Download Smithfield Conservation Area - the City of London Corporation

SMITHFIELD
CONSERVATION AREA CHARACTER SUMMARY
Department of Planning
CORPORATION
OF LONDON
Front Cover Picture: West Smithfield Rotunda
GUILDHALL LIBRARY
Opposite: Fan Design depicting Bartholomew Fair C18
I
Smithfield
Conservation Area Character Summary
This conservation area summary of character identifies key characteristics of the area and particular
planning considerations.
In the City of London the present urban form and character has evolved through many centuries and is the
product of numerous influences and interventions: the character and sense of place is hence unique to that
area, contributing at the same time to the wider character of the City. It is inevitable that the present knowledge
and information is incomplete, and in the interests of brevity only the principal characteristics of the area
are identified here. A more comprehensive appreciation of history and character of the City of London and
the nature of conservation area character (with particular reference to the City) are addressed in
Conservation Areas in the City of London, A General Introduction to their Character.
Each conservation area character summary should be read in conjunction with the General Introduction to
enable a potential appreciation of any matters of possible importance in relation to any building, site, street
or area. The role of such elements in the character and appearance of any area within the City of London
will vary, and will be appraised in the light of particular proposals for alteration, extension or development.
It is prepared in the light of national legislation, policy and advice provided in particular by the Planning
(Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and PPG 15 Planning and the Historic Environment
1994, and planning policies for the City of London contained in the City of London Unitary
Development Plan 1994.
Smithfield Conservation Area
© CROWN COPYRIGHT ORDNANCE SURVEY 1994; CORPORATION OF LONDON LICENCE NUMBER: LA087254
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Charterhouse Street
© Corporation of London 1996
ISBN 0 85203 049 5
Farringdon Street
100m
200m
Location and Boundaries
Smithfield Conservation Area lies to the north of
Holborn Viaduct and Newgate Street and extends up
to the boundary between the City of London and the
London Borough of Islington.
The area's boundaries are defined by Charterhouse
Street, Lindsey Street, Long Lane, Cloth Street,
property boundaries on the south side of Bartholomew
Place, Bartholomew Close, part of Middlesex Passage,
Bartholomew Close, Little Britain, King Edward
Street, the property boundary between St Bartholomew's
Hospital and the King Edward Building complex,
Giltspur Street, property boundaries to the north
of Snow Hill Court, Cock Lane, Snow Hill and
Farringdon Street. The Smithfield Conservation Area
lies within the Wards of Farringdon Without
and Aldersgate.
Kinghorn Street
Cloth Street
Long Lane
Designation
St Bartholomew's Conservation Area, which was based
on the precincts of St Bartholomew's Hospital and the
church of St Bartholomew-the-Great, was first
designated in 1971. The area was extended in 1978 to
include West Smithfield and part of the street network
to the east of St Bartholomew-the-Great and again in
1981 to include the east building of Smithfield Central
Market. In 1986 the GLC designated the Smithfield
Market Conservation Area, which included the
remainder of the market complex together with land
to the east of Smithfield Street. Both areas were
combined and re-designated as the Smithfield
Conservation Area by the Corporation in 1991.
The most recent modification involved the realignment
of the conservation area's northern boundary in July
1994 to follow the centre line of Charterhouse Street.
This was in accordance with the local authority
boundary changes which took place on 1 April 1994.
To the north of the City boundary lies the London
Borough of Islington's Charterhouse Square
Conservation Area which was first designated in 1969
and extended in 1976 and 1989.
Newbury Street
Area Character
Historical Evolution and Key Features
ALDERSGATE
Late Roman Addition
Smithfield, originally known as 'Smoothfield', was a flat
grassy area of high ground to the north-west of the
City outside the City walls. Roman law banned burials
within the walled City and Smithfield became one of
several locations for cemeteries during the Roman
occupation. Being located outside the City walls, the
area has important archaeological potential and
investigations have revealed both cremation and
inhumation burials dating from the period between the
1st and 4th centuries AD. For example, two stone
coffins of Roman origin were discovered during
excavations for the construction of the Library and
Museum Block of St Bartholomew's Hospital in 1879.
Exactly 100 years later, 3rd and 4th century burials
were also discovered during excavations for the
construction of the hospital's Robin Brook Centre for
Medical Education.
