Ever heard of a gate with a name that sparked endless debate? That is the story of the Cripplegate Plaque.
Here we stand at the former site of Cripplegate. Today a plaque marks this spot in Wood Street by Fore Street. It is a subtle reminder of a gate that once stood as a major entrance to London.
Cripplegate’s history is long. It stretches back to Roman times. A fort named Cripplegate Fort was constructed around AD 98-117. About a hundred years later the Romans built a wall around their settlement. The new wall joined the northeast and southwest corners of the Cripplegate Fort. This explains the curious bends in the Roman Wall on the northern side.
The name Cripplegate has uncertain origins. Some say it came from “crepel”. This Anglo-Saxon word meant a tunnel or underground passage. Others believe it is from cripples begging there. St Giles Church was nearby. It was the parish church of St Giles. St Giles is the patron saint of beggars and cripples. This might confirm the association.
The gate has been spelled in different ways since the tenth century. Cripelesgate Ciryclegate and Crepelesgate are some examples. Later forms include Crepelegate Cruppelgate and Crepelgate.
John Stow wrote about Cripplegate. He described a legend. It linked the gate to cripples. Stow said miracles happened there. Some of the lame could walk upright after entering.
Another explanation exists. A Mr. Denton questioned the cripples etymology. He said cripples did not beg more at Cripplegate. He suggested Cripplegate and the Barbican joined by a tunnel. The Anglo-Saxon word for such a fortification was “crepel”. It meant burrow.
Like other city gates Cripplegate was a guarded fortress. It controlled passage in and out of London. Stow called it a postern. This implied it was a smaller gate. However Samuel Pepys’ diary suggests heavy traffic. People left the city for the suburbs through Cripplegate.
Apart from a fortification Cripplegate had other uses. Stow wrote that it was sometimes a prison. It was also used to display the bodies of traitors. William Thomas was one such example. He was executed in 1554. His body hung over Cripplegate. His head displayed on London Bridge.
Monarchical figures also passed through Cripplegate. Queen Elizabeth I entered the city through it. Henry VI and Queen Margaret arrived at Cripplegate after defeating Warwick the Kingmaker.
The gate was rebuilt several times. The Brewers of London rebuilt it first in 1244. Later in 1491 Edmond Shaw left money for its repair.
In 1663 the gate repaired again. An inscription added. It celebrated King Charles II and Sir John Robinson.
Rooms over the gate served as a residence. Peter Elers the water bailiff of the city lived here. The gate survived the Great Fire of 1666. However the surrounding ward was devastated.
In 1760 the gate was taken down to widen the street.
Today a City of London building recalls the former gate. It is named The Postern. Sections of the wall remain standing nearby in the Barbican complex.
So next time you pass this plaque remember Cripplegate. It was a gate of many stories. Its name its uses and its history continue to intrigue us. It was a vital part of London.