Ironmonger Lane

Ironmonger Lane is a narrow lane in the City of London running roughly north-south between Gresham Street and Cheapside.

History

Ironmonger Lane has kept the same name since at least the 12th Century when it was recorded as Ysmongerlane; "isen" was a typical early London dialect variant of "iron". [Eilert Ekwall, Street-Names of the City of London, Oxford, 1954, pp 115-6] Its name indicated that it was the location of ironmongers, but John Stow, writing at the end of the 16th century, records that the ironmongers of Ironmonger Lane and Old Jewry had already moved to Thames Street. [John Stow, A Survey of London, 1603 edition (reprinted Oxford, 1908), Vol 1 p.81]

Until the Great Fire of London of 1666 Ironmonger Lane was one of only two accesses to the Guildhall (the other being Lawrence Lane), a matter which made the travel of dignitaries difficult as two vehicles could not pass each other. The problem was alleviated after the Fire when King Street was added by Sir Christopher Wren to provide an access to Cheapside. [Walter G. Bell, The Great Fire of London 1666, revised edition, 1923, p.7]

St Thomas Becket is said to have been born on the corner of Cheapside and Ironmonger Lane. Mercers' Hall may lie on the same spot; it is a relatively modern building, the first hall having perished in the Fire and the second in the Blitz. [The London Encyclopedia, ed. Ben Weinreb and Christopher Hibbert, 1983 pp 114 and 510]

Notes