Southwark London England About Methodology
Britain's street name archive

Every street has
a story.

The history and etymology behind British street names. Medieval markets, Georgian landowners, Victorian industry — all written into the map.

109
Streets published
1
Borough complete
2,000+
Years of history
Featured borough
Complete
Southwark
One of London's oldest boroughs. From Roman Stane Street to Shakespeare's Bankside — the stories behind 109 street names, researched and told.
Streets
109
Borough
London
Explore Southwark streets →
SOUTH
WARK
Notable streets
Bankside
Where Shakespeare’s Globe stood and the Thames was London’s wildest …
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Blackfriars Road
Built as the elegant south approach to Robert Mylne’s masterwork bridge, t…
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Blue Anchor Lane
The lane that named a neighbourhood — and the 18th-century tavern that sta…
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Borough High Street
The only bridge to London for centuries, where Chaucer's pilgrims gathered befor…
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How it works
Each page traces a street name from its earliest documented form through to the present day — drawing on historical maps, deeds, and local records.
01
Name Origin
Where did the name come from? Old English, a landowner, a trade, a lost building — the etymology traced to its source.
02
History
What happened on this street? Industries, events, people, and buildings that shaped the neighbourhood over centuries.
03
Then & Now
Historical maps and photographs set alongside the street as it stands today — the transformation made visible.