Why did they call it Whitechapel Dunghill? That’s one question many Londoners pondered about The Mount. This wasn’t just any hill. The Mount was a massive artificial mound a landmark in 18th-century London. It stood tall on Whitechapel Road next to the London Hospital.
The Mount’s origins are shrouded in mystery. Was it a Civil War fortification hastily built to defend London? Some believe it was. Twenty-three forts protected the city. The Mount commanded Whitechapel Road. It may have even been a nine-angled fort. After the war these fortifications were removed. But remnants like The Mount remained.
Or was it a plague pit? The Great Plague of 1665 devastated London. Thousands died. Some were buried in mass graves. The Mount could have been one such site. However no official record confirms this. But remains found suggested human and animal bones.
Another theory points to the Great Fire of London. People believed The Mount was made of rubble from the fire. Antique hunters scoured the Mount hoping for treasures. They found things. A silver tankard a Roman coin even a boar’s head from the Boar’s Head Inn.
But perhaps it was simpler. It might have been a laystall a rubbish dump. By 1671 seven laystalls existed in London. The Mount was one receiving rubbish from several wards. Workers sorted through the waste recycling some materials. Bricks made from the Mount’s soil were used in nearby buildings.
Regardless of its beginnings The Mount was more than a hill. It was a hiding place for stolen goods a viewing point and even a spot for dog fights. It offered a view of Limehouse Shadwell and Ratcliff.
Around 1807 The Mount was removed. The land was valuable. New roads were built. Mount Terrace Mount Place and Mount Street now stand where The Mount once was. Its mystery remains but its memory lives on.