Bishopsgate
Bishopsgate was built by the Romans to provide access to their main road to the north. The name of the road has been lost, but the original English name seems to have been Earninga Straete, or “Ermine Street”. It led to Lincoln and then on to York.
The gate was rebuilt by the merchants of the Hanseatic League in 1471 in exchange for their privileged trading position in the Steelyard. It was rebuilt in 1735 by the City authorities and demolished in 1760.
Like London
Bridge, it was often used to display the heads of
executed criminals on spikes.
The church of St Botolph here is just outside where the gate would have stood. It was built by George Dance the Elder in 1725 on the site of a previous church. During the construction of the present building the remains of a Saxon church were found.
Ben Johnson’s son is buried in the churchyard, and John Keats was baptised in the font – which is still in use in the church today. The building is used by the Anglican Church, but also by the Orthodox Church of Antioch.
The church has extensive grounds and a separate Church Hall. It is also the only church in the City to have its own netball and tennis court. This churchyard was the first in the City to be turned into a public park.
