Magpie Alley, EC4Y

Courtyard in/near City of London, existing between the 17th century and now

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Courtyard · * · EC4Y ·
July
9
2018
Magpie Alley marks the position occupied by the dorter (dormitory) of the Friary of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel, commonly called the Whitefriars Monastery

After the dissolution of the monasteries the whole of this area became infested with thieves and all sorts of law breakers. They came here claiming sanctuary from the jurisdiction of the City, a liberty enjoyed by the friars before them.

It seems that, along with many other taverns, the Magpie was flourishing in Whitefriars Street during the mid-18th century. The food dished up by the landlord was so poor that the place earned the title of the ‘maggot pie’. Naturally, later landlords were overjoyed that the corruption process had been at work and along the way it had been changed to the Magpie.

Over the years the layout of Magpie Alley and its neighbours seems to have become just a little confused. At one time the Alley left Whitefriars Street approximately opposite to the Harrow public house, but that access has now been stopped. Access from the main street is now via Brittons Court. Complications are further deepened through the obliteration of George Court which used to be the western extension of Magpie Alley (from Glasshouse Alley).

Printers and booksellers colonised the area and from 1702, a newspaper - the Daily Courant. Nearly all other London newspapers followed the lead. Bouverie Street was the home of the News of the World for a while. A memorial to the hustle and bustle of the publishing days can be seen in Magpie Alley. Its tiled wall tells the story of the association of Fleet Street with publishing and printing through the ages.


Citation information: The alleyways and courtyards of London: M – The Undergroun
Further citations and sources



NEARBY LOCATIONS OF NOTE
Alsatia Alsatia was the name given to an area lying north of the River Thames covered by the Whitefriars monastery.
Blackfriars Blackfriars station was opened on 30 May 1870, by the Metropolitan District Railway (MDR), now the District line.
City Thameslink City Thameslink is a central London railway station within the City of London, with entrances on Ludgate Hill and Holborn Viaduct.
Old and New London: Temple Bar Temple Bar was rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren, in 1670–72.
Temple Bar Temple Bar is the point in London where Fleet Street, City of London, becomes the Strand, Westminster, and where the City of London traditionally erected a barrier to regulate trade into the city.
The Temple The Temple is one of the main legal districts in London and a notable centre for English law.