Roman London
Roman Coffin: St Bartholomew's Medical School
GUILDHALL LIBRARY
In the early and mid-Saxon period the walled City is
considered to have been largely unoccupied, with
virtually no archaeological evidence between the
early 5th century and the mid-9th century AD.
The Smithfield area appears to have reverted to
agricultural use by the time of the Norman invasion.
Smithfield Conservation Area is notable in that, to the
present day, much of its physical character is derived
not just from its topography, but also the presence of
institutions and activities which have been associated
with the area for several centuries. In addition,
references to activities which have ceased or relocated
elsewhere are perpetuated in local street and place
names such as Hosier Lane, Giltspur Street,
Cock Lane, Cloth Fair and Cloth Court.
Smithfield Area
C1270
Throughout its history, there have been associations
between the area and notable individuals. For example,
during the Peasants' Revolt in 1381, Wat Tyler was
executed outside St Bartholomew's Hospital.
Mayor William Walworth stabbed Tyler, pulling him
off his horse and Standish, one of Richard IPs men,
administered the death blow. More happily, Inigo
Jones (whose family was associated with the cloth trade)
was baptised in St Bartholomew-the-Less in 1573 and
William Hogarth was born at 58 Bartholomew Close
and christened in St Bartholomew-the-Great in 1697.
In 1725 Benjamin Franklin worked in a printers office
which, at the time, was located in the Lady Chapel of
St Bartholomew-the-Great and Sir John Betjeman lived
at 43 Cloth Fair in the 1960s.
In 1123 Henry I granted permission to Rahere, an
Augustinian monk named as a Minor Canon of
St Paul's Cathedral in 1115, to found a priory and
hospital at Smithfield. Rahere died in 1143 and was
buried in St Bartholomew-the-Great, where his tomb
is now surmounted by an early 15th century effigy.
The location of the priory was already noted for its horse
fair and the priory grounds included part of the Kings
Friday Market. During the next 400 years the priory
church of St Bartholomew-the-Great expanded until it
measured some 300 feet by 86 feet when completed.
Death of Wat Tyler: Egyptian Hall, Mansion House
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Rahere's Tomb
GUILDHALL LIBRARY
St Bartholomew's Hospital Seal
1289
ST BARTHOLOMEW'S HOSPITAL ARCHIVES
Bartholomew Fair, an annual 3 day (eve, day and
morrow) fair held on the eve of St Bartholomew's Day,
was established by the monastery under royal charter in
1133. The area immediately to the north of the priory
as far as Long Lane is recorded as fair ground until the
16th century: it extended almost to Aldersgate Street
and its west gate was located where the current Cloth
Fair meets West Smithfield. The fair continued
annually for over 700 years - sometimes lasting two
weeks - until it was suppressed in 1855 for debauchery.
In time it became the greatest cloth fair in the country,
was known throughout Europe and the priory received
substantial income from the tolls of the fair.
Bartholomew Fair
1807
Rowlandson & Nixon
GUILDHALL LIBRARY
Smithfield continued to be well known throughout the
mediaeval period for horse trading, which was quite
distinct from Bartholomew Fair. Tracks to the north of
London which were used at this time formed part of a
series of droveways along which stock was taken to and
from the markets at Smithfield. These formed a
framework for the subsequent pattern of roads in the area.
The notoriety of the area as a place of public execution
also pre-dates the founding of the priory, but was
highlighted in the mediaeval period with the putting to
death of Sir William Wallace in 1305. Smithfield
remained a location for public gallows until the 18th
century. However, the open space was also put to more
festive use including tournaments, pageants and plays.
For example, a royal tournament was held to entertain
the Kings of England and France in 1357 and jousts
were held at Smithfield in honour of Edward Ill's
mistress in 1384.
Smithfield
C1563
GUILDHALL LIBRARY
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Execution of Anne Askew and others
GUILDHALL LIBRARY
The 14th century saw the granting of a formal charter
by the Corporation for the weekly market at Smithfield
and the founding of the Worshipful Company of
Butchers. These factors, together with the banning by
the Corporation of London of slaughtering within the
City walls in 1381, contributed to the development of
the meat and livestock trade in Smithfield.
As the roles of the monastery and the hospital
increasingly diverged, the institutions became distinct
precincts facing the public space of West Smithfield.
During the Reformation, the priory of St Bartholomew
was surrendered peacefully to Henry VIII in 1539.
The nave of the priory church was demolished and the
churchyard created over much of the cleared area.
