Local historian Jennie Howells has been delving in the archives and will be dropping historic gems in our laps on a monthly basis. Download the PDFs below and enjoy reading up on our local back stories.

Our first three, published monthly over summer 2019, told the stories of our three favourite parks, Tanner Street Park, Guy Street Park and Leathermarket Gardens. With a nod to ‘horrible histories’,  in Numbers 1,2 and 3, there is a dark undertow of workhouse, burial ground and bombsite – be warned!

Number 4 opens a window on a fascinating but little known enterprise, The Bermondsey Bookshop and Number 5 celebrates the handsome London Leather, Hide and Wool Exchange building. Number 6 remembers Dobson’s Bakery which used to occupy the corner of Tanner Street and Bermondsey Street, but has since been demolished along with its neighbours to enable the park to be extended. There was a time when we had our own local 3000-seat cinema The Trocette, which features in Number 7. At that time there was also a famous hat company, Christy’s, based here whose story is told in Number 8.

Number 9 captures the rich history of St Mary Magdalen churchyard and Number 10 recalls reminiscences by local residents 1820-1916. In Number 11, we take a look at the Bermondsey Workhouse, which was in Russell (now Tanner) Street. We take a look further back, at local archaeology, in Number 12 Beneath the Street. 

The amazing Hartley’s Jam Factory off Tower Bridge Road is the star of Number 13 and Number 14 celebrates the lively tale of the Pleasure Gardens at Bermondsey Spa in the 18th century. Number 15 Stories in Stone encourages us to take a closer look at some of the amazing stone carvings that adorn our buildings. Number 16 looks west to the history of Newcomen Street, Number 17 north east to the parish of Horselydown, Number 18, to the south east, The Grange and number 19, south to Long Lane.

You can see what contemporaries thought of Bermondsey in A Time Traveller in Bermondsey, number 20. Number 21 charts the history of The Maltings site (was the Sarson’s Vinegar Factory) at the corner of Tanner Street and Tower Bridge Road.

Tanner Street Park – Bermondsey Street Back Stories Number 1 ⇨

Guy Street Park – Bermondsey Street Back Stories Number 2 ⇨

Leathermarket Gardens – Bermondsey Street Back Stories Number 3 ⇨

Beer, Boxing and Books – Bermondsey Street Back Stories Number 4 ⇨

The London Leather, Hide and Wool Exchange – Bemrondsey Street Back Stories Number 5 ⇨

Dobsons Bakery – Bermondsey Street Back Stories Number 6

The Trocette Cinema – Bermondsey Street Back Stories Number 7

Where did you get that hat? The story of Christys – Bermondsey Street Back Story Number 8

St Mary Magdalen Churchyard – Bermondsey Street Back Story Number 9

As they knew it – Reminiscences of Bermondsey 1820-1916 -Bermondsey Street Back Story Number 10

Hard Times in Bermondsey – Life in the Workhouse – Bermondsey Street Back Story Number 11

Beneath the Street – Bermondsey Street Back Story Number 12

The Hartley’s Jam Factory – Bermondsey Street Back Story Number 13

‘Taking the Waters’ at Bermondsey Spa – Bermondsey Street Back Story Number 14

Stories in Stone– Bermondsey Street Back Story Number 15

Newcomen Street – Short Street, Long History – Bermondsey Street Back Story Number 16

Horselydown – Bermondsey Street Back Story Number 17

The Grange – Bermondsey Street Back Story Number 18

Long Lane Bermondsey Street Back Story Number 19

A Time Traveller in Bermondsey Bermondsey Street Back Story Number 20

The Maltings Bermondsey Street Back Story Number 21