DoneThat
Southwark (4), London
The entrance to the George Inn's courtyard is not easily missed and is in Borough High Street on the left-hand side going south just past the junction with St. Thomas Street. This was one of a number of coaching inns along this stretch of road.
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Opposite the George on the other side of Borough High Street is one of the entrances to Borough Market designed in the Art Deco style and added in 1932.
Borough Market is a wholesale and retail food market. The retail part of the market is open to the public only on some days so check before you go.
| Comment | More of Borough Market |
The brick tower on the left, in St. Thomas Street, is part of St. Thomas Church and houses the entrance to the Old Operating Theatre. The church used to be part of the old St. Thomas Hospital which has since been moved to a new site but is now used as a chapter house for Southwark Cathedral.
After the old hospital was moved the Old Operating Theatre was forgotten and lay undiscovered until 1957 and is the oldest Operating Theatre in Europe.
The high, modern, tower on the right is the Shard.
| Comment | More of the Old Operating Theatre |
The Anchor in Clink Street, is where Samuel Pepys took refuge from the Great Fire of London in 1666. The current building was rebuilt in 1676 with later additions. It is the sole survivor of the riverside inns from Shakespeare's time.
It was frequented by actors from nearby playhouses, including the Globe, and later was a favourite place for pirates and smugglers. Repairs in the early 19th Century revealed many ingeniously contrived hiding places probably used for the contraband.
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