History
One of the oldest parts of London, Seething Lane survived the Great Fire of London and has an atmosphere that is unique. The lane, in Tower Street Ward, was marked by a church at each end; on the northwest corner still stands St. Olave, Hart Street and on the southeast corner was once All Hallows, Barking. Stow describes the lane as one with ‘diuers fayre and large houses’.
Pepys
The Past
Although there are lots of streets, alleys and lanes in the Square Mile, you will never find a road. That’s because ‘street’ only became popular after the 17th Century.
This ancient narrow lane gets its name from the grain that was once threshed here. Seething is an Old English word for chaff.
St Olave’s church on the corner is one of the smallest in the City and one of only a few medieval City churches that survived the Great Fire of London in 1666. Samuel Pepys lived at the Navy Office on the street and often attended services at St Olave.
1666
Recent History
More recently, a beautiful garden was laid out in 1950 and is notable for its annual beds of red roses and is a gorgeous spot to eat lunch in the summer.