Moorgate was a postern in the London Wall originally built by the Romans. London Wall was the Defensive wall built by the Romans around Londinium, their strategically important port town on the River Thames in England It was turned into a gate in the 15th century. Though the gate was demolished in 1762, the name survives as a major street in the City of London. For London as a whole see the main article London. The City of London is a geographically The street connects the City to the London Boroughs of Islington and Hackney, and was constructed around 1846 as one of the new approaches to London Bridge. The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. The London Borough of Islington ( is a London borough in North and Inner London. }The Metropolitan Borough of Hackney was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London from 1900 to 1965 London Bridge is a Bridge between the City of London and Southwark in London, England, over the River Thames.

The name "Moorgate" derives from the surrounding area of Moorfields, which was one of the last pieces of open land in the City. In London, the Moorfields were one of the last pieces of open land in the City of London, near the Moorgate. Today this region is a financial centre, and is home to several investment banks. The field of finance refers to the concepts of Time, Money and Risk and how they are interrelated Investment banks profit from companies and governments by raising money through issuing and selling Securities in the Capital markets (both equity and The street also showcases historic and contemporary office buildings.

The Moorgate station on the London Underground is remembered for the Moorgate tube crash of 1975. Moorgate station is a London Underground and National Rail station in the City of London, on Moorgate, north of London Wall. The London Underground is a Metro system serving a large part of Greater London and neighbouring areas of Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire The Moorgate tube crash was a railway disaster on the London Underground, which occurred at 846am on 28 February 1975. In the incident, a train terminating at the station failed to stop and crashed into a brick wall, and 43 people were killed. This resulted in systems being installed on the Underground which automatically stop trains at dead-ends, which have become known as Moorgate control. The Moorgate tube crash was a railway disaster on the London Underground, which occurred at 846am on 28 February 1975.

History

An engraving showing Moorgate before it was demolished in 1762

The earliest descriptions of Moorgate date from the early 15th century, where it was described as only a postern in the London city wall. A postern is a secondary Door or Gate, particularly in a Fortification such as a City wall or Castle Curtain wall. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Located between Bishopsgate and Cripplegate and leading to a moor known as Moorfields, it was not one of the larger or more important of the city gates. See Bishopsgate Insurance for the Australian insurance company bankrupted in 1982 Cripplegate was a City gate in London Wall and a name for the region of the City of London outside the gate Moorland or moor is a type of habitat found in upland areas characterised by low growing vegetation on Acidic soils In London, the Moorfields were one of the last pieces of open land in the City of London, near the Moorgate.

In 1415 an ordinance enacted that the old postern be demolished. A local ordinance is a Law usually found in a municipal code. It was replaced with a newer and larger structure located further to the west, which included a wooden gate to be shut at night. A gate is a point of entry to a space enclosed by Walls or an opening in a Fence. This gate was enlarged again in 1472 and 1511, and then damaged in the Great Fire of London in 1666. This article is about the Great Fire of 1666 For other great fires in London see Early fires of London or Second Great Fire of London. Although the City gates had ceased to have any modern function apart from decoration, it was replaced along with Ludgate, Newgate, and Temple Bar with a stone gate in 1672. Ludgate was the westernmost gate in London Wall. The name survives in Ludgate Hill, an eastward continuation of Fleet Street, and Ludgate Circus Newgate was a Gate in the west of London Wall round the City of London. Temple Bar is the barrier (real or imaginary marking the westernmost extent of the City of London on the road to Westminster, where Fleet Street (extending

Moorgate was demolished with all the other London city wall gates in 1761/2, and the resulting stone was sold for £166 to the City of London Corporation to support the starlings of the newly widened centre arch of the London Bridge. The City of London Corporation (formerly known as the Corporation of London)is the municipal governing body of the City of London. In Architecture, a starling (or sterling) is a defensive bulwark usually built with pilings or Bricks surrounding the supports (or Piers London Bridge is a Bridge between the City of London and Southwark in London, England, over the River Thames.

Little Moorgate was a gate opposite Little Winchester Street leading into Moorfields. In London, the Moorfields were one of the last pieces of open land in the City of London, near the Moorgate. It had been demolished by 1755, but gave its name to a street ^[1] that was later removed for the building of a railway.

The Moorfields were one of the last pieces of open land in the City of London. In London, the Moorfields were one of the last pieces of open land in the City of London, near the Moorgate. The fields were divided into three areas: the Moorfields proper, just inside the City boundaries, north of Bethlem Royal Hospital (also known as Bedlam, the world's oldest psychiatric hospital), and Middle and Upper Moorfields (both also open fields) to the north. The Bethlem Royal Hospital of London, which has been variously known as St A psychiatric hospital (previously called insane asylum, mental hospital; or derogatorily looney bin, nut house or Funny Farm) is Much of Moorfields was developed in 1777 and turned into present day Finsbury Circus. Finsbury Circus is the oldest and largest public park and an elliptical square in the City of London, England.

Map of London Wall, Moorgate, Moorfields and Bethlem Royal Hospital from John Rocque's Map of London, dated 1746

Today, the name survives in the name of the Catholic parish of St. Mary Moorfields; Moorfields the short street parallel with Moorgate; and Moorfields Highwalk, one of the pedestrian "streets" at high level in the Barbican Estate. London Wall was the Defensive wall built by the Romans around Londinium, their strategically important port town on the River Thames in England In London, the Moorfields were one of the last pieces of open land in the City of London, near the Moorgate. The Bethlem Royal Hospital of London, which has been variously known as St St Mary Moorfields is a Roman Catholic church in the City of London. The Barbican Estate is a residential estate in the City of London, in an area densely packed with Commerce and Finance.