St Bartholomew's Hospital continued - albeit in a
relatively uncertain manner - until Henry refounded it
under a royal charter in 1546-47.
Henry VIII granting St Bartholomew's Hospital Charter:
Engraving of C17 stained glass window
Sherlock
GUILDHALL LIBRARY
St Bartholomew's Priory early C17
St Bartholomew's Hospital early C17
ST BARTHOLOMEW'S HOSPITAL ARCHIVES
ST BARTHOLOMEW'S HOSPITAL ARCHIVES
In the same year Sir Richard Rich purchased
St Bartholomew-the-Great from the crown and
subsequently sub-divided much of the priory.
As part of this process he laid out tenements in the area
of the previous fair ground, encroaching upon the site
of the previous nave and building against the remaining
parish church. Newbury Street, Middle Street and
East Passage were also laid out for housing, which was
typically 3 ''2 to 4'/2 storeys high. This little recognised
planned development is important in the expansion of
London since it pre-dated the building of Covent
Garden by some 30 years. It is also interesting in the
local context because the more formalised configuration
of these streets laid out by Rich is in marked contrast
to the sinuous alignment which is characteristic of
many mediaeval thoroughfares within the area, such as
Cock Lane, Cloth Fair and West Smithfield itself.
The first printed map of London, published in 1572 by
Braun and Hogenberg (but probably surveyed in the
1550s) shows the area being largely built up with West
Smithfield fully enclosed. This surprisingly accurate
survey indicates that the 16th century layout of street
blocks and network of major thoroughfares were very
similar to the present day, with the roughly diamondshaped 'Smythe Fyeld' tapering into a funnel plan form
at its southern end. This characteristic mediaeval
market entrance is also evident in the conservation area
in Smithfield Street to the west and St John Street in
the London Borough of Islington to the north.
The Braun and Hogenberg map also indicates clearly
the presence of Little Britain, Long Lane, Charterhouse
to the north-east and Aldersgate Street to the east,
together with the precincts of St Bartholomew-the-Great
and the hospital.
AKSmithfield
1572
Braun & Hogenberg
GUILDHALL LIBRARY
Ogilby and Morgan
1676-79
GUILDHALL LIBRARY
Undertaken when reconstruction of the City was well underway, the Plan is the "first large multi-sheet plan of a British town to be so delineated",
and is considered to be relatively accurate; plans before this had been aerial pictorial views. Despite the fact that only ten years have elapsed since
the Great Fire, the majority of the devastated area to the south of the conservation area has been redeveloped. The familiar plan-form of
'Smith-Field' is defined by surrounding buildings but extends north of Long Lane to Smithfield Bar, its size emphasised by the modest scale of
surrounding development. The church of St Bartholomew-the-Great and St Bartholomew's Hospital are clearly identified, although the latter
comprises an apparently ad hoc series of buildings set within a maze of meandering thoroughfares. The formality of the streets laid out by
Sir Richard Rich to the north-east of West Smithfield, some 130 years earlier, are in sharp contrast to the area's irregular network of mediaeval streets.
Richard Norwood
1792-99
GUILDHALL LIBRARY
The cartography appears to be less precise than Ogilby and Morgan's map, but a clear comparison of the network of streets and spaces can be
drawn. The plan form of West Smithfield (now annotated as such) has been extended to the north west. Major changes have taken place at
St Bartholomew's Hospital where all four of Gibbs' blocks can be seen set around the central square. Other buildings have been demolished to the
south in preparation for further development. Strong's Henry VIII Gate provides access from West Smithfield and is flanked by tenements lining the
southern side of West Smithfield. Development has also taken place to the south of St Bartholomew-the-Great, however, the general scale of
development and the street pattern of the remainder of the area are largely unaltered.
Ordnance Survey
GUILDHALL LIBRARY
1875
Radical changes include the construction of the railway lines to the north and west of the area, the building of Charterhouse Street and the
completion of the Metropolitan Meat and Poultry Market. Further demolition is apparent in preparation for the construction of the market buildings
extending west to Farringdon Street. The centre of West Smithfield is now occupied by the Rotunda with its gardens, fountain and ramped
carriageway to the station beneath the market building. The road network is effectively what we see in the area today. Some of the tenements on
the south side of West Smithfield have been demolished and new hospital buildings constructed. Further development has taken place to the south
of the hospital and the fountain and gardens established in the square. Although some sites have been amalgamated, far less change has taken
place in the 'hinterland' areas to the east and west and the general scale of development remains in marked contrast to that of the major institutions.
