Map

The overlays that highlight 17th century London features are approximate and derived from Wenceslaus Hollar’s maps:

Open location in Google Maps: 51.515403, -0.082832

Summary

Described in A Dictionary of London (1918) at British History Online:

West out of Bishopsgate Street, at No. 91. In Bishopsgate Ward (Within) (Hatton, 1708-O.S. 1848-51).

The site is shown on the O.S. 1875.

Former name : “Black Bull Inn” (1615, H. MSS. Com. 8th Rep. 435b. Strype, ed. 1720 I. ii. 105 and 107).

Strype uses both names.

Hatton, 1708, describes it as a passage to Broad Street.

Site is now occupied by Palmerston House.

Black Bull Inn can be seen in the lower-left corner of this 17th century map.

1 Annotation

First Reading

Glyn  •  Link

The Bull Inn was located where Tower 42 (previously known as the National Westminster Tower) now is, and was a recognised starting/finishing point on the main north road out of London. The Bull was one of many similar inns along Bishopsgate, and according to one writer "each had its approach through a low archway into a cobble-stone yard with galleries on three sides fenced by wooden balustrades, behind which were rows of bed chambers". It would probably have resembled the George Inn, 77 Borough High Street, near Borough Market, which is London's only surviving galleried coaching inn.

It is claimed that the first playhouse under a patent of Queen Elizabeth 1st was put up in the Bull yard under James Burbage and Richard Tarleton, in which case it must have been of substantial size and just outside the city wall.

Primary source: “Taverns and Tokens of Pepys London” (1976) by George Berry, page 33.

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References

Chart showing the number of references in each month of the diary’s entries.

1668