Neal's Yard Water Clock», 1.3km
House of the Mystery Hat», 6.4km
The Necropolis Railway», 1.0km
Wanstead Park's Grotto», 7.3km
Baby born on a Bus», 3.0km
London's Most Refreshing Sign», 9.1km
The Lancaster London», 3.4km
London Pride Morris Men», 3.1km
Location Pinpointed:
pinpointing the forgotten and lost history of London
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