=!•!
Ordnance Survey
1930
GUILDHALL LIBRARY
The complex of market buildings is complete. No further changes have affected West Smithfield itself, although the remainder of the tenements on
the south side have been replaced by buildings housing hospital departments. The recently completed Queen Mary's Nurses Home now faces Little
Britain but Gibbs' South Block, which is soon to be demolished, still stands. Further site amalgamation is apparent, for example new commercial
development is evident in Bartholomew Close, and post-Dissolution houses in Cloth Fair have been demolished. Nevertheless, the contrast in scale
which was evident in 1875 continues to be a strong characteristic of the area and much of the framework of streets surveyed by Ogilby and Morgan remains.
The open space at the centre of Smithfield was paved
and proper drainage provided for the first time in
1614-15 and in 1638 the Corporation formalised the
collection of market tolls by royal charter. Despite the
enormous destruction caused by the Great Fire in the
City generally, buildings in much of the Smithfield area
and St Bartholomew's Hospital survived largely in their
mediaeval form. The Fire began on 2nd September
1666 and spread west until it halted some four days
later. Smithfield was saved by the proximity of the City
Wall and ditch, together with a fortunate change in the
direction of the wind when the fire had almost reached
Holborn. The corner of Giltspur Street and Cock
Lane, known as Pye Corner, marks the extent of the
Great Fire in the area and it is commemorated by the
'Fat Boy of Pye Corner'. This gilded statue of a small
boy represents the gluttony which, it was said, brought
the Fire down upon the citizens of London.
Extent of the Great Fire
1667
Hollar
St Bartholomew's Hospital increased in wealth and
status and substantial changes took place during the
18th century. A new north gate to the hospital precinct
(designed by Edward Strong in 1701) was constructed
and in 1713 the governors decided that, since the
existing buildings had become uneconomic, they would
demolish them and build a new, modern hospital.
In 1729 James Gibbs' design for four blocks set around
a central square was accepted and the complex was
constructed over a forty year period. The North Block
was the first - and most splendid - to be constructed,
with the ceiling of its Great Hall designed by Gibbs
and executed by Jean Baptiste St Michele (the only
known example of his work in England). The paintings
above the main staircase were painted by Hogarth.
GUILDHALL LIBRARY
By 1760, St Bartholomew's Hospital was as up-to-date
as any other hospital in the world. However, only three
years later, Ralph Alien was required to repair defects in
the Bath stone facing of Gibbs' North Block which had
eroded badly.
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Fat Boy at
Pye Corner
GUILDHALL LIBRARY
The Henrv VIII Gate
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1816 Higham
ST BARTHOLOMEWS
HOSPITALARCHIVES
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St Bartholomew's Hospital: Gibbs' Design
1739
ST BARTHOLOMEWS HOSPITALARCHIVES
The North Block: original drawing attributed
to Gibbs
10
ST BARTHOLOMEWS HOSPITAL ARCHIVES
The mediaeval church of St Bartholomew-the-Less was
remodelled by Dance the Younger in 1789, retaining
the 15th century tower and vestry. The church was the
only one of five chapels in the immediate vicinity to
have survived the Reformation and had been adopted as
the parish church when the hospital precinct was
established as the Anglican parish of St Bartholomewthe-Less in 1547. Dance's work, which was largely
executed in timber, was repeated in stone by Thomas
Hardwick in the 1820s.
The hospital flourished in the 19th century, with
existing buildings being modified - such as the
remodelling of the Henry VIII Gate - and new
buildings being constructed to house an increasing
number of departments. The latter include the Lucas
Block and Surgery House (Philip Hardwick, 1842), the
Library and Museum Block (Edward 1'Anson, 1879)
and the Medical School buildings (1881). These were
accompanied by changes to the square, such as the
replacement of the well at the centre (constructed in
1809) by the present fountain (Philip Hardwick, 1859),
the introduction of four decorative lamps (c!890, of
which two now remain), together with the four timber
shelters in 1895.
St Bartholomew-the-Less
From the mid-18th century, concern had been
expressed about the location of a livestock market in
the centre of the metropolis. Increasing market activity
within a confined site ultimately led to a Royal
Commission being set up in 1849. Its recommendation
was that the market be removed because of public
nuisance, but the Corporation did not accept these
findings at the time. It was not until 1852 that the
Sniithfield Market Removal Act resulted in the
livestock market being relocated to Copenhagen Fields,
to the north in Islington.
