Moorgate
Encyclopedia
Moorgate was a postern
in the London Wall
originally built by the Romans. It was turned into a gate in the 15th century. Though the gate was demolished in 1762, the name survives as a major street in the City of London
. The street connects the City to the London Borough
s of Islington
and Hackney
, and was constructed around 1846 as one of the new approaches to London Bridge
.
The name "Moorgate" derives from the surrounding area of Moorfields
, which was one of the last pieces of open land in the City. Today this region is a financial
centre, and is home to several investment banks. The street also showcases historic and contemporary office buildings.
The Moorgate station
on the London Underground
is remembered for the Moorgate tube crash
of 1975. In the incident, a train terminating at the station failed to stop and crashed into a brick wall, and 43 people were killed. This resulted in systems being installed on the Underground which automatically stop trains at dead-ends, which have become known as Moorgate control.
in the London city wall
. Located between Bishopsgate
and Cripplegate
and leading to a moor
known as Moorfields
, it was not one of the larger or more important of the city gates.
In 1415 an ordinance
enacted that the old postern be demolished. It was replaced with a newer and larger structure located farther to the west, which included a wooden gate
to be shut at night. This gate was enlarged again in 1472 and 1511, and then damaged in the Great Fire of London
in 1666. Although the City gates had ceased to have any modern function apart from decoration, it was replaced along with Ludgate
, Newgate
, and Temple Bar
with a stone gate in 1672.
Moorgate was demolished with all the other London city wall gates in 1761/2, and the resulting stone was sold for £166 to the City of London Corporation to support the starlings
of the newly widened centre arch of the London Bridge
.
Little Moorgate was a gate opposite Little Winchester Street leading into Moorfields
. It had been demolished by 1755, but gave its name to a street that was later removed for the building of a railway.
The Moorfields
were one of the last pieces of open land in the City of London. The fields were divided into three areas: the Moorfields proper, just inside the City boundaries, north of Bethlem Royal Hospital
(also known as Bedlam, the world's oldest psychiatric hospital
), and Middle and Upper Moorfields (both also open fields) to the north. Much of Moorfields was developed in 1777 and turned into present day Finsbury Circus
.
Today, the name survives in the name of the Catholic parish of St. Mary Moorfields; Moorfields the short street parallel with Moorgate; and Moorfields Highwalk, one of the pedestrian "streets" at high level in the Barbican Estate
.
In addition, the London Dispensary for curing diseases of the Eye and Ear was founded on the Moorfields in 1805, and evolved to become the present Moorfields Eye Hospital
, which is now located on City Road
(known popularly from the second verse of the nursery rhyme
Pop Goes the Weasel
), and is close to Old Street station
.
Moorfields was the site of the first hydrogen balloon flight in England
, when Italian Vincenzo Lunardi
took off on the afternoon of 15 September 1784. Lunardi flew in a hydrogen
balloon from the area of the Honourable Artillery Company
near Moorfields (where it still is to this day, occupying a site next to City Road). The ascent took place in front of 100,000 spectators as well as the then Prince of Wales
, George, Duke of Cornwall
. The envelope of the balloon was made of oiled silk
, and had a diameter of 33 ft (10 m) which resulted in a volume of 18,200 cubic feet (515 m³). Due to the size of the balloon, it took all of the previous evening and early morning to fill it. Lunardi first landed at Welham Green
(North Mymms), Hertfordshire
, 13 miles (21 km) north of London
(where the landing is commemorated with a stone, at a location now known as Balloon Corner) and then continued his flight to land at Ware, Hertfordshire
after flying a total of 24 miles (38.6 km).
The contemporary street of Moorgate runs north from Princes Street and Lothbury
at the back of the Bank of England
, across the road named London Wall and the location of the old gate, and then continues north. It is located inside the EC2 postal district. After leaving the City of London
in the direction of the London Borough of Hackney
, the street is known as Finsbury Pavement
(which at one time was known as Moor Fields Pavement) and then City Road. The street was constructed around 1846 as one of the new approaches to London Bridge
. While the street was formally known as "Moorgate Street", the street part of the name eventually fell out of use.
