'Aldersgate' was a
gate in the
London Wall in the
City of London, which has given its name to Aldersgate Street, a road leading north from the site of the gate, towards
Clerkenwell in the
London Borough of Islington.
The old gate was taken down in
1617, and rebuilt in the same year from a design by
Gerard Christmas. The gate was damaged in the
Great Fire of London, but was repaired and remained until
1761. Aldersgate Street contained the
Bishop of London's Chapel and his chambers at London House, which was used from the
eighteenth century because it was closer to
St Paul's Cathedral than his official residence at
Fulham. Also on this street is a
St Botolph Aldersgate, and the site of the meeting room where
John Wesley was converted in
1738, which is marked by a plaque.
Aldersgate Street is near the
Barbican Estate and
Centre,
St Bartholomew's Hospital, and the
Museum of London. Northwards it continues into Goswell Road, southwards it becomes St Martin's-le-Grand.
The house of Sarah Sawyer, in Rose and Rainbow Court (approximately the site of the Museum of London), formed one of the earliest
Quaker meetings in London (before
1655). In
1675, it became a dedicated meeting house, the Box Meeting, used mainly by Quaker women for poor relief, on her marriage.
[1]
Barbican tube station is located on Aldersgate Street, and was formerly known as Aldersgate station.
Aldersgate is one of 25
wards electing councillors to the
Corporation of London.
Footnotes
1. Quakers Around Shoreditch (Andrew Roberts, ed.) accessed 10 Oct 2006
See also
★
Fortifications of London
★
London
★
city gate
★
city wall
External links
★
18th Century map showing the location of the gate (towards the bottom right corner)
★
Ward map