1737
St Bartholomew's Hospital Square
C1830 Shepherd
The Central Meat Market was subsequently
constructed at Smithfield, by the Corporation in
the 1860s, to the design of the City Surveyor
Sir Horace Jones. The market building was connected
to new railway sidings beneath it by a large circular
ramp in the central rotunda of West Smithfield.
This enabled deliveries to be transferred efficiently
between the market and the rapidly expanding railway
system. By 1854 up to two-thirds of meat handled at
Smithfield was delivered to the market by train.
Smithfield Market
1810
ST BARTHOLOMEW'S HOSPITAL ARCHIVES
Rowlandson
Smithfield Central Meat Market: opening Banquet
11
ST BARTHOLOMEW'S HOSPITAL ARCHIVES
GUILDHALL LIBRARY
1868
GUILDHALL LIBRARY
In 1873 Smithfield Market was enlarged to the west by
Smithfield Poultry Market:
the construction of Jones' Poultry Market and, in
1879, the General Market which extended down to
Farringdon Street (formerly called Victoria Street).
Previously, Farringdon Market was located nearby and
had been established for the sale of fruit and vegetables
when the earlier Fleet Market was cleared to enable
the laying out of Farringdon Street in 1826-30. By 1880
the street pattern had effectively become what we see
in the Smithfield Conservation Area today and by the
end of the century the market complex exceeded ten acres.
GUILDHALL LIBRARY
Jones' design of 1870 (unexecuted)
Charterhouse Street
1895
The development of St Bartholomew's Hospital
has continued throughout the 20th century.
New out-patients and casualty departments were
housed to 1'Anson's designs between 1904-1907,
followed by his new pathology block of 1907-1909.
In 1920 the pressure for further expansion, without
any scope for enlarging the precinct itself, led the
governors to the decision that Gibbs' South Wing
should be demolished. This redevelopment, designed
by W T A Lodge, also incorporated more land near
King Edward Street and new surgical & medical
facilities were provided when it was opened as the
George V Block in 1937. In the post-war period most
building activity has been concentrated outside the
main hospital precinct (for example the Queen
Elizabeth II Block in Bartholomew Close, 1961),
although a degree of modification and extension has
been accommodated within the precinct itself.
GUILDHALL LIBRARY
The market buildings at Smithfield have also changed
in the post-war period. Following damage to
Smithfield General Market by a V2 rocket in 1945,
Hart's Corner was remodelled in a simple, though
insensitive manner. Subsequently, Horace Jones'
Poultry Market was destroyed by fire in 1958.
The replacement building was constructed by the
Corporation to the design of Sir Thomas Bennett in
1962-1963, incorporating a clear spanning dome roof
of 22 5 feet.
St Bartholomew's Hospital: Gibbs' South Block
1935
St Bartholomew's Hospital:
King George V Block
ST BARTHOLOMEWS HOSPITAL ARCHIVES
ST BAH 1 HOLOMEW'S HOSPITAL ARCHIVES
New Smithfield Poultry Market under construction
Architects: TP Bennett Partnership
12
1962
GUILDHALL LIBRARY
.m n^K^i
Newbury Street
Middle Street
The extensive changes in the development of the
hospital and market, together with the earlier changes
in the form and extent of St Bartholomew-the-Great,
have been in marked contrast to the form and scale of
change affecting other buildings in Smithfield particularly in the eastern part of the conservation area.
In the latter, rebuilding has largely taken place on an
incremental or piecemeal basis, with buildings of 4 to 5
storeys in height and many plot sizes remaining
unaltered since the mediaeval period. Consequently
the character and grain of much of the physical fabric,
particularly in the streets to the south of Long Lane,
continues to present a cohesive and modest scale.
Cloth Fair
Up to the early 20th century Cloth Fair was occupied
by a concentrated, and by then relatively notorious,
series of timber-framed, post-Dissolution houses.
These were finally demolished following action by the
Corporation, on grounds of public health, and the
setting of the church and churchyard was altered to
form, to a large extent, its present configuration.
Although extensively restored, 17th century houses still
remain in Cloth Fair alongside 18th, 19th and 20th
century buildings whose form and scale draw references
from these earlier counterparts.