A new commercial development on Moorgate, known as Moorhouse
, opened in 2005. The building is located at the corner of Moorgate and London Wall, and was designed by Foster and Partners
. The building has 28,000 m² of office space in 19 storeys, and is built in the location of a smaller office building built in the 1960s known as Moor House. A 36 m shaft under the building incorporates part of Crossrail
's new station and ticket hall serving Liverpool Street.
There is a campus of the London Metropolitan University
, formerly a Polytechnic, and part of the London Guildhall University
, on Moorgate. The campus houses its business school, a library
, and other administrative facilities.
There is a small side street to the east off of Moorgate, known as Moorgate Place. It now connects to another side street known as Swan Alley, in turn connecting to Moorgate. The side street is the location of the Chartered Accountants' Hall, home of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
The Guildhall
is connected to Moorgate station
via Bassishaw Highwalk. The Guildhall is the home of the City of London Corporation and the centre of City government since the Middle Ages
. Adjacent and internally connected to the Guildhall is the Guildhall Art Gallery
, which houses the art collection of the City of London. It occupies a stone building in a semi-Gothic
style which was completed in 1999 to replace an earlier building destroyed in 1941.
Finsbury Circus, an oval-shaped circus
, branches east out of Moorgate, sitting on the site of the old Bethlem Hospital and part of Moorfields. The gardens in the centre of the circus occupy a 5,000 square metre (1.2 acre
s) plot enclosed by railings, and include the immaculate lawn of the City of London Bowls Club. Built in 1814, it is unusual amongst London's square
s in being elliptical
, with the major axis oriented west-east. According to the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
, the garden is Grade II listed.
Moorgate is also the birthplace of John Keats
, one of the principal poets
in the English
Romantic
movement. Keats was born in 1795 in the Swan and Hoop Inn at 199 Moorgate, where his father was an ostler
. The pub is now called "The John Keats at Moorgate", having previously been known as "The Moorgate Coffee House" and "The Moorgate", only a few yards from Moorgate station.
The nearest London Underground
and National Rail
station is Moorgate
.
. A 90 m office tower at Ropemaker Place is also being developed by British Land
, with construction already underway.
London Underground
Major buildings
Vincenzo Lunardi
Postern
A postern is a secondary door or gate, particularly in a fortification such as a city wall or castle curtain wall. Posterns were often located in a concealed location, allowing the occupants to come and go inconspicuously. In the event of a siege, a postern could act as a sally port, allowing...
in the London Wall
London Wall
London Wall was the defensive wall first built by the Romans around Londinium, their strategically important port town on the River Thames in what is now the United Kingdom, and subsequently maintained until the 18th century. It is now the name of a road in the City of London running along part of...
originally built by the Romans. It was turned into a gate in the 15th century. Though the gate was demolished in 1762, the name survives as a major street in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. The street connects the City to the London Borough
London borough
The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. Inner London comprises twelve of these boroughs plus the City of London. Outer London comprises the twenty remaining boroughs of Greater London.-Functions:...
s of Islington
London Borough of Islington
The London Borough of Islington is a London borough in Inner London. It was formed in 1965 by merging the former metropolitan boroughs of Islington and Finsbury. The borough contains two Westminster parliamentary constituencies, Islington North and Islington South & Finsbury...
and Hackney
Metropolitan Borough of Hackney
The Metropolitan Borough of Hackney was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London from 1900 to 1965. Its area became part of the London Borough of Hackney.-Formation and boundaries:...
, and was constructed around 1846 as one of the new approaches to London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...
.
The name "Moorgate" derives from the surrounding area of Moorfields
Moorfields
In London, the Moorfields were one of the last pieces of open land in the City of London, near the Moorgate. The fields were divided into three areas, the Moorfields proper, just north of Bethlem Hospital, and inside the City boundaries, and Middle and Upper Moorfields to the north.After the Great...
, which was one of the last pieces of open land in the City. Today this region is a financial
FINANCIAL
FINANCIAL is the weekly English-language newspaper with offices in Tbilisi, Georgia and Kiev, Ukraine. Published by Intelligence Group LLC, FINANCIAL is focused on opinion leaders and top business decision-makers; It's about world’s largest companies, investing, careers, and small business. It is...
centre, and is home to several investment banks. The street also showcases historic and contemporary office buildings.
