The Surrey Chapel and The Ring

On the northern corner of Blackfriars Road and Union Street stood the Surrey Chapel, built in 1783. It then took on a completely different persona.

The Surrey Chapel was one of the first octagonal churches, in England, and was constructed in 1783, by Reverend Rowland Hill. The chapel had innovative features that included gas lighting, underfloor heating and an organ that used thunder and lightning effects, He chose the octagonal design so that the Devil would not be able to lurk in the corners.

Able to hold 1,200 people, the eccentric Reverend Hill preached here for nearly fifty years, usually to a full congregation, from his pulpit that was situated in the centre of the chapel.

In 1881 the chapel closed and, by 1910, was converted into a boxing arena, by Dick Burge, who was a former British lightweight champion between 1891-1897, and his wife Bella. They replaced the pulpit with a raised, roped-in enclosure, with a circular stage surrounded by seats for spectators.

Dick Burge renamed the building 'The Ring', which stems from early literal ground-drawn fight circles used in the early bare-knuckle boxing days under London Prize Ring Rules.

It would become the first indoor boxing ring for the working classes and would go on to become one of the most popular boxing venues, in London, famous as a proving ground for boxing talent, where well-known prize-fighters took on apprentice fighters. 

Ragged School, Southwark

The Mint & Gospel Lighthouse Mission was created in 1888, in a small building on what is now called Ayres Street. It then moved to premises on Clenham Street. However, this building was in such a poor state that The Ragged School Union and Shaftesbury Society provided them with a new building on Union Street.

This building was opened in 1907 and was set up as a charity to help disadvantaged children.

In 1840, the London City Mission used the term 'ragged' to describe the 570 children who used the five schools that they had established. The term 'ragged' referred to children who often wore ragged or worn-out clothing, no shoes or lacked the clothing to attend any other school.

In 1844, the London Ragged School Union was formed with over 20 ragged schools across the city.

Tram Shelter, Southwark

A relic from a bygone era.

On the junction of Union Street and Southwark Bridge Road, there is a cafe bar that resides in a wonderful relic from a bygone era.

The building began life as a tram shelter and stands on a pedestrian island near Flat Iron Square. 

It is a single storey building with timber framed doors, a pitched plain clay tile roof with a ventilation lantern. A semicircular window, above the door adds to the charm of this 1930s building.

A tram shelter repurposed as a cafe bar.

Trams once trundled by this building on their way to the northern end of Southwark Bridge and, in the other direction, to the Hop Exchange, close to Borough High Street.

Like much of this area, in and around Southwark, a lot has been lost to redevelopment, so it is nice to see that this almost 100 year old building has been repurposed.

The two London Plane trees offer some shade to patrons who choose to dine outside in the summer months.