Oranges & Lemons

There are many different versions of this nursery rhyme but this is the one I knew as a child!

The full version has about 15 churches named - perhaps I'll do that next.

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(NOTE the order of sites on this route does not follow the order in which they are mentioned in the nursery rhyme and the letters refer to the sites on the map)

 

A & I. Oranges & Lemons. Say the bells of St Clements

St Clement Danes stands on the Strand opposite the Royal Courts of Justice. The current church was designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1687 with the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire of 1666. It is said that the original church was built by Danes that had been expelled from the City of London by Alfred the Great. The line in the poem refers to traders unloading their wares on the nearby wharves along the Thames and so this is where all the exotic fruits would have entered the city. 

Interestingly, the bells of St Clements ring to the tune of Oranges & Lemons and on the 3rd Thursday of March, Oranges and Lemons Day, the children of the primary school attached to the church attend a service after which they are each given an orange and a lemon. 

If you look up the strand towards Trafalgar Square you will see, on the left, the abandoned Strand (Aldwych) tube station. The tube station was used during the Second World War to store treasures from the British Museum (including the Elgin Marbles) during the Blitz.

Also, almost directly opposite the tube station is one of the last remaining Sand Bins. These were used during the Victorian period to muffle the sound of the horses’ hooves and to help remove the smell of horse urine!

 

B. When will you pay me? Say the bells of Old Bailey

‘The Bells of Old Bailey’ refers to the church of St Sepulchre Without Newgate. The current church was rebuilt in 1671 after the Great Fire in 1666 and is the biggest in the City of London. This church stands opposite the Old Bailey and the site of the Newgate debtors’ prison, hence the line "when will you pay me?". Before Newgate got its own bell, the bell of St Sepulchre was rung to announce imminent executions. 

If you turn around you can see the iconic statue of Lady Justice standing on top of the Old Bailey holding the sword of retribution in one hand and the scales of justice in the other. 

 

C. Here comes a candle to light you to bed

This line in the nursey rhyme refers to the rather grim tradition of the bellman of St Sepulchre walking from the church to Newgate prison at midnight on Sunday to inform the prisoner, by candlelight, of their imminent execution. They prisoner would then be led the 3 miles to Tyburn (now Marble Arch). 

The only remaining piece of wall of Newgate prison is located in Amen Court just off Ave Maria Lane. These lanes mark the route of the procession of monks to St Paul's on feast days, hence the name. Amen Court is a private road but the wall can still be viewed through the gate from Ave Maria Lane.

 

D. I do not know. Says the great bell of Bow

Possibly the most famous, the great bell of Bow refers to the church of St Mary-Le-Bow on Cheapside. Only those born within hearing distance of Bow bells can truly call themselves Cockneys.

There has been record of a church at this location for almost 1000 years. Another design of Sir Christopher Wren, this church is considered to be one of the most important in London, after St Paul's Cathedral and as a result was one of the first to be rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666. 

The great bell of Bow is said to have convinced Dick Whittington to return home by telling him that he would one day become mayor. A real historical figure, Dick Whittington (1356-1423) was made mayor 4 times. Whittington was on his way out of London and had reached the bottom of Highgate Hill 4.5 miles away when he heard the bells; quite a remarkable feat in itself!

 

E. You owe me 5 farthings. Say the bells of St Martin's

Unfortunately, all that is left of St Martin's Orgar is the bell tower and its bell, now attached to St Clement's church, Eastcheap.

The church was damaged during the Great Fire of 1666 but was repaired during the rebuild of London. In the early 19th century though, all but the tower was demolished. 

The line in the poem refers to the moneylenders that used to work nearby.

If you look up King William Street above the roofs, you will see the top of the Monument. This commemorates the Great Fire of 1666 and is situated very close to Pudding Lane where the fire started.

 

F. When will that be? Say the bells of Stepney

St Dunstan's on Stepney High Street is the site of another very old church. As a plaque at the entrance states, St Dunstan dedicated a church here to All Saints over 1000 years ago. The current church is the third on the site and is one of the main churches serving the East End. Due to its proximity to the Thames it became known as the Church of the High Seas and as a result a red ensign, the flag of the merchant navy, is still flown from the bell tower. The line in the poem refers to the wives and families of sailors who would pray in the church for their safe return. At the time, sailors could be gone for years at a time and so there was no knowing when or if they would ever return with their earnings.

St Dunstan's has 10 bells, some of which were made as long ago as 1385. Others were made at the nearby Whitechapel Foundry (which closed in 2017 after more than 450 years) which also made the Liberty Bell and Big Ben.

 

G. When I grow rich. Say the bells of Shoreditch

St Leonard's on Shoreditch High Street is one of London's oldest religious sites. At the time the nursery rhyme was written, Shoreditch was a very poor area of London. The line "when I grow rich" is, therefore, rather hopeful, ironic or delusional depending on your interpretation.

During the Elizabethan period, the area was popular with artists and actors as it lay close to London's first purpose-built theatre, imaginatively called 'The Theatre". Actors such as William Shakespeare and Richard Burbage lived in this area and Burbage is actually buried in the church.

 

H. And here comes the chopper to chop off your head

Condemned prisoners were led from Newgate Prison to Tyburn to be executed. Thousands of people would line the streets to watch the procession and gather to watch the execution. It became a spectator sport and the condemned were expected to make a special effort, by putting on their finest clothes for example. The crowd would cheer a 'good dying' i.e. with a lack of struggle, protest and concern or jeer at signs of fear or weakness.

In the junction between what is now Oxford Street and Edgeware Road, a short distance from Marble Arch, there is a plaque reading "The Site of Tyburn Tree" the name given to the gallows constructed at this location.

The first recorded execution was William Fitz Osbert (or William with the Long Beard) in 1196 for instigating a popular uprising in London. The last was in 1783 when the highwayman, John Austin was hanged. The most famous person to be hanged at Tyburn however, was Oliver Cromwell who, nearly 3 years after his death and burial at Westminster Abbey, was disinterred and hanged for treason!