Charing Cross
Charing Cross Charing Cross as its name
implies was once the site of a stone cross, the only one
remaining in the city, according to the historian John
Kirkpatrick, c1720, although the Market Cross was not
pulled down until 1732. Known as Sherhill cross in the
fourteenth century and variously thereafter as
Shereshill, Sherergate and Shereman rowe, the cross took
its name from the men who formerly lived here, whose
trade it was to shear the worsteds made on the
city’s looms.This street, like so many others, has lost buildings through street-widening schemes. The north side was demolished for this purpose in 1970. Some time before this, however, the little shop at No 15 had disappeared. It had for many years been the Lord Camden public house, a sixteenth-century building matching in its outward appearance (albeit much smaller) the street frontage of Strangers’ Hall opposite. An adjoining passageway led to Lord Camden yard (left). This was described by Claude Messent as one of the oldest in the city, having sixteenth-century flintwork in the walls of some of its buildings, while others were of stud and plaster. The yard itself was paved with old kidney cobbles and down its centre were tram rails, probably once used by trucks transporting goods. Text and photographs Copyright © G.A.F.Plunkett 2004 |