Gateway, Charlton House, London, UK
Posted by: Team Sieni
N 51° 28.827 E 000° 02.177
31U E 294212 N 5707420
The former gateway to Charlton House. The old walls have gone, but the gateway remains, standing free.
Waymark Code: WM306B
Location: United Kingdom
Date Posted: 01/19/2008
Views: 44
This arch was once the gateway to Charlton House built in 1607-12, and now the best preserved Jacobean mansion in the London area.
This arch wasn't originally intended as a free standing arch, but that's how it has ended up: Until 1829, the area in front of the house formed the village green. However from 1829 onwards, the green was annexed to the house grounds, leaving the former entrance standing redundant in front of the house.
The green was formerly the site of the notoriously riotous Horn Fair in which a riotous mob marched from Deptford to Charlton "... with horns of different kinds upon their heads; and at the fair there are sold rams horns, and every sort of toy made of horn; even the gingerbread figures have horns ... " It was suppressed in 1874 on account of the riotous drunken behaviour.