Ferryman's Seat |
|
|
Located close to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, the Ferryman’s seat is quite an unremarkable chunk of flinty stone built into the side of a Greek restaurant.
However, what it lacks in beauty it more than makes up for in both charm and history. No-one knows quite how old the seat is, but what we do know is that it was used as a resting place for the Ferryman who once operated a water taxi service across to the north side of the Thames and back. This was once a thriving trade, especially up until 1750 when London Bridge was the only other means of carrying passengers and goods across the river. Back then, the south side of the Thames was seen as a relatively lawless place filled with brothels (known then as “stews” because they doubled up as steam baths), bear-baiting rings and theatres. The seat is located on a street called “Bear Gardens” named after the Davies Amphitheatre, the last bear baiting pit in London. Along with the Ferryman sitting on this seat, I wonder how many other bottom's have perched here?
|
