In past times this district of London was the hub of illicit pleasure and entertainment.
At a time when many forms of entertainment were banned in the City of London, Southwark, with its riverside brothels, bear and cock fighting pits and rowdy theatres, (which were well established around the time of the late 16 th century), offered a welcome escape route, via London Bridge, for fun-loving Londoners.
Borough High Street in Southwark was lined with coaching Inns and Taverns and it became a busy transport hub with frequent coach departures.
Inns like the White Hart were featured by Shakespeare in Henry IV (A Southwark Inn was also featured by Charles Dickens in Pickwick Papers) and Chaucer has his Canterbury pilgrims gather at the Tabard Inn.
The George Inn is now London's only surviving galleried Inn from those times
Shakespeare's Company was based at the Globe Theatre, which in recent times has been rebuilt very near to its original site. This highly acclaimed recreation of The Globe Theatre attracts Londoners and London visitors, alike.
