Gazetteer of
British Place Names

Southwark is a town and an ancient borough lying on the south bank of the River Thames in Surrey and which forms one of the great divisions of the metropolis. It is situated opposite the City of London, to which it is joined by the London, Southwark, and Blackfriars bridges. Around AD 43 Roman engineers found the south bank here suitable for the construction of a bridge across the Thames. As the lowest bridging point of the Thames, it determined the position of Londinium. Because of the bridge, the Romans routed two roads into Southwark: Stane Street and Watling Street. Like Londinium, Southwark appears to have been abandoned in the 5th century and then re-occupied during the time of Alfred the Great. The ancient borough of Southwark was enfranchised in 1295 and the term "the Borough" or "Borough" is still often used to distinguish it from 'The City'. Southwark Cathedral was founded around 1106 as the Southwark Priory of St Mary. Shakespeare's Globe is a realistic reconstruction of the Elizabethan playhouse (1599-1642) for which Shakespeare wrote his plays. The ancient borough of Southwark is within the council area of Southwark.

Place Type: Town
Historic County: Surrey
Lat, Long: 51.504714,-0.092133
Grid Reference: TQ 3251 8014
Council Area: Southwark CA
Strategic Authority Area: Greater London SA
Police Area: Metropolitan PA

GBPN ID: 41421
Entry Type: Main listing (P)
URL: https://gazetteer.org.uk/place/Southwark,_Surrey_41421

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