Archaeology and scheduled monuments
The important archaeology sites in Southwark. How we manage and protect them with planning policies.
Contents
Medieval Southwark
The Romans left Britain in 410 AD. After that, it is hard to find evidence of the early-post Roman period. But Southwark grew quickly in the medieval period. A document dated to 712AD refers to a minster at Bermondsey. The settlement at Southwark was likely refounded by Alfred the Great and made up one of a series of settlements founded to defend the Kingdom of Wessex. By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, Southwark was prospering and growing as a settlement.
The Cluniac priory was founded in the 1080s. Later, it became an abbey called St Saviour Bermondsey, or Bermondsey Abbey. After Domesday, many lords and church leaders built town houses in Southwark, including Winchester Palace, which the Bishops of Winchester built in the 12th century. The remains of the hall, and the Rose Window Wall, can be seen on Clink Street.
During the Tudor period (1485 to 1603), Southwark had many great houses or palaces. These included Suffolk Place (Brandon House) on the west side of Borough High Street, across from St George’s Church.