A New Millennium at Southwark Cathedral: Investigations into the First Two Thousand Years

This volume presents the story of 2000 years of occupation around Southwark Cathedral as demonstrated by a combination of building recording and archaeological excavation. The story begins in the first years of Roman occupation, with the construction of a road heading southwest from a crossing point of the Thames, close to modern London Bridge. The story of the foundation, construction and subsequent history of the medieval priory of St Mary Overie is then explored and presented in the form of a tour through the Cathedral and out into the claustral buildings. Throughout the post-medieval period industry spread along the south bank of the Thames, encroaching on the church and its environs, which suffered periods of neglect, including 16th-century use of the retro-choir as a bakery and pigsty. By the early 17th century a Delftware kiln had been constructed adjacent to the north transept of the church and the kilns, their products and methods of manufacture are all presented in detail. The volume concludes with the architects vision for the future of the Cathedral, which also provides a guide to surviving archaeological remains on display around the Cathedral, including those of the kiln.