Blackfriars, London facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Blackfriars
Blackfriars
Sui generis	City of London
Administrative area	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	EC4
Dialling code	020
Police	City of London
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Cities of London and Westminster
London Assembly	City and East
List of places UK England London 51°30′43″N 0°06′14″W / 51.512°N 0.104°W / 51.512; -0.104

Blackfriars is an area in central London. It is located in the south-west part of the City of London.

Blackfriars Priory: A Place of History

The City of London in the late Middle Ages. Blackfriars is in the south-west corner of the City, near the River Thames.

The name 'Blackfriars' first appeared in records around 1317. The word 'Friar' comes from a Latin word meaning 'brother'. These friars were part of the Dominican Order. They wore black cloaks, which is why they were called 'Black Friars'.

The Black Friars moved their home, called a priory, to this area in 1276. It was built near the River Thames and Ludgate Hill. King Edward I allowed them to rebuild part of London's city wall near their priory.

This priory was a very important place. Many big events happened there, including:

• Meetings of the Parliament (where laws are made).
• Visits from important people, like Emperor Charles V in 1522.
• A famous divorce case involving Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII in 1529.

The priory was closed down in 1538 by King Henry VIII. This was part of a big change called the dissolution of the monasteries.

Blackfriars Today: What You Can See

After the priory closed, some of its buildings were used by people who started the Blackfriars Theatre. This theatre was near Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, which was just across the river.

In 1632, a group called the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries bought a guesthouse from the old priory. They made it their main building. It was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, but they rebuilt it. Today, it is called Apothecaries' Hall, London.

The area is now home to Blackfriars station, a busy train and Underground station. It sits on a large roundabout. Nearby are:

• Blackfriars Bridge, a road bridge.
• Blackfriars Railway Bridge, a railway bridge.
• Blackfriars Road, a long road in Bankside, Southwark, leading to the road bridge.
• Blackfriars Millennium Pier, where you can catch river-bus services on the London River Services.

The Victoria Embankment runs along the north bank of the river from Blackfriars towards Westminster Bridge. You can see some famous buildings here, like the Art Deco Unilever House. Also, facing the station, is the Art Nouveau Black Friar pub.

Historic Buildings and Filming Locations

The Black Friar pub is a unique building with a rare shape. It is a very old and important building.

Some of the beautiful old streets in Blackfriars were repaired after being heavily bombed during the Blitz in World War II (1940-1945). These streets have genuine Victorian architecture or Georgian architecture. They are often used as sets for movies and TV shows. For example, scenes from Sherlock Holmes and David Copperfield were filmed here.

Neighbouring Areas of London

Blackfriars is surrounded by other interesting parts of London:

• On the north bank of the river:
  • Temple
  • Fleet Street
  • Ludgate Hill/City Thameslink
  • St Paul's
  • Mansion House
• On the south bank of the river:
  • Bankside

Images for kids

• 

  Ground plan of Blackfriars Monastery before it was closed.

• 

  Apothecaries' Hall in Blackfriars, shown in 1831.

• 

  Blackfriars is home to many modern financial companies.

See also

In Spanish: Blackfriars para niños