Palace of Bridewell - New Bridge Street, London, UK
N 51° 30.774 W 000° 06.264
30U E 700915 N 5710839
This plaque is fixed to a Grade II* listed building on the west side of New Bridge Street.
Waymark Code: WMJA2H
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/17/2013
Views: 7
The inscription, that is in blue lettering, reads:
Here stood the Palace of Bridewell
built by Henry VIII in 1523
and granted by Edward VI in 1553
to the City of London to house
Bridewell Royal Hospital founded by
Royal Charter in the same year
The present building was erected in 1802
and in 1862 the Court Room of Bridewell
Royal Hospital was incorporated therein
The building is Grade II* listed with the entry at the
English Heritage website telling us:
Circa 1805, by James Lewis. Classical front in
Portland stone. 3 storeys. 3 windows. Channelled ground storey with 3,
arched openings. Order of Doric pilasters through 2 storeys above supporting
pediment with coat of arms in tympanum. Dressings to 1st and 2nd storey
windows. Railings and lamp standards to front area. Irregular rear elevation
of 2 storeys. Yellow brick with slight stone dressings.
INTERIOR: wrought-iron gates lead into a
barrel-vaulted passage which originally gave access to a courtyard behind.
On either side are doorways with ornamental fanlights. The passage is lit by
a lantern supported by a bracket spanning the gap between the two doors. The
right-hand doorway leads into a hall with an elegant cantilevered staircase,
and the front room on this side has a marble fireplace with inset 'cameos'.
The left- hand doorway leads into a self-contained unit comprising two
ground floor and two basement rooms, the ground floor front room having a
barrel vaulted-ceiling. Some delicate, plaster cornices and plain, early-
C19 fireplaces survive in first and ground floor rooms.
The Henry's Palaces
website tells us:
Thomas Wolsey built Bridewell Palace in 1510, but the
palace was transferred to King Henry VIII in 1515. Henry completed it in
1523, and it provided him with an important residence near to Westminster
after Westminster Palace burnt down in 1512. Bridewell Palace was built on
the banks of the Fleet River and named after a nearby holy well of St Bride.
In its early days, the Palace was used to lodge foreign monarchs and
dignitaries. The French Ambassador leased the palace from 1531 to 1539.
Bridewell Palace consisted of two brick-built courtyards with the royal
lodgings arranged around the three-storey inner courtyard. These were
entered by a grand processional staircase from the outer courtyard.
Bridewell was the first royal palace not to have a great hall. The Palace's
processional staircase was a feature that would continue to be present in
the Henry's later residences.
In 1553, Edward VI gave the palace to the City to house Bridewell Royal
Hospital. It was used to house vagrants, homeless children and for the
punishment of petty offenders. As well as being a 'house of correction',
Bridewell was also considered a house of education.
The Palace was largely destroyed in the Great Fire in 1666, but was rebuilt
in the following year. In 1860, the name 'House of Occupation' was changed
to 'King Edward's School'. The school quickly outgrew its site and was
closed and demolished in 1863.
De Keyser's Royal Hotel was then built on the site, but since 1931 has been
offices occupied by the Unilever Building. This is in Bridewell Place near
the Victoria Embankment.
A plaque on a wall indicates where the palace used to stand.