The Moorgate station
Moorgate station
Moorgate station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground station on Moorgate in the City of London; it provides National Rail services by First Capital Connect for Hertford, Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth and also serves the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan Lines and...
on the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
is remembered for the Moorgate tube crash
Moorgate tube crash
The Moorgate tube crash was a railway disaster on the London Underground, which occurred on 28 February 1975 at 08.46 am.A southbound train on the Northern Line crashed into the tunnel end beyond the platform at Moorgate station...
of 1975. In the incident, a train terminating at the station failed to stop and crashed into a brick wall, and 43 people were killed. This resulted in systems being installed on the Underground which automatically stop trains at dead-ends, which have become known as Moorgate control.
History
The earliest descriptions of Moorgate date from the early 15th century, where it was described as only a posternPostern
A postern is a secondary door or gate, particularly in a fortification such as a city wall or castle curtain wall. Posterns were often located in a concealed location, allowing the occupants to come and go inconspicuously. In the event of a siege, a postern could act as a sally port, allowing...
in the London city wall
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Located between Bishopsgate
Bishopsgate
Bishopsgate is a road and ward in the northeast part of the City of London, extending north from Gracechurch Street to Norton Folgate. It is named after one of the original seven gates in London Wall...
and Cripplegate
Cripplegate
Cripplegate was a city gate in the London Wall and a name for the region of the City of London outside the gate. The area was almost entirely destroyed by bombing in World War II and today is the site of the Barbican Estate and Barbican Centre...
and leading to a moor
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
known as Moorfields
Moorfields
In London, the Moorfields were one of the last pieces of open land in the City of London, near the Moorgate. The fields were divided into three areas, the Moorfields proper, just north of Bethlem Hospital, and inside the City boundaries, and Middle and Upper Moorfields to the north.After the Great...
, it was not one of the larger or more important of the city gates.
In 1415 an ordinance
Local ordinance
A local ordinance is a law usually found in a municipal code.-United States:In the United States, these laws are enforced locally in addition to state law and federal law.-Japan:...
enacted that the old postern be demolished. It was replaced with a newer and larger structure located farther to the west, which included a wooden gate
Gate
A gate is a point of entry to a space enclosed by walls, or a moderately sized opening in a fence. Gates may prevent or control entry or exit, or they may be merely decorative. Other terms for gate include yett and port...
to be shut at night. This gate was enlarged again in 1472 and 1511, and then damaged in the Great Fire of London
Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
in 1666. Although the City gates had ceased to have any modern function apart from decoration, it was replaced along with Ludgate
Ludgate
Ludgate was the westernmost gate in London Wall. The name survives in Ludgate Hill, an eastward continuation of Fleet Street, and Ludgate Circus.-Etymology:...
, Newgate
Newgate
Newgate at the west end of Newgate Street was one of the historic seven gates of London Wall round the City of London and one of the six which date back to Roman times. From it a Roman road led west to Silchester...
, and Temple Bar
Temple Bar, London
Temple Bar is the barrier marking the westernmost extent of the City of London on the road to Westminster, where Fleet Street becomes the Strand...
with a stone gate in 1672.
Moorgate was demolished with all the other London city wall gates in 1761/2, and the resulting stone was sold for £166 to the City of London Corporation to support the starlings
Starling (architecture)
In architecture, a starling or, more commonly, cutwater is a defensive bulwark, usually built with pilings or bricks, surrounding the supports of a bridge or similar construction...
of the newly widened centre arch of the London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...
.
Little Moorgate was a gate opposite Little Winchester Street leading into Moorfields
Moorfields
In London, the Moorfields were one of the last pieces of open land in the City of London, near the Moorgate. The fields were divided into three areas, the Moorfields proper, just north of Bethlem Hospital, and inside the City boundaries, and Middle and Upper Moorfields to the north.After the Great...
. It had been demolished by 1755, but gave its name to a street that was later removed for the building of a railway.
