Southwark
Introduction
Southwark is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed due to its position at the southern end of the early versions of London Bridge, for centuries the only dry crossing on the river. Around 43 AD, engineers of the Roman Empire found the geographic features of the south bank here suitable for the placement and construction of the first bridge.
London's historic core, the City of London, lay north of the bridge and for centuries the area of Southwark just south of the bridge was partially governed by the City, while other areas of the district were more loosely governed. The section known as Liberty of the Clink became a place of entertainment. By the 12th century Southwark had been incorporated as an ancient borough, and this historic status is reflected in the alternative name of the area, as Borough. The ancient borough of Southwark's river frontage extended from the modern borough boundary, just to the west of the Oxo Tower, to St Saviour's Dock (originally the mouth of the River Neckinger) in the east. In the 16th century, parts of Southwark near London Bridge became a formal City ward, Bridge Without.
The urban area expanded over the years and Southwark was completely separated administratively from the City in 1900. Local points of interest include Southwark Cathedral, Borough Market, Shakespeare's Globe theatre, The Shard, Tower Bridge, Butler's Wharf and the Tate Modern museum.
History of Southwark
Places of Interest
- Borough Market -- Ancient marketplace of Suthwark
- Butler's Wharf
- Globe Theatre
- Southwark Cathedral -- the mother church of the Diocese of Southwark (Cathedral circa 1905)
Bridges
- -- Blackfriars Bridge
- -- London Bridge
- -- Millenium Bridge (Footbridge)
- -- Southwark Bridge
- -- Tower Bridge
Communities In The Borough
Camberwell
Dulwich Village
East Dulwich
Herne Hill
Kingswood Estate
Newington
Nunhead
Peckham
Southwark
St Savior
Southwark St Saviour (/ˈsʌðərk/ ⓘ SUDH-ərk) was a civil parish in the metropolitan area of London, England, and part of the ancient Borough of Southwark. It was formed in 1541 from the union of the parishes of St Margaret and St Mary. It was abolished in 1930, however residents of the former parish receive a rebate against local taxation because of the presence of Borough Market. It included the Liberty of the Clink which was a special jurisdiction until 1889.
Administration
It was created in 1541 from the former area of the parish of St Margaret and the smaller parish of St Mary, which covered the precinct of the Southwark Priory. It included the Liberty of the Clink that had been part of St Saviour's parish.
In 1855 it was grouped with Southwark Christchurch into the St Saviour's District of the Metropolis. It became part of the County of London in 1889. The Saviour's District was abolished in 1900 and Southwark St Saviour became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Southwark. The parish was absorbed by Southwark in 1930.
The parish was unusual in that its affairs were under the control of the Corporation of Wardens of St Saviour's Parish. The corporation was established by act of parliament in 1541, replacing the Guild of the Assumption of St Margaret's Church. The London Government Act 1899 removed governance functions from the body but it retained its charitable purpose. It is still in existence as the United St Saviour's Charity.
Borough Market
The parish contained the large wholesale food market Borough Market. The trustees of the market have been appointed by the parish since 1756. Additionally, any profit from the operation of the market must be repaid to the local authority and used to offset local taxation. This arrangement has outlasted the abolition of the parish in 1930 and council tax payers in the former parish receive a rebate against their Council Tax.
Geography
To the north the parish had a long boundary fronting the River Thames and the City of London. It stretched, in modern terms, to include the whole of the Bankside Power Station in the west and fell just short of London Bridge station in the east. Half of the current site of Guy's Hospital was within the parish, with Great Maze Pond broadly marking the boundary with St Olave. Parts of what is now Newcomen Street, Little Dorrit Court and Southwark Bridge Road broadly marked the irregular southern boundary with St George the Martyr parish. In the west there was a boundary with Southwark Christchurch (formerly the liberty of Paris Garden) that followed, but fell short of, what is now Great Suffolk Street, Sumner Street, and Holland Street.