Moorgate

Moorgate was one of the old minor gates of the old London Wall surrounding the City of London, the historic and financial centre of Greater London in the United Kingdom. The name survives as the name of a major street in the heart of the City connecting it with Islington, and in the name of a mainline terminus and London Underground train station. Several major investment and commercial banks congregate in this area. There is a mixture of historic and contemporary office buildings, including Moorhouse, which was designed by Foster and Partners, and stands at the corner of Moorgate and London Wall.

History

The earliest descriptions of Moorgate date from the early 15th century, where it was described as only a postern in the London city wall. Located between Bishopgate and Cripplegate and leading to a moor known as Moorfields, it was not one of the larger or more important of the city gates.

Related Topics:
15th century - Postern - London city wall - Bishopgate - Cripplegate - Moor - Moorfields

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In 1415, an ordinance enacted that the old postern be demolished and replaced with a newer and larger gate located further to the west which would include a gate to be shut at night. The resulting wooden gate, which was completed in the same year, was enlarged again in 1472 and 1511. The wooden gate was damanged in the Great Fire of London, and although the city gates had ceased to have any modern function apart from decoration, it was replaced along with Ludgate, Newgate, and Temple Bar with a stone gate in 1672.

Related Topics:
1415 - Ordinance - Gate - 1472 - 1511 - Great Fire of London - Ludgate - Newgate - Temple Bar - 1672

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Moorgate was demolished with all the other London city wall gates in 1761, and the resulting stone was sold for £166 to the Corporation of London to support the starlings of the newly widended centre arch of the London Bridge. Little Moorgate was a gate opposite Little Winchester Street leading into Moorfields. It was demolished by 1755, however it gave its name to a street taken down by the construction of the railways.

Related Topics:
1761 - Corporation of London - Starlings - London Bridge - Little Winchester Street - Moorfields

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The Moorfields were one of the last pieces of open land in the City of London. The fields were divided into three areas: the Moorfields proper, just inside the City boundaries, north of Bethlem Royal Hospital (also known as Bedlam, the world's oldest psychiatric hospital), and Middle and Upper Moorfields (both also open fields) to the north. Much of Moorfields was developed in 1777 and turned into present day Finsbury Circus.

Related Topics:
Moorfields - Bethlem Royal Hospital - Bedlam - Psychiatric hospital - Finsbury Circus

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Today, the name survives in the names of a short street parallel to Moorgate which contains some entrances to Moorgate station, as well as one of the pedestrian "streets" at high level in the Barbican Estate, a major housing estate in the neighbourhood incorporating the Barbican Centre and several major buildings, which is known as and Moorfields Highwalk.

Related Topics:
Barbican Estate - Barbican Centre

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In addition, the London Dispensary for curing diseases of the Eye and Ear was founded on the Moorfields in 1805, and evolved to become the present Moorfields Eye Hospital, which is now located on City Road (known popularly from the second verse of the nursery rhyme Pop Goes the Weasel), and is close to Old Street station.

Related Topics:
Moorfields Eye Hospital - City Road - Nursery rhyme - Pop Goes the Weasel - Old Street station

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Moorfields was the site of the first hot air balloon flight in England, when Italian Vincenzo Lunardi took off on the afternoon of 15 September 1784. Lunardi flew in a hydrogen balloon from the area of the Honourable Artillery Company near Moorfields (where it still is to this day, occupying a site next to City Road). The ascent took place in front of 100,000 spectators as well as the then Prince of Wales, George, Duke of Cornwall. The envelope of the balloon was made of oiled silk, and had a diameter of 33 ft (10 metres) which resulted in a volume of 18,200 cubic feet (515 m³). Due to the size of the balloon, it took all of the previous evening and early morning to fill it. Lunardi first landed at Welham Green (North Mymms), Hertfordshire, 13 miles (21 km) north of London (where the landing is commemorated with a stone, at a location now known as Balloon Corner) and then continued his flight to land at Ware, Hertfordshire after flying a total of 24 miles.

Related Topics:
Hot air balloon - England - Vincenzo Lunardi - 15 September - 1784 - Hydrogen - Honourable Artillery Company - Prince of Wales - George, Duke of Cornwall - Silk - Ft - Metre - Cubic feet - M³ - Welham Green - Hertfordshire - Miles - Km - London - Ware

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