GUILD'-_-JBRARY
St Bartholomew-the-Great Churchyard
This cohesion in the townscape is reinforced by the
process of incremental change having taken place
within the strong framework of the mediaeval pattern
of roads, alleys and pedestrian passages, courtyards and
other spaces such as Bartholomew Close. Furthermore,
buildings close to St Bartholomew-the-Great are
largely of brick, with some render, which also serves to
distinguish them from the Portland stone of the
hospital and the grander scale of the stone, brick and
cast iron market buildings and those buildings on the
western side of West Smithfield.
West Smithfield
13
Cloth F.-.
GUILDHALL LIBRARY
The character of West Smithfield as a space is an
intriguing combination of the formal and informal.
The space itself, as a result of its enclosure and use
over many centuries, is essentially unplanned and
informal. However, the construction of Jones' East
Central Market building created not only a more formal
classical enclosure of the northern edge of the reduced
space, but also introduced the formal geometry of the
central rotunda. The gradual replacement of the
hospital tenements on the south side and their
replacement by the stone boundary7 wall and associated
buildings added a complementary note of architectural
formality along the southern edge of the space.
West Smithfield
C1926-
ST BARTHOLOMEW'S HOSPITAL ARCHIVES
The later Victorian and Edwardian periods heralded
the replacement of most buildings enclosing the east
and west sides of West Smithfield. The resultant
architectural variety and informal grouping of these
frontages, in turn, counterbalances the greater formality
to the north and south. However, underlying this variation
in age, style and materials is a general consistency in
the relationship between the scale and presence of
these frontages and the space which they define.
The only substantial exception to this sense of balance
resulted from the extension of Weddel House, on the
western side of West Smithfield, from its original 6 storeys
by a further 3 storeys before the Second World War.
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West Smithfield
West Smithfield
14
The influence of the railway and the function of the
new market combined to ensure that the remaining
open space was maintained in a grand Victorian gesture
of industrial architecture and associated civic landscaping.
The creation of the rotunda and the presence of trees,
planting, the bronze figure representing 'Peace'
(by J B Philip, 1873) and fountain in the gardens at its
centre completed the present layout of West Smithfield.
Nevertheless, the fundamental physical juxtaposition
between the major institutions, the open area of
Smithfield itself and the hinterland of smaller scaled
buildings housing activites which have traditionally
supported the area's main functions, has been a constant
characteristic of the area for a very long period.
Along Hosier Lane and Cock Lane there are still
references to the former, more modest scale of
development and informal building frontages leading
away to the west from the major thoroughfares of
West Smithfield and Giltspur Street. However, these
characteristics have been undermined by some post-war
redevelopment and the accompanying process of site
amalgamation is, perhaps, most dramatically
demonstrated by the presence of cleared sites which
remain un-developed.
Cock Lane
Notwithstanding this, the Smithfield Conservation
Area clearly contains buildings of great distinction
alongside those which make a more modest - but
nevertheless vital - contribution to the overall richness
of the townscape. We can see that much of the
character of Smithfield is derived from the moderate
scale and unassuming character of many buildings
which have long been capable of accommodating the
changing needs and activities located in the area.
This modest stock of buildings has, however, also
provided what might be described as a backdrop to
some of the City's most important built fabric.
St Bartholomew-the-Great is the oldest parish church
in London. Although the present church is principally
the original choir and crossing of the 300 foot long
priory church, alteration, extension and later
restoration have not detracted from its essentially
Norman interior. The church remained largely
untouched until it was saved from considerable
dilapidation by Sir Aston Webb in the late 19th century.
Much of the church was refurbished over a period of
25 years, including the south transept (1890-91), a new
west porch, north transept and north porch facing
(1893), and in 1897 the lady chapel was restored.
Bartholomew Close
Bartholomew Close
15
•ft**-'
Although the earlier nave was demolished in the 16th
century, the former magnitude of the priory church
is still expressed by the present gatehouse to
West Smithfield which incorporates part of the west
doorway to the southern aisle of the original church.
Built by Philip Scudamore in 1595, it formed one of
the elements restored by Aston Webb and was
refurbished once more in 1932. The frontage was
previously of tile or brick, while the archway
incorporated a section of carved wooden screen,
possibly from the priory itself. St Bartholomew House
continues the line of the west front of priory to the
point where the original church met the entrance to
the fairground - now Cloth Fair.
