Cornhill Street
The name "Cornhill" preserves a memory of the topography of the site upon
which the Roman city of Londinium was built. The Romans constructed their
fortress on the north side of the Thames because the natural topography
boasted two hills rising to the two "extensive plateaux" later named Ludgate Hill and Cornhill (Sheppard
21) whereas the south side of the Thames consisted of the marshy
mudflats typical of a tidal river. Ludgate Hill and Cornhill
were bisected by the Walbrook
River.
See also: Chalfant 58.
References
- Chalfant, Fran C. Ben Jonson’s London: A Jacobean Placename Dictionary. Athens, GA: U of Georgia P, 1978. Print.
- Sheppard, Francis. London: A History. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1998. Print.
This project is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