The Moorfields
Moorfields
In London, the Moorfields were one of the last pieces of open land in the City of London, near the Moorgate. The fields were divided into three areas, the Moorfields proper, just north of Bethlem Hospital, and inside the City boundaries, and Middle and Upper Moorfields to the north.After the Great...
were one of the last pieces of open land in the City of London. The fields were divided into three areas: the Moorfields proper, just inside the City boundaries, north of Bethlem Royal Hospital
Bethlem Royal Hospital
The Bethlem Royal Hospital is a psychiatric hospital located in London, United Kingdom and part of the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Although no longer based at its original location, it is recognised as the world's first and oldest institution to specialise in mental illnesses....
(also known as Bedlam, the world's oldest psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
), and Middle and Upper Moorfields (both also open fields) to the north. Much of Moorfields was developed in 1777 and turned into present day Finsbury Circus
Finsbury Circus
Finsbury Circus is an elliptical square with its long axis lying east-west in the City of London, England; with an area of 2.2 hectares it is the largest public open space within the City's boundaries. It has an immaculately maintained Lawn Bowls club in the centre, which has existed in the gardens...
.
Barbican Estate
The Barbican Estate is a residential estate built during the 1960s and the 1970s in the City of London, in an area once devastated by World War II bombings and today densely populated by financial institutions...
.
In addition, the London Dispensary for curing diseases of the Eye and Ear was founded on the Moorfields in 1805, and evolved to become the present Moorfields Eye Hospital
Moorfields Eye Hospital
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is an NHS eye hospital located in London, United Kingdom. It is the oldest and largest eye hospital in the world and is internationally renowned for its comprehensive clinical and research activities...
, which is now located on City Road
City Road
City Road or The City Road is a road that runs through inner north and central London. The northwestern extremity of the road is at the Angel, Islington where it forms a continuation of Pentonville Road. Pentonville Road itself is the modern name for London's first bypass, the New Road from...
(known popularly from the second verse of the nursery rhyme
Nursery rhyme
The term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems for young children in Britain and many other countries, but usage only dates from the 19th century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.-Lullabies:...
Pop Goes the Weasel
Pop Goes the Weasel
"Pop! Goes the Weasel" is an English language nursery rhyme and singing game. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 5249.-Lyrics:There are many different versions of the lyrics to the song...
), and is close to Old Street station
Old Street station
Old Street station is a central London National Rail and London Underground station located at the junction of Old Street and City Road just north of the City of London. It lies close to the border between the boroughs of Islington and Hackney...
.
Moorfields was the site of the first hydrogen balloon flight in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, when Italian Vincenzo Lunardi
Vincenzo Lunardi
Vicenzo Lunardi was born in Lucca, Italy. His family were of minor Neapolitan nobility, and his father had married late in life. Vicenzo was one of three children...
took off on the afternoon of 15 September 1784. Lunardi flew in a hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
balloon from the area of the Honourable Artillery Company
Honourable Artillery Company
The Honourable Artillery Company was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII. Today it is a Registered Charity whose purpose is to attend to the “better defence of the realm"...
near Moorfields (where it still is to this day, occupying a site next to City Road). The ascent took place in front of 100,000 spectators as well as the then Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
, George, Duke of Cornwall
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
. The envelope of the balloon was made of oiled silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
, and had a diameter of 33 ft (10 m) which resulted in a volume of 18,200 cubic feet (515 m³). Due to the size of the balloon, it took all of the previous evening and early morning to fill it. Lunardi first landed at Welham Green
Welham Green
Welham Green is a village in the parish of North Mymms, Hertfordshire, England. It is situated a mile to the west of the Great North Road coaching route that used to run through the neighbouring hamlet of Bell Bar from London to York and the north. The Great North Road is now by-passed by the A1...
(North Mymms), Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, 13 miles (21 km) north of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(where the landing is commemorated with a stone, at a location now known as Balloon Corner) and then continued his flight to land at Ware, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
after flying a total of 24 miles (38.6 km).
