The historic marker in front of Nicholson's Sugarloaf Pub on cannon Street relates both the history of Cannon St (Formerly candlewritch Street), an area that saw a sea change in its composition over the centuries, and explains how the pub gots its name.
The marker reads as follows:
"THE SUGARLOAF PUB
The SUGARLOAF is situated on Cannon Street, which starts at St. Paul’s cathedral and runs parallel with the River Thames for half a mile. Cannon Street was first known as “Candlewritch Street,” named after the candle makers who used to live in the area.
In the 18th century, the area of Three Cranes Wharf, Queen Street and Upper Thames Street was home to several sugar refineries, but they were demolished for the building of Southwark Bridge in 1819. Prior to this, the area had been producing sugar for over 100 years.
The area is now occupied by the Thames Exchange Building at 72 Upper Thames Street.
The Sugarloaf was the traditional form in which refined sugar was produced and sold until the late 19th century, a tall cone with a rounded top from which large lumps could be broken off with sugar nips.
[Nicholson’s logo]"
From the Sugarloaf Pub website: (
visit link)
"WELCOME TO THE SUGAR LOAF
FAMOUS FOR SOLID CONES AND NAME-CHANGING CANDLE-MAKERS
You will find The Sugar Loaf in Cannon Street within a short stroll of Barbican, Broadgate and Southwalk - however you won't find another like it.
Step in to discover a traditional pub of unique character, revered for its eclectic range of real ales and its quality pub food, which are served, as they should be, with a generous measure of famous British hospitality.
A FASCINATING PAST
This fine, Grade-II listed pub with its distinctive curved and recessed corner detail, dates from the early 19th century. The Sugar Loaf's first recorded landlord was John Curling who was pulling pints in 1839. At that time sugar was still sold in solid conical blocks known as loaves. The shape was an instantly recognisable symbol of trade, originally used by grocers and, later, by pubs. Here, the connection runs deeper because the area to the south of Cannon Street was once home to many small refineries where sugar was boiled and solidified.
Cannon Street itself was famous for its candle-makers. In the 12th century it was known as Candelwrichstrete. The name changed more than 60 times during the following 500 years. By the time Samuel Pepys mentioned it in his diary in 1667, it was Cannon Street."