A Garden with a Gruesome Past
A place of public hangings and statues with added fertility
Location: West Smithfield Garden, EC1
Description: In the Middle Ages this was a plain, grassy space just outside the city walls, known as Smooth Field, where fine horses were sold. A cattle market was established in 1638 and remained until 1855, when it was moved to Islington.
Smithfield was a place of public execution for over 400 years. Here heretics, rebels and criminals were burnt, beheaded or boiled. In 1305 Scottish hero William Wallace was hanged, drawn and quartered after being dragged there behind a horse. In 1381 Wat Tyler, leader of the Peasants' Revolt, gathered his army there and was stabbed by the Mayor of London. The injured Tyler was taken to the hospital at St Bartholomew's Church - but dragged out again and beheaded.
The gallows were moved to Tyburn in the 15th century but Smithfield was also used for the executions of religious martyrs. These reached a peak when more than 200 Protestants were burnt at the stake during Queen Mary's reign in the 1550s.
Today the area is a peaceful, hidden corner of London - but one with a terrible past.
Plus, the statue of the young woman has a wedding band soldered to her finger - and why - well the Superintendent at the time could not find the owner and thus created a point in history by placing it here... she's also represented fertility since 1873.
Tours: Rebels, Radicals & Rough Justice
Themes: Public Amenities Sculpture Historical
A place of public hangings and statues with added fertility |
Ranking This Month: 2210/3069
Pages Hit This Month: 11
Credits: http://www.opensquares.org/detail/index.html?../detail/West%20Sm.html
Your Comments:
Other places nearby:
Bizarre Cast Iron Public Toilets», 0.4km
A Dogs's Life», 3.9km
Flowers on Columbia», 1.5km
Loos near Liberty...», 1.6km
Pinochet's Priory House Arrest», 8.0km
The Savoy Hotel», 0.9km
Park Lane Hotel...art deco loo», 2.1km
A Delight off Shoreditch», 1.2km
One Aldwych - smart toilets», 0.8km
A Jubilee Walk in London», 1.5km
Location Pinpointed:
Open Street Maps», Google Maps»