Wormwood Street

Wormwood Street pictured in 2012.

Wormwood Street is a short street in the City of London which runs between London Wall at its western end and a junction with Bishopsgate and Camomile Street in the east. It is a dual carriageway which forms part of the A1211 route between Barbican and Whitechapel.

The nearest London Underground stations to Wormwood Street are Liverpool Street and Moorgate. It is within the London congestion charge zone. The postcode for the street is EC2M.

Etymology

The name of the street refers to a plant called wormwood which used to grow on the London Wall and in other areas of wasteland in the City.^[1] Wormwood Street's course follows the line of a sector of the original city wall, the wall forming the rear of the buildings on the north side of the street.

History

It escaped destruction in the Great Fire of 1666 but had to be extensively redeveloped after suffering severe damage in an IRA bombing in 1993. The bomb exploded on Bishopsgate near its junction with Wormwood Street.

Wormwood Street after the 1993 IRA bombing on Bishopsgate

Archaeological investigations by the Museum of London Archaeology Service undertaken during the reconstruction after the bombing discovered a coin in the remains of London Wall that led to the date of construction to be reappraised to preceding the year 180.^[2]

See also

Nearby streets:

• Bevis Marks
• Houndsditch
• St. Mary Axe

References

Bibliography

Ben Weinreb and Christopher Hibbert (1983) "Wormwood Street" in The London Encyclopedia. Macmillan: London and Basingstoke.

City of London City of London Corporation Parks and open spaces Wards Aldersgate Aldgate Bassishaw Billingsgate Bishopsgate Bread Street Bridge Broad Street Candlewick Castle Baynard Cheap Coleman Street Cordwainer Cornhill Cripplegate Dowgate Farringdon Within Farringdon Without Langbourn Lime Street Portsoken Queenhithe Tower Vintry Walbrook Enclaves Inner Temple Middle Temple Localities Barbican Bishops Square Blackfriars Broadgate Farringdon Minories Smithfield Temple Attractions 20 Fenchurch Street Bank of England Museum Barbican Centre Clockmakers' Museum College of Arms Dr Johnson's House Finsbury Circus Guildhall Art Gallery Leadenhall Market London Mithraeum London Stone Mansion House The Monument Museum of London One New Change Prince Henry's Room Royal Exchange St Paul's Cathedral Smithfield Market Notable structures 2 King's Bench Walk 30 St Mary Axe Aldgate Pump Bank of England Bevis Marks Synagogue Golden Boy of Pye Corner Guildhall Heron Tower Holborn Circus Lloyd's building London Stock Exchange Merchant Taylors' Hall National Firefighters Memorial Old Bailey Old Billingsgate Market Tower 42 Civil parishes List of civil parishes in the City of London Bridges Blackfriars Bridge Blackfriars Railway Bridge Cannon Street Railway Bridge Holborn Viaduct London Bridge Millennium Footbridge Southwark Bridge Rail and tube stations  Aldgate   Bank–Monument  Barbican   Blackfriars   Cannon Street  City Thameslink  Fenchurch Street     Liverpool Street  Mansion House   Moorgate  St. Paul's  Tower Hill (in LB of Tower Hamlets)  Tower Gateway Topics Coat of arms Flag History Listed buildings Grade I Grade II* Livery companies Lord Lieutenants Lord Mayors Lord Mayor's Show Public art and memorials Sheriffs Category Commons

Coordinates: 51°30′59″N 0°04′59″W / 51.51639°N 0.08306°W / 51.51639; -0.08306