Despite the removal of the houses which were
formerly on the south side of Cloth Fair, the
churchyard still provides an attractively enclosed space
which is surprisingly quiet when considering the close
proximity of the noise and activity of West Smithfield
itself. Within this setting, St Bartholomew-the-Great
presents a remarkable combination of styles, periods
and materials with its mediaeval ragstone rubble,
freestone dressings, brick tower of 1628 and 19th
century flint.
West Smithfield
St Bartholomew's Hospital is the oldest of London's
hospitals to occupy its original, if enlarged, site.
On entering Strong's North Gate from West Smithfield,
in passing St Bartholomew-the-Less and approaching
the central courtyard from beneath Gibbs' North
Wing, the hospital can be compared with the collegiate
character of Inner and Middle Temples. However, the
formal relationship between Gibbs' three original
blocks and the square (despite the loss of his South
Block), combine to form townscape character which is
unique in the City.
Today West Smithfield is a busy thoroughfare, with the
continued long-term presence of meat market activities
being facilitated by the Corporation's refurbishment of
the East Market building. The changing nature of the
operations of the meat trade - particularly following
the marked increase in the scale of supermarket activity
in recent years - has meant that a number of smaller
ancillary businesses which traditionally have been
located nearby in the area have either changed,
relocated or ceased operation.
St Bartholomew's Hospital
As a consequence, the patterns of activity located
within the conservation area have reflected these
changes, but the area as a whole remains one of mixed
uses. The result is that small-scale businesses,
residential development, livery companies and mixed
uses including restaurants, snack bars, wine bars and
Long Lane
16
public houses continue to provide vitality and interest
which enrich the special character of the area.
In addition to the buildings themselves and the
activities they contain, the character of the spaces they
define is also derived from the surface materials used.
For example, the granite setts in the ramped
carriageway of the West Smithfield rotunda and
thoroughfares such as Cock Lane make a major
contribution to the overall qualities of the local
townscape. This is enhanced further by the long
established use of natural York stone for footways, a
recent example being the Corporation's pedestrianisation
of part of Little Britain as it enters West Smithfield.
The extensive refurbishment of the Smithfield meat
market building has been accompanied by much of the
hospital site being the subject of a programme of stone
cleaning and repairs. This work has been coupled with
the alteration and refurbishment of many, more
modest, buildings in the area. Although some of the
earlier post-war redevelopments in Smithfield were
lacking in sensitivity, more recent infil development has
been sympathetically designed to recognise and
enhance the special character of the Smithfield
Conservation Area.
The Smithfield area is unique. It has an established
history approaching 2000 years. Its fabric and street
pattern have evolved over the last 1000 years and
buildings and structures survive from 9 different
centuries. Public use of the market space and,
consequently, access to it, pre-date this. The fact that
the area escaped extensive destruction from both the
Great Fire and the Second World War has also
contributed substantially to its particular rarity within
the context of the City of London. Its character,
therefore, can best be described as one exhibiting
gradual and incremental evolution which has largely
been prompted by the fortunes of the priory, hospital
and market.
West Smithfield
West Smithfield
Bartholomew Close
17
Little Britain
Listed Buildings and Scheduled Monuments
• 39-40 Cloth Fair
•41-42 Cloth Fair
• 43-44 & 48 Cloth Fair, including 51 Barley
Mow Passage
K2 telephone kiosk, Giltspur Street
1-4 Giltspur Street, 'Golden Boy' statue
74 Long Lane
1 Middle Street, Hand & Shears PH
4, 4A & 5 Middle Street
Gate House, St Bartholomew's Hospital
North Block, St Bartholomew's Hospital
East Block, St Bartholomew's Hospital
SM
SM
West Block, St Bartholomew's Hospital
North-East Block, St Bartholomew's Hospital
Screen Wall & Colonnade,
St Bartholomew's Hospital
Memorial to Sir William Wallace,
St Bartholomew's Hospital
St Bartholomew-the-Less Church,
St Bartholomew's Hospital
Pool & fountain in courtyard,
St Bartholomew's Hospital
3 lamp standards in courtyard,
St Bartholomew's Hospital (2 remaining)
Medical School, St Bartholomew's Hospital
St Bartholomew-the-Great Church, West Smithfield
Gateway to St Bartholomew-the-Great Church,
West Smithfield
Drinking Fountain in gardens, West Smithfield
Central Market (east building), West Smithfield
Pair of K2 telephone kiosks, Grand Avenue,
West Smithfield
K2 telephone kiosk, Grand Avenue, West Smithfield
K6 telephone kiosk, Grand Avenue, West Smithfield
K6 telephone kiosk, Grand Avenue, West Smithfield
K6 telephone kiosk, Grand Avenue, West Smithfield
Cloth Fair
58-59 West Smithfield
Grand Avenue
St Bartholomew's Hospital
18
Additional Considerations
The following also contribute to the immediate setting
of the Smithfield Conservation Area:
• 47-49 Charterhouse Street (London Borough
of Islington)
• 51-53 Charterhouse Street (London Borough
of Islington)
• Junction of Cowcross Street & St John Street
(London Borough of Islington)
• Charterhouse Square (London Borough
of Islington)
• King Edward Building, King Edward Street
• Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey
• The Viaduct Tavern PH, 126 Newgate Street
• Church of the Holy Sepulchre without Newgate,
Holborn Viaduct
• Holborn Viaduct Bridge, Holborn Viaduct
Giltspur Street/ Old Bailey
Grand Avenue
• The area immediately adjoins Postman's Park and
Newgate Conservation Areas and there are a
number of views into and out of the area along
thoroughfares and through these adjacent
conservation areas. In addition, the area directly
adjoins the London Borough of Islington's
Charterhouse Square Conservation Area.