NEARBY STREETS
Andrews Crosse, EC4A Andrews Crosse stood on the site of the courtyard of the former Andrews Crosse Inn (City of London)
Apothecary Street, EC4V Apothecary Street leads to Apothecaries’ Hall (City of London)
Ashentree Court, EC4Y Ashentree Court was named after the ashen trees formerly located here at the Whitefriars’ monastery (City of London)
Bell Yard, EC4A Bell Yard is a small lane off the Strand where the Bell hostel once stood (City of London)
Black Friars Lane, EC4V Black Friars Lane was known as Water Lane until 1940 (City of London)
Blackfriars House, EC4V Blackfriars House is a block on New Bridge Street (City of London)
Blackfriars Lane, EC4V Blackfriars Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Blackfriars Underpass, EC4V Blackfriars Underpass is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Bolt Court, EC4A Bolt Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4A postal area (City of London)
Bouverie House, EC4A Bouverie House is a block on Fleet Street (City of London)
Bouverie Street, EC4Y Bouverie Street is named for the Pleydell-Bouveries, Earls of Radnor, who were landowners in this area (City of London)
Brick Court, EC4Y Brick Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Bride Court, EC4Y Bride Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Bride Lane, EC4Y Bride Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Bridewell Place, EC4V Bridewell Place is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Carmelite House, EC4Y Carmelite House is sited on Victoria Embankment (City of London)
Carmelite Street, EC4Y Carmelite Street continues south from Whitefriars Street, which itself is just off Fleet Street (City of London)
Carpmael Building, EC4Y Carpmael Building is a block on Crown Office Row (City of London)
Church Entry, EC4V Church Entry is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Cliffords Inn Passage, EC4Y Cliffords Inn Passage is one of the streets of London in the EC4A postal area (City of London)
Cliffords Inn, EC4A Cliffords Inn is one of the streets of London in the EC4A postal area (City of London)
Cobham House, EC4V Cobham House is a block on Black Friars Lane (City of London)
Crane Court, EC4Y Crane Court lay beside the Two Crane Inn Tavern. (City of London)
Crown Office Row, EC4Y Crown Office Row is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Daniel House, EC4A Daniel House is a block on Fleet Street (City of London)
Devereux Court, EC4Y Devereux Court lies on the south side of the Strand, opposite the Law Courts (Westminster)
Doctor Johnsons Buildings, EC4Y Doctor Johnsons Buildings is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Dorset Rise, EC4Y Dorset Rise is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Dr Johnson’s House, EC4A Dr Johnson’s House is a block on Gough Square (City of London)
Essex Court, EC4Y Essex Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Essex Street, WC2R Essex Street stretches from Milford Lane in the south to Strand in the north, flanked by Little Essex Street on the west and Devereux Court on the east. (Temple)
Falcon Court, EC4Y Falcon Court is a courtyard off the south side of Fleet Street between Chancery Lane and Fetter Lane. (City of London)
Farringdon Road, EC4V Farringdon Road is a road in the EC4A postcode area (City of London)
Farringdon Street, EC4M Farringdon Street was constructed over the Fleet river (City of London)
Fleet Street, EC4A Fleet Street is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Fleetbank House, EC4Y Fleetbank House is located on Salisbury Square (City of London)
Fountain Court, EC4Y Fountain Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (Westminster)
Francis Taylor Building, EC4Y Francis Taylor Building is a block on Kings Bench Walk (City of London)
Garden Court, EC4Y Garden Court is a pedestrian thoroughfare in the Temple area (City of London)
Hamilton House, EC4Y Hamilton House is a block on Temple Avenue (City of London)
Hanging Sword Alley, EC4Y Hanging Sword Alley is an alley running between Whitefriars Street and Salisbury Square (City of London)
Harcourt Buildings, EC4Y Harcourt Buildings is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Hare Court, EC4Y Hare Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Hare Place, EC4Y Hare Place is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Harmsworth House, EC4Y Harmsworth House lies near the Inner Temple (City of London)
Hat and Mitre Court, EC4Y Hat and Mitre Court is a road in the EC1M postcode area (City of London)
Hind Court, EC4Y Hind Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4A postal area (City of London)
Hood Court, EC4Y Hood Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Inner Temple Lane, EC4Y Inner Temple Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Ireland Yard, EC4V Ireland Yard is an alleyway leading off of Playhouse Yard (City of London)
John Carpenter House, EC4Y John Carpenter House is a block on John Carpenter Street (City of London)
John Carpenter Street, EC4Y John Carpenter was town clerk of the City of London in the fifteenth century, and founder of the City of London School (City of London)
Kildare House, EC4Y Kildare House can be found on Dorset Rise (City of London)
King’s Bench Walk Temple, EC4Y A street within the EC4Y postcode (City of London)
King’s Bench Walk, EC4Y King?s Bench Walk is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Kings Bench Walk, EC4Y Kings Bench Walk is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Lamb Building, EC4Y Lamb Building is a block on Pump Court (City of London)
Little Essex Street, WC2R Little Essex Street lies off Essex Street (Temple)
