Gracechurch Street
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gracechurch Street is a street in the City of London, and forms part of the A10.
It starts in the south of the City, near Wren's Monument to the Great Fire of London, at a junction with King William Street, Eastcheap and Cannon Street. It heads north, crossing Lombard Street/Fenchurch Street, until it becomes Bishopsgate.
The closest Tube station is Monument.
[edit] History
The word Gracechurch derives from Garscherchestrete, Gres-cherch and Gras-cherche with Gracechurch not being in use until after the destruction of the street in the Great Fire of London. The street is in the heart of Roman Londinium; it runs directly over the site of the basilica and forum.
In medieval times a corn market was held by St. Benet Gracechurch (a church destroyed in the Fire) at the junction of Gracechurch Street with Fenchurch Street and Lombard Street with vendors being directed to sell their wares there. The existence of such markets can be seen from the derivation of their names, gaers or gers meaning a blade of grass or herb and faenum meaning hay.
The Quakers had an assembly hall on Gracechurch Street up until the nineteenth century; William Penn was arrested on August 14, 1670 for delivering a sermon in the street in front of the building after having been forbidden to preach indoors.
[edit] References
| EC postcode area |
|
EC1 Head district | EC2 Bishopsgate | EC3 Fenchurch Street | EC4 Fleet Street |
 |
This United Kingdom road or road transport-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 |
This London location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
