Turnmill Street is a street in Clerkenwell, London. It runs north–south from Clerkenwell Road in the north, to Cowcross Street in the south. One of the oldest streets in London, it has been variously known as Turnmill and Turnbull Street over its history. During the Elizabethan era, under the name Turnbull Street it became "the most disreputable street in London", notorious as a centre of crime and prostitution.[1]
The immediate vicinity of Turnmill StreetTurnmill StreetTurnmills nightclub
It is mentioned in a 14th-century document under the name Trylmyl Street. According to John Stow it took the name "Turnmill" because it was close to the River Fleet, along which a number of mills were placed. The Turnmill Brook was an early name for the Fleet, or at least the local part of it.[2] The antiquarian John Timbs wrote that, "It was long vulgarly called Turnbull and Trunball Street."[3]
Elizabethan Turnbull Streetedit
In the Elizabethan era the street became a byword for depravity, and it is regularly referred to in the works of playwrights of the era. The area became a warren of dark alleys and interlinked courtyards. Shakespeare mentions it in Henry IV, Part 2, when Falstaff ridicules Justice Shallow for prating about "the wildness of his youth, and the feats he hath done about Turnbull Street". Ben Jonson also mentions it in Bartholomew Fair in which the "pig woman" Ursula complains that one of the other characters was spreading a rumour that "I was dead, in Turnbull-street, of a surfeit of bottle-ale, and tripes".[4] Likewise in Francis Beaumont's The Knight of the Burning Pestle a character says he fell in love with a woman and "stole her from her friends in Turnbull Street", the implication being that he took her from a brothel in which she was working.[5] In Beaumont and Fletcher's The Scornful Lady a character complains that the "drinking, swearing and whoring" that has been going on means "we have all lived in a perpetual Turnbull Street".[1]
Much of the area around the street later became known as "Jack Ketch's Warren," because so many people there ended up being hanged (Jack Ketch was a generic name for a hangman).[3]
Modern Turnmill Streetedit
The slums and warrens linked to the street were cleared out in the Victorian era, partly because of demolitions required by the creation of the Metropolitan Railway, and partly because of the building of the new Clerkenwell Road, which was specifically designed to "break up the slums of Clerkenwell, especially those courts and alleys east of Turnmill street".[6]
Farringdon station has its northern entrance on Turnmill Street, although it main entrance is on Cowcross Street.
The nightclub Turnmills, which opened in 1985 on the corner of Turnmill Street and Clerkenwell Road, was the first in the UK to obtain a 24-hour dance licence, and arguably spearheaded the growth of all-night clubbing in the 1990s. It closed on 24 March 2008, due to the expiry of its lease. In 2011 permission was given to demolish the 1886 building, formerly a Great Northern Railway Company warehouse, and to replace it with a six-storey office block, by the property development company Derwent London.[7] In 2014 it was announced that Saatchi & Saatchi were to be moving into the building.[8]
Referencesedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Turnmill Street, London.
^ abFran C. Chalfant, Ben Jonson's London: A Jacobean Placename Dictionary, University of Georgia Press, 2008, p.186.
^Brewer's Dictionary of london Phrase and Fable, Russ Willey, 2009
^ abTimbs, John, London and Westminster, 1868, vol. I, pp. 266-9
^Henry Benjamin Wheatley, London Past and Present: Its History, Associations, and Traditions, Cambridge University Press, 2011, p.411.
^Simon Barker, Hilary Hinds (eds), The Routledge Anthology of Renaissance Drama, Routledge, 2003, p.257.
^Michelle Elizabeth Allen, Cleansing the City: Sanitary Geographies in Victorian London, Ohio University Press, 2008, pp.151-2.
^Harper, Paul (6 September 2011). "World famous Turnmills venue in Clerkenwell to be demolished". Islington Gazette. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
^Spanier, Gideon (17 January 2014). "Saatchi & Saatchi win battle as advertising agency moves east". The Independent. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
turnmill, street, street, clerkenwell, london, runs, north, south, from, clerkenwell, road, north, cowcross, street, south, oldest, streets, london, been, variously, known, turnmill, turnbull, street, over, history, during, elizabethan, under, name, turnbull, . Turnmill Street is a street in Clerkenwell London It runs north south from Clerkenwell Road in the north to Cowcross Street in the south One of the oldest streets in London it has been variously known as Turnmill and Turnbull Street over its history During the Elizabethan era under the name Turnbull Street it became the most disreputable street in London notorious as a centre of crime and prostitution 1 The immediate vicinity of Turnmill StreetTurnmill StreetTurnmills nightclub Contents 1 Origins 2 Elizabethan Turnbull Street 3 Modern Turnmill Street 4 ReferencesOrigins editIt is mentioned in a 14th century document under the name Trylmyl Street According to John Stow it took the name Turnmill because it was close to the River Fleet along which a number of mills were placed The Turnmill Brook was an early name for the Fleet or at least the local part of it 2 The antiquarian John Timbs wrote that It was long vulgarly called Turnbull and Trunball Street 3 Elizabethan Turnbull Street editIn the Elizabethan era the street became a byword for depravity and it is regularly referred to in the works of playwrights of the era The area became a warren of dark alleys and interlinked courtyards Shakespeare mentions it in Henry IV Part 2 when Falstaff ridicules Justice Shallow for prating about the wildness of his youth and the feats he hath done about Turnbull Street Ben Jonson also mentions it in Bartholomew Fair in which the pig woman Ursula complains that one of the other characters was spreading a rumour that I was dead in Turnbull street of a surfeit of bottle ale and tripes 4 Likewise in Francis Beaumont s The Knight of the Burning Pestle a character says he fell in love with a woman and stole her from her friends in Turnbull Street the implication being that he took her from a brothel in which she was working 5 In Beaumont and Fletcher s The Scornful Lady a character complains that the drinking swearing and whoring that has been going on means we have all lived in a perpetual Turnbull Street 1 Much of the area around the street later became known as Jack Ketch s Warren because so many people there ended up being hanged Jack Ketch was a generic name for a hangman 3 Modern Turnmill Street editThe slums and warrens linked to the street were cleared out in the Victorian era partly because of demolitions required by the creation of the Metropolitan Railway and partly because of the building of the new Clerkenwell Road which was specifically designed to break up the slums of Clerkenwell especially those courts and alleys east of Turnmill street 6 Farringdon station has its northern entrance on Turnmill Street although it main entrance is on Cowcross Street The nightclub Turnmills which opened in 1985 on the corner of Turnmill Street and Clerkenwell Road was the first in the UK to obtain a 24 hour dance licence and arguably spearheaded the growth of all night clubbing in the 1990s It closed on 24 March 2008 due to the expiry of its lease In 2011 permission was given to demolish the 1886 building formerly a Great Northern Railway Company warehouse and to replace it with a six storey office block by the property development company Derwent London 7 In 2014 it was announced that Saatchi amp Saatchi were to be moving into the building 8 References edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Turnmill Street London a b Fran C Chalfant Ben Jonson s London A Jacobean Placename Dictionary University of Georgia Press 2008 p 186 Brewer s Dictionary of london Phrase and Fable Russ Willey 2009 a b Timbs John London and Westminster 1868 vol I pp 266 9 Henry Benjamin Wheatley London Past and Present Its History Associations and Traditions Cambridge University Press 2011 p 411 Simon Barker Hilary Hinds eds The Routledge Anthology of Renaissance Drama Routledge 2003 p 257 Michelle Elizabeth Allen Cleansing the City Sanitary Geographies in Victorian London Ohio University Press 2008 pp 151 2 Harper Paul 6 September 2011 World famous Turnmills venue in Clerkenwell to be demolished Islington Gazette Retrieved 9 July 2014 Spanier Gideon 17 January 2014 Saatchi amp Saatchi win battle as advertising agency moves east The Independent Retrieved 21 November 2014 51 31 16 N 0 06 18 W 51 5210 N 0 1050 W 51 5210 0 1050 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Turnmill Street amp oldid 1099571488, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