In addition, the London Dispensary for curing diseases of the Eye and Ear was founded on the Moorfields in 1805, and evolved to become the present Moorfields Eye Hospital, which is now located on City Road (known popularly from the second verse of the nursery rhyme Pop Goes the Weasel), and is close to Old Street station. Often referred to by Londoners as " The City Road" the western extremity of the road is at The Angel Islington where it forms a continuation of Pentonville Road A nursery rhyme is a traditional Song or Poem taught to young children originally in the nursery. "Pop Goes the Weasel" is a Jig, often sung as a Nursery rhyme, that dates back to 17th century England, and was spread across the Empire Old Street station is a London Underground and National Rail station located at the junction of Old Street and City Road just north of the

Moorfields was the site of the first hydrogen balloon flight in England, when Italian Vincenzo Lunardi took off on the afternoon of 15 September 1784. "Ballooning" redirects here For the behavior of Spiders and other Arthropods see Ballooning (spider. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Vicenzo Lunardi was born in Lucca Italy then part of the kingdom of Naples in 1759 Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Year 1784 ( MDCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Lunardi flew in a hydrogen balloon from the area of the Honourable Artillery Company near Moorfields (where it still is to this day, occupying a site next to City Road). Hydrogen (ˈhaɪdrədʒən is the Chemical element with Atomic number 1 The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC is the oldest surviving Regiment in the British Army, and the second most senior in the The ascent took place in front of 100,000 spectators as well as the then Prince of Wales, George, Duke of Cornwall. Prince of Wales (Tywysog Cymru is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom (and formerly the Kingdom The envelope of the balloon was made of oiled silk, and had a diameter of 33 ft (10 metres) which resulted in a volume of 18,200 cubic feet (515 m³). Silk is a natural Protein Fiber, some forms of which can be woven into Textiles The best-known type of silk is obtained from cocoons A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International The cubic foot is an imperial and US customary (non- metric) unit of Volume, used in the United States Canada and the United Kingdom CM3 redirects here If you were looking for the 3rd game in the Cooking Mama series abbreviated as CM3 see here. Due to the size of the balloon, it took all of the previous evening and early morning to fill it. Lunardi first landed at Welham Green (North Mymms), Hertfordshire, 13 miles (21 km) north of London (where the landing is commemorated with a stone, at a location now known as Balloon Corner) and then continued his flight to land at Ware, Hertfordshire after flying a total of 24 miles. Welham Green is a village in the parish of North Mymms, Hertfordshire, England. Hertfordshire (ˈhɑːtfədʃə(r, abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. WARE (1250 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting an Oldies format Hertfordshire (ˈhɑːtfədʃə(r, abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of

Moorgate Street and neighbourhood

Moorhouse

The contemporary street of Moorgate runs north from Princes Street and Lothbury at the back of the Bank of England, across the road named London Wall and the location of the old gate, and then continues north. Moorhouse is a large office building in the City of London. It is located on the eastern edge of the financial district and is one of the largest buildings in the area standing Princes Street is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland, and its main shopping street Lothbury is a street in the City of London. It runs east-west between Gresham Street to the west and Throgmorton Street to the east The Bank of England (formally the Governor and Company of the Bank of England) is a state-owned institution and the Central bank of the United Kingdom It is located inside the EC2 postal district. After leaving the City of London in the direction of the London Borough of Hackney, the street is known as Finsbury Pavement (which at one time was known as Moor Fields Pavement) and then City Road. For London as a whole see the main article London. The City of London is a geographically The London Borough of Hackney ( is a London borough in North-East London and forms part of Inner London. Finsbury Pavement is a street connecting Moorgate with City Road in the London Borough of Islington. The street was constructed around 1846 as one of the new approaches to London Bridge. London Bridge is a Bridge between the City of London and Southwark in London, England, over the River Thames. While the street was formally known as "Moorgate Street", the street part of the name eventually fell out of use.

A new commercial development on Moorgate, known as Moorhouse, opened in 2005. Moorhouse is a large office building in the City of London. It is located on the eastern edge of the financial district and is one of the largest buildings in the area standing The building is located at the corner of Moorgate and London Wall, and was designed by Foster and Partners. Foster + Partners is a leading Architectural firm in the United Kingdom. The building has 28,000 m² of office space in 19 storeys, and is built in the location of a smaller office building built in the 1960s known as Moor House. M^2 redirects here For other uses see M². CM2 redirects here A 36m shaft under the building incorporates part of Crossrail's new station and ticket hall serving Liverpool Street. Crossrail is a project to build major new Railway connections under central London.

The Guildhall, image courtesy of the City of London Corporation

There is a campus of the London Metropolitan University, formerly a part of the London Guildhall University, on Moorgate. The London Metropolitan University, sometimes referred to as London Met or LMU, located in London, England, was formed on 1 August London Guildhall University was previously called the City of London Polytechnic before the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 changed its The campus houses its business school, a library, and other administrative facilities. A library is a collection of information sources resources and services and the structure in which it is housed it is organized for use and maintained by a public body an institution

There is a small side street to the east off of Moorgate, known as Moorgate Place. It now connects to another side street known as Swan