Have you ever walked past a simple metal post without even noticing it? This one’s a little different. It’s called a Coal Tax Post, and it has a fascinating story to tell. It’s a relic from a time when everything we use for heating and cooking was transported into London.
This Coal Tax Post is a boundary marker that sits right here on the route to the city. This post stands as a reminder of a time when you had to pay tax on coal as it entered the city.
The Coal Tax was actually a very old tradition in London, dating back to medieval times. Coal was brought in from the countryside by sea, and as it was loaded onto boats at the riverside wharves, it was taxed by the City of London. The City was tiny then, just one square mile, but was extremely wealthy and influential. The tax was used to fund public works and to help the city recover after the Great Fire of London in 1666.
The coal tax wasn’t just collected at the wharves, though. As new transport methods like canals and railways emerged, the tax was extended to include these new routes. Eventually the old tax was abolished, but this Coal Tax Post is a testament to the city’s history and how its economy changed over time.
And there you have it – a silent guardian standing tall on the side of the road, telling us a tale of coal, taxes and a bygone era.