Fruiterers Passage Sounds So Naughty
I was recently walking along the north side of the River Thames when I came across an interesting looking passageway called Fruiterers Passage. I don’t know about you, but I think the names sounds a wee bit naughty, or maybe that is just my warped sense of humour coming out.
Fruiterers Passage is a pedestrian alleyway that ducks under Southwark Bridge, which first opened in 1921. Here is wee piece of trivia for you all, Southward Bridge is the least used bridge in Central London, because there is no straight on access for traffic to the city.
I found Fruiterers Passage to be one of the most beautiful and interesting wee alleyways that I have walked through in London. It features tiled murals that depict old London scenes and drawings of the bridge. The tile representations are all based on old drawings and lithographs, which the originals of are held in the Guildhall Library. It sure beats some of those graffiti riddled and urine stenched places that are so common in London.
Fruiterers Passage sure is one of many quirky names that you find all over London and why it is called this, I’m not too sure. But I could hazard a guess and say that there was maybe once upon a time a fruit and vegetable market nearby. Or maybe someone out there can enlighten me as to the reason why it got its name.
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It looks nice and would be interesting to pass through..
Fruiterers’ Passage was formally named on 19th January 2000. Just under the street sign in your photograph you will see a small silver plaque recording the fact. It carries a brief explanation why it has its name. The Worshipful Company of Fruiterers of the City of London used to have their warehouses near the spot and in times gone by ther was a “Fruiterers Alley” *. It is not know when that went, but in 1999 the Corporation of London agree to a suggestion from the Master of the Fruiterers’ Company that the new subway should be called “Fruiterers’ Passsage” to record the association of the anceint guild with the area.
*Gould’s Historty of the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers 1912