In brief
A newly discovered floorplan has allowed Shakespeare expert Prof. Lucy Munro to identify the specific location of the playwright's property in Blackfriars. Previously believed to have retired from theater shortly after purchasing the house in 1613, new insights suggest Shakespeare may have spent more time in London than previously thought. The research also changes the narrative surrounding the blue plaque commemorating Shakespeare, confirming it is located precisely where his house once stood.
The exact location of William Shakespeare's only London property has been pinpointed to a Blackfriars street, after an unknown floorplan was discovered. Shakespeare expert Prof. Lucy Munro from King's College London identified the location and size of the property he bought in 1613.It had been thought that Shakespeare retired from his theatre career not long after he bought the house and returned to Stratford-upon-Avon. However, academics believe the discovery could indicate that the playwright spent more time in London than previously believed. This new understanding also means that the blue plaque for Shakespeare on St Andrew's Hill is not merely 'near' the site of his house but directly on the spot where it stood.Shakespeare's Blackfriars property was thought to have been part of 'the Great Gate' over the entrance to the Blackfriars precinct, a prominent 13th-century Dominican friary. Munro uncovered three documents – two from the London Archives and one from the National Archives – that provided essential information about the property.Munro stated, 'I was doing research as part of a wider project and couldn't believe it when I realised what I was looking at - the floorplan of Shakespeare's Blackfriars house.' She noted that it had been assumed there wasn't much more evidence concerning the property, so research had lain dormant.'These findings help us tell the complete story of Shakespeare's Blackfriars house, and thanks to this discovery we now know exactly where it stood,' she continued. One of the documents, a plan from 1668, confirms the precise location and size of Shakespeare's house, and illustrates its connection to the Blackfriars theatre where he worked.The discovery also sheds light on Shakespeare's later years, indicating that he may have spent more time in London than previously thought, especially since he co-authored 'Two Noble Kinsmen' during this period. The property now encompasses the current layout of Ireland Yard, Burgon Street, and parts of nearby buildings, marking a significant augmentation in our comprehension of Shakespeare's life in the urban landscape of London.
