Watling Street

Watling Street

East from St. Paul's Churchyard to Queen Street, at its junction with Queen Victoria Street (P.O. Directory). In Cordwainer and Bread Street Wards and in Farringdon Ward Within.

First mention: "Street leading from Cordwainer Strete to Bredstrete," 14 H. III. (Anc. Deeds, B. 1971).

In subsequent deeds, which seem to relate to the same property, it is described as "Watlyngstrete."

Called "Watlingstrate," 1307 (Ct. H.W. I. 186).

Other forms, etc.: "Wattlingestrete," 13 Ed. II. (Anc. Deeds, C. 3541). "Watelyngestrete," 1349 (Ct. H.W. I. 548).

The form"Athelyngestrate" occurs 1272–3, and it seems probable from the description of the property that this is identical with Watling Street.

Earliest form: "Aphelingestrate," 1213 (Anc. Deeds, A. 1499). See Atheling Street.

In 1402 the church of St. Antonin is described as "St. Anthonin de Watlyngstrete," which suggests that Budge Row at some earlier date may have been included in Watling Street.

Leland calls it "Atheling or Noble Streete," but since he showeth no reason why, I rather take it to be named of the great highway of the same calling (S. 348).

The original name seems to have been "Athelyngstrate," and it may be derived from the A.S. "aethel" = noble, or, as seems more probable, from the common personal name "Athel" or "Æthel." In this case the "W" is intrusive and may have been inserted by a copyist in error in some early deed and in this way have gradually gained currency.

On the other hand it may have been adopted as the name of the street, as being a branch from the famous highway of that name outside the City. For it is important to bear in mind in this connection that this street is not on the direct line of the Roman highway of Watling Street as Stow seems to suggest, although it was probably connected with it as a branch road traversing the City.

The Roman Watling Street from Dover to Chester seems to have crossed the Thames at Westminster, without entering the City, and its subsequent course has been traced along the present Edgware Road to Watford and beyond.

This would be the direct route, and it is not likely that London was, at the time of the formation of the Roman Watling Street, of sufficient importance to cause the diversion of the military road from its straight and direct course. But it is quite possible that an alternative route through the City was constructed before long and that the Ermine Street may have entered the City near the site of London Bridge. A branch from this road westwards through the centre of the later Roman City would connect it with the Watling Street, and the remains of such a Roman road, narrower than the military high way, but with a substratum of chalk and a pavement of flint, have been found at the eastenn end of the present Watling Street and in Budge Row at a depth of 20 ft.

Watling str., Stow says one of the Proctors of the Hospital formerly of St. Anthony, used to keep Pigs in this str. to whom if any one gave Bread, or other Food, the Pigs would know and follow such; whence came the Proverb of following like an Anthony Pig.

Watheling street. It is a Street of a great Thoroughfare, hath good Buildings, which are very well inhabited by great Dealers, chiefly by Wholesale. The Street begins two or three Houses beyond St. Austins Church on the West, and runneth Eastward through the Heart of this and Cordwainer Ward, almost unto St. Anthonines Church; where Budge Row begins, and runneth into Canon street, in Walbrook Ward. In the part of this Street belonging to this Ward, are these Places, beginning by St. Austins Church; viz. St. John Evangelist Churchyard, seated in the East side Corner of Friday street, the Church not being rebuilt, but the Parish united to St. Alhallows Breadstreet; and the Ground on which this Church stood, being inclosed, serveth as a Burying Place for the Inhabitants.

Watheling street. St. John Evangelist Churchyard.

Watling street, St. Paul’s church-yard; thus called from the Roman road of the same name, which ran through this street. Maitland.

Watling-Street, St. Paul's Church-Yard,—at 35, extending to Budge-row, and is parallel to Cheapside.

Watling-St., St. Paul's Church-yard, extends from the Old Change to Budge-row. It derives its name from the Roman road of the same name, which ran through this street.

Watling Street, from Budge Row, Cannon Street, to St. Paul's Churchyard.

Then for Watheling Street, which Leland called Atheling, or Noble Street; but since he showeth no reason why, I rather take it to be so named of that great highway of the same calling. True it is that at the present the inhabitants thereof are wealthy drapers, retainers of woollen cloths, both broad and narrow, of all sorts, more than in any one street of this city—Stow, p. 129.

In Maxwell Lyte's Report on the MSS. of St. Paul's, Hist. MSS. Comm. (Appendix to Ninth Report), of the end of the 13th century and middle of the 14th century, are registers in which we find the form Athelyng Street.

He fills his belly, and never asks what's to pay: wears broad cloth and yet dares walk Watling Street without any fear of his draper.—Green's Tu Quoque (Old Plays, vol. xi. p. 207).

Watling Street was two centuries ago notorious, as it still is, for its inconvenient and almost dangerous narrowness. Thus Moxon, speaking of the Milky Way in his Treatise of Astronomy, 1670, says, "Some in a sportive manner call it Watling Street, but why they call it so I cannot tell, except it be in regard of the narrowness it seemeth to have."

Who would of Watling Street the dangers share,
When the broad pavement of Cheapside is near? —Gay, Trivia.

In this street were the following churches, walking eastward into Budge Row: St. Augustine's, Watling Street (near St. Paul's); Allhallows, Bread Street; St. Mary's, Aldermary; St. Anthony's, or St. Antholin's. But within the last few years Allhallows, Bread Street, and St. Antholin's have been pulled down. [See those places.] Nos. 63, 64, are the headquarters of the London Salvage Corps, and at Nos. 64–69 was the chief station of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, now removed to Southwark Bridge Road. Dr. Nathaniel Hodges, so honourably distinguished for his conduct during the plague of 1665, dates his account of it from his house in Watling Street, May 8, 1666.