Consequently there are a number of views between
the two conservation areas, some of which
constitute important settings of listed buildings
contained within them.
Most of the Conservation Area is subject to the
St Paul's Heights Policy protecting views of St Paul's
Cathedral, in this case from Farringdon Road,
Myddelton Square and St John Street. The entire
area also falls within the viewing corridors of the
St Paul's Strategic Views from Alexandra Palace,
Ken Wood and Parliament Hill.
Charterhouse Square
19
Acknowledgements
The Urban Design and Conservation Section of the Department of Planning would like
to express its gratitude for the advice and / or assistance provided by the following
organisations and individuals in the preparation of this series:
The Guildhall library - Jeremy Smith, John Fisher, Ralph Hyde.
St Bartholomew's Hospital Archives - Andrew Griffin.
TP Bennett Partnership - Frank Taylor.
Illustrations identified below are reproduced with the kind permission of the following:
The Guildhall Library: pages 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
St Bartholomew's Hospital Archives: pages 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14.
TP Bennett Partnership: page 12.
1270 map on page 4 from Lobel, Mary D. (Ed), 'The City of London from Prehistoric
Times to c.1520', British Atlas of Historic Towns Vol III, 1989, with the permission of
the Oxford University Press.
Several of the maps in this series on Conservation Area Character are based upon
Ordnance Survey maps for the City of London with the sanction of the Controller of
Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Crown Copyright Reserved.
All other illustrations were taken by the Urban Design and Conservation Section,
Department of Planning, Corporation of London.
References
The brief quote in the reference to the Ogilby and Morgan plan is taken from the
introduction to this series of maps by Ralph Hyde, Guildhall Library. Readers are also
referred to the sources mentioned in the General Introduction to this series on the
Character of the City's Conservation Areas, and to:
'Forshaw, A. & Bergstrom, T, 'Smithfield Past and Present', 1990, Robert Hale, London.
Medvei, V.C. & Thornton, J.L. (Ed), 'The Royal Hospital of Saint Bartholomew 1123-1973',
1974, The Royal Hospital of Saint Bartholomew, London.
Yeo, G., 'Images of Bart's', 1992, Historical Publications Ltd in association with the
Archives Department St Bartholomew's Hospital, London.
This series on the Conservation Areas in the City of London, is written and designed
by the Urban Design and Conservation Section, Department of Planning, Corporation
of London.
© The Corporation of London 1996
Design by Balchin Design; printing by Ingersoll Printers Ltd; in association with the
Department of Printing and Stationery.
Further Information and assistance:
Department of Planning
Corporation of London
P.O. Box 270 Guildhall
London EC2P 2EJ
Tel: 0171-332 1716
Produced under the direction of:
Peter Wynne Rees B.Sc, BArch, BTP, RIBA, FRTPI, FRSA.
City Planning Officer
Corporation of London
P.O. Box 270 Guildhall
London EC2P 2EJ
Price - £2.50 inc.
20
West Smithfield
West Smithfield
West Smithfield
MU S
KIEK-JO
West Smithfield
Cock Lane
Long Lane
Barley Mow Passage
Barley Mow Passage
Cloth Fair
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