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<   Londoner’s Diary: Fulcrum, 1987
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Londoner’s Diary: Cross Bones Graveyard

19 November 2011 By Michael Ellis 1 Comment

CrossBones

In the 1990s construction workers on a site near the junction of Southwark Street and Redcross Way began uncovering human bones, which led to the discovery of what turned out to be an unconsecrated burial ground. Many have become attached to this notion of a neglected burial ground and have renamed the place Cross Bones Graveyard. Some gather there, especially at Halloween, to pay respects to those buried here. In particular, ribbons and messages are left for the many prostitutes of the Middle Ages who would have been buried in such a site. These local prostitutes were commonly known as the Winchester Geese, since they worked under the employ of the Bishops of Winchester, the medieval land barons who licensed and profited from the brothels of Southwark.

Filed Under: Blog, Londoner's Diary Tagged With: Cross Bones Graveyard, Londoner's Diary, Southwark, Winchester Geese

Comments

  1. Kira says

    20 November 2011 at 3:27 pm

    I’m writing a thesis on the Crossbones site, and this seems to be a very early image? Perhaps you could confirm that? Also, would you be willing to allow me to use the image in an unpublished thesis? Thank you.

    Reply

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