Ludgate Broadway, EC4M Ludgate Broadway is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Ludgate Circus, EC4M Ludgate Circus is a junction in the City of London where Farringdon Street and New Bridge Street cross Fleet Street/Ludgate Hill (City of London)
Ludgate Hill, EC4M Ludgate Hill is one of the streets of London in the EC4M postal area (City of London)
Ludgate House, EC4M Ludgate House is located on Fleet Street (City of London)
Ludgate Square, EC4M Ludgate Square is one of the streets of London in the EC4M postal area (City of London)
Magpie Alley, EC4Y Magpie Alley marks the position occupied by the dorter (dormitory) of the Friary of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel, commonly called the Whitefriars Monastery (City of London)
Maltravers Street, WC2R Maltravers Street is one of the streets of London in the WC2R postal area (Temple)
Masters House Temple Church, EC4Y Masters House Temple Church is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Middle Temple Lane, EC4Y Middle Temple Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Milford House, WC2R Milford House is a block on Tweezers Alley (Temple)
Milford Lane, WC2R Milford Lane is one of the streets of London in the WC2R postal area (Temple)
Mintel House, EC4V Mintel House can be found on Playhouse Yard (City of London)
Mitre Court Buildings, EC4Y Mitre Court Buildings is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
New Bridge Street House, EC4V New Bridge Street House is a building on New Bridge Street (City of London)
New Bridge Street, EC4V New Bridge Street is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
New Court, EC4V New Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Old Mitre Court, EC4Y Old Mitre Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Old Seacoal Lane, EC4M Old Seacoal Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4M postal area (City of London)
Pageantmaster Court, EC4M Pageantmaster Court was Ludgate Court and renamed in the summer of 1993 (City of London)
Paper Buildings, EC4Y Paper Buildings is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Pilgrim Street, EC4V Pilgrim Street connects New Bridge Street with Ludgate Hill (City of London)
Playhouse Yard, EC4V Playhouse Yard is named after the Blackfriars theatre which stood here in Shakespeare’s time and where his play’s were performed (City of London)
Pleydell Court, EC4A Pleydell Court runs off Pleydell Street - formerly Silver Street (City of London)
Pleydell House, EC4Y Pleydell House is a block on Pleydell Street (City of London)
Pleydell Street, EC4Y The Pleydell-Bouveries, Earls of Radnor, were landlords of this area (City of London)
Plowden Buildings, EC4Y Plowden Buildings is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Poppins Court, EC4A Poppins Court is an historic alley off Fleet Street. (City of London)
Priory Court, EC4M Priory Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Puddle Dock, EC4V Puddle Dock is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)
Pump Court, EC4Y Pump Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Quadrant Court, EC4M A street within the EC4M postcode (City of London)
Red Lion Court, EC4A Red Lion Court forms part of labyrinth of little passages behind the shops on the north side of Fleet Street. (City of London)
Salisbury Court, EC4Y Salisbury Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Salisbury Square, EC4Y Salisbury Square is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Santander House, EC4M Santander House is a block on Ludgate Hill (City of London)
Serjeants Inn, EC4Y Serjeants Inn is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
St Brides Avenue, EC4Y St Brides Avenue is a narrow alley which leaves Fleet Street almost opposite Shoe Lane (City of London)
Strand, EC4Y A small section of Strand lies beyond Temple Bar in the City of London (City of London)
Tallis House, EC4Y Tallis House is a block on Tallis Street (City of London)
Tallis Street, EC4Y This street honours Thomas Tallis, composer whose name is engraved on the façade of the nearby former building of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (City of London)
Temple Avenue, EC4Y Temple Avenue is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Temple Bar House, EC4Y Temple Bar House is a block on Fleet Street (City of London)
Temple Chambers, EC4Y Temple Chambers is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Temple Gardens, EC4Y Temple Gardens is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Temple House, EC4Y Temple House is a block on Temple Avenue (City of London)
Thanet Place, EC4Y Thanet Place ran south off Strand (City of London)
The Globe House, WC2R The Globe House is a building on Temple Place (Temple)
Tudor Street, EC4Y Tudor Street is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Tweezer’s Alley, WC2R Tweezer’s Alley probably got its name after the tweezers used by smiths to heat items in the forge that stood there. (Temple)
Unilever House, EC4Y Unilever House is a block on Victoria Embankment (City of London)
Victoria Embankment, EC4Y Victoria Embankment is part of the Thames Embankment scheme of 19th-century civil engineering that reclaimed land next to the River Thames (City of London)
Watergate, EC4Y Watergate is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Whitefriars Street, EC4Y Whitefriars Street is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)
Wine Office Court, EC4A Wine Office Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4A postal area (City of London)


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