Seven miles from the Standard in Cornhill London. That’s quite a journey isn’t it? Imagine yourself in the 17th century. You’re setting off from London on a long trip. You need a clear starting point. That starting point is the Standard in Cornhill.
The Standard wasn’t a grand pub or a bustling marketplace. It was actually an ancient well a water conduit. It stood at a crucial crossroads where Cornhill Leadenhall Street Bishopsgate and Gracechurch Street all met. This intersection was vital for travelers leaving the City. Gracechurch Street led to London Bridge the main route south. Leadenhall Street went east Bishopsgate north and Cornhill west.
John Ogilby a fascinating mapmaker used the Standard as the starting point for many of his maps. His Britannia published in 1675 showed detailed routes across the country. Each route began with a header noting the total distance and major towns. One route from London to Land’s End in Cornwall started precisely at the Standard in Cornhill. It was a journey of 303 miles and 3 furlongs. A remarkable feat in those days.
The Standard itself was constructed around 1582 by Peter Morris a German. It featured four spouts supplying water from the Thames via lead pipes. The water stopped flowing between 1598 and 1603. The Standard however remained a landmark. It served as a reference point for measuring distances from the City. Many milestones across the countryside were inscribed with distances “from the Standard in Cornhill”.
Even long after the Standard was removed around 1674 it continued to be used as a reference point. A newspaper advertisement in 1838 sought a family residence “within six miles of the Standard Cornhill”. A milestone in Lewes Sussex even today shows “Fifty miles from the Standard in Cornhill”.
So next time you see a milestone or an old map remember the Standard in Cornhill London. It’s a small but significant detail in London’s rich history. It’s a reminder of how journeys once began and how distances were measured. The Standard is gone but its legacy lives on. Even an ancient well deep below the modern streets may remain.