History

300th anniversary of Covent Garden’s notorious brothel coffee house

Around three hundred years ago, give or take, a coffee house was rented in Covent Garden that was to become one of the most famous brothel houses in England.

Why the Old Bailey is called the Old Bailey

The grand building that houses the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales is often called the Old Bailey. But why?

British Rail’s short experiment with travelling pubs

It’s May 1949 and British Rail was showing off its latest idea to please the public – a travelling pub.

Archeologists discover pottery from London’s earliest farmers

One of the most significant discoveries of Early Neolithic pottery ever uncovered in London has now been proven to be 5,500 years old

The demolished Bryant & May Testimonial fountain

Opposite today’s Bow Church DLR station used to stand a much grander station, and in front was a tall Victorian memorial, erected in 1872 to celebrate a protest against a tax on matches.

Railway landslip uncovers 14th century Christian shrine

A cave and Christian shrine thought to date from the 14th century has been discovered by rail workers delivering landslip repair works near Guildford.

Help the National Archives uncover WW1 ships crew logs

If you’re stuck at home and want to do something good, then the National Archives is seeking volunteers to help transcribe First World War Royal Navy service records for a free online database it is building.

Novo Beth Chaim – the Jewish cemetery inside a university

Slap bang in the middle of an East London university can be found an old, and rather unusual graveyard.

The tradition of the celebratory Ox Roast

In times of old, when a major celebration took place, it was a tradition to hold a celebratory ox roast.

Camels in the City of London

A grand late Victorian building in the City of London is notable for having three camels on the front.

How the London Underground tried to extend the Bakerloo line to Dartford

In the 1930s, the London Underground looked at extending the Bakerloo line southwards, and while most plans were modest, one looked at taking it all the way out to Dartford.

See Sir Pindar’s Home in the V&A Museum

Hanging from a wall in the V&A is a grandly decorated frontage from an old house – just the frontage floating eerily in the void.

It’s the 200th anniversary of Mornington Crescent

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the construction of Mornington Crescent.

Is HP Sauce really named after the Houses of Parliament

There’s a rather famous brown condiment, HP Sauce, which features a rather famous building, coincidentally called the Houses of Parliament, but is one named after the other?

Unique piece of buried treasure goes on display at the V&A

The UK’s only known example of a late Medieval jewelled cluster brooch, discovered by a metal detectorist in 2017 has gone on display in the V&A Museum.

The memorial stone outside George Lansbury House

A small obelisk outside an otherwise unremarkable building caught my attention the other day, and it tells us that this was once the home of a former leader of the Labour Party.