Moorgate Street and suburb
Lothbury
Lothbury is a street in the City of London. It runs east-west, between Gresham Street to the west and Throgmorton Street to the east. The area was populated with coppersmiths in the Middle Ages before later becoming home to a number of merchants and bankers. The Bank of England is on the southern...
at the back of the Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
, across the road named London Wall and the location of the old gate, and then continues north. It is located inside the EC2 postal district. After leaving the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
in the direction of the London Borough of Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
, the street is known as Finsbury Pavement
Finsbury Pavement
Finsbury Pavement is a street connecting Moorgate with City Road in the London Borough of Islington. It forms a part of the A501 London Inner Ring Road, and before the introduction of the ring of steel formed a major through route to London Bridge and south London.-History:The name was formerly...
(which at one time was known as Moor Fields Pavement) and then City Road. The street was constructed around 1846 as one of the new approaches to London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...
. While the street was formally known as "Moorgate Street", the street part of the name eventually fell out of use.
A new commercial development on Moorgate, known as Moorhouse
Moorhouse (building)
Moorhouse is a large office building in the City of London.It is located on the Northern edge of the financial district and is one of the largest buildings in the area, standing tall and with 29,000 square metres of floorspace....
, opened in 2005. The building is located at the corner of Moorgate and London Wall, and was designed by Foster and Partners
Foster and Partners
Foster + Partners is an architectural firm based in London. The practice is led by its founder and Chairman, Norman Foster, and has constructed many high-profile glass-and-steel buildings....
. The building has 28,000 m² of office space in 19 storeys, and is built in the location of a smaller office building built in the 1960s known as Moor House. A 36 m shaft under the building incorporates part of Crossrail
Crossrail
Crossrail is a project to build a major new railway link under central London. The name refers to the first of two routes which are the responsibility of Crossrail Ltd. It is based on an entirely new east-west tunnel with a central section from to Liverpool Street station...
's new station and ticket hall serving Liverpool Street.
There is a campus of the London Metropolitan University
London Metropolitan University
London Metropolitan University , located in London, England, was formed on 1 August 2002 by the amalgamation of the University of North London and the London Guildhall University . The University has campuses in the City of London and in the London Borough of Islington.The University operates its...
, formerly a Polytechnic, and part of the London Guildhall University
London Guildhall University
London Guildhall University was a university in the United Kingdom from 1992 to 2002. On 1 August 2002, it merged with the University of North London to form London Metropolitan University...
, on Moorgate. The campus houses its business school, a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, and other administrative facilities.
There is a small side street to the east off of Moorgate, known as Moorgate Place. It now connects to another side street known as Swan Alley, in turn connecting to Moorgate. The side street is the location of the Chartered Accountants' Hall, home of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
The Guildhall
Guildhall, London
The Guildhall is a building in the City of London, off Gresham and Basinghall streets, in the wards of Bassishaw and Cheap. It has been used as a town hall for several hundred years, and is still the ceremonial and administrative centre of the City of London and its Corporation...
is connected to Moorgate station
Moorgate station
Moorgate station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground station on Moorgate in the City of London; it provides National Rail services by First Capital Connect for Hertford, Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth and also serves the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan Lines and...
via Bassishaw Highwalk. The Guildhall is the home of the City of London Corporation and the centre of City government since the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. Adjacent and internally connected to the Guildhall is the Guildhall Art Gallery
Guildhall Art Gallery
The Guildhall Art Gallery houses the art collection of the City of London, England. It occupies a building that was completed in 1999 to replace an earlier building destroyed in The Blitz in 1941...
, which houses the art collection of the City of London. It occupies a stone building in a semi-Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style which was completed in 1999 to replace an earlier building destroyed in 1941.
Finsbury Circus, an oval-shaped circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
, branches east out of Moorgate, sitting on the site of the old Bethlem Hospital and part of Moorfields. The gardens in the centre of the circus occupy a 5,000 square metre (1.2 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s) plot enclosed by railings, and include the immaculate lawn of the City of London Bowls Club. Built in 1814, it is unusual amongst London's square
Town square
A town square is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings. Other names for town square are civic center, city square, urban square, market square, public square, and town green.Most town squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets,...
s in being elliptical
Ellipse
In geometry, an ellipse is a plane curve that results from the intersection of a cone by a plane in a way that produces a closed curve. Circles are special cases of ellipses, obtained when the cutting plane is orthogonal to the cone's axis...
, with the major axis oriented west-east. According to the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
In England, the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England provides a listing and classification system for historic parks and gardens similar to that used for listed buildings. The register is managed by English Heritage under the provisions of the National...
, the garden is Grade II listed.
Moorgate is also the birthplace of John Keats
John Keats
John Keats was an English Romantic poet. Along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, he was one of the key figures in the second generation of the Romantic movement, despite the fact that his work had been in publication for only four years before his death.Although his poems were not...
, one of the principal poets
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Romantic
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
movement. Keats was born in 1795 in the Swan and Hoop Inn at 199 Moorgate, where his father was an ostler
Ostler
Ostler is a surname, and may refer to:*Blake Ostler, American attorney*Gordon Ostlere, English surgeon and anaesthetist*Nicholas Ostler, British linguist*William Ostler, English actor...
. The pub is now called "The John Keats at Moorgate", having previously been known as "The Moorgate Coffee House" and "The Moorgate", only a few yards from Moorgate station.
The nearest London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
and National Rail
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
station is Moorgate
Moorgate station
Moorgate station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground station on Moorgate in the City of London; it provides National Rail services by First Capital Connect for Hertford, Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth and also serves the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan Lines and...
.
Redevelopment of the area
A number of large buildings are being planned in the neighbouring streets. These include a 43-storey, 140 m residential skyscraper at Milton Court, which would be taller than CityPointCityPoint
CityPoint is a skyscraper on Ropemaker Street on the northern fringe of the City of London.-Design and construction:...
. A 90 m office tower at Ropemaker Place is also being developed by British Land
British Land
The British Land Company plc is one of the largest property development and investment companies in the United Kingdom. The firm switched to Real Estate Investment Trust status when REITs were introduced in the United Kingdom in January 2007. It is headquartered in London...
, with construction already underway.
Nearby rail and Tube
National RailNational Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
- Liverpool Street stationLiverpool Street stationLiverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
- Moorgate stationMoorgate stationMoorgate station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground station on Moorgate in the City of London; it provides National Rail services by First Capital Connect for Hertford, Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth and also serves the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan Lines and...
London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
- Moorgate station: Northern LineNorthern LineThe Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
(city branch), Circle, Hammersmith & CityHammersmith & City LineThe Hammersmith & City line is a subsurface London Underground line. It connects Hammersmith in the west with Barking in the east, running through the northern part of central London. It is coloured salmon pink on the Tube map...
and MetropolitanMetropolitan LineThe Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
lines
External links
- BBC News account of the 1975 crash
- Moorgate station. Official homepage of the station from MetronetMetronetMetronet Rail was one of two companies in a public-private partnership with London Underground.Metronet was responsible for the maintenance, renewal, and upgrade of the infrastructure on nine London Underground lines from 2003 to 2008. This included track, trains, signals, civil work and stations...
. - John Rocque's Map of London - 1746.
- Streetmap.co.uk. The map is centred on the Moorgate campus of London Metropolitan UniversityLondon Metropolitan UniversityLondon Metropolitan University , located in London, England, was formed on 1 August 2002 by the amalgamation of the University of North London and the London Guildhall University . The University has campuses in the City of London and in the London Borough of Islington.The University operates its...
- BBC nature walks - Roman London and a geological walk of the world.
- Moors Gate.
Major buildings
- Emporis information on the new Moorhouse
- Emporis information on the old Moor House
- CapitaLand homepage on 25 Moorgate
- City of London Corporation homepage on Guildhall
Vincenzo Lunardi
- Hydrogen balloon model. Site with information about the balloon attempt and a model of the hydrogen balloon.
- Flights of fancy. Site with information about the balloon attempt.
- Balloon Corner, Welham Green. Site with picture of the stone marking the landing spot of Lunardi's balloon at Welham Green.
- Streetmap.co.uk showing Welham Green and Ware in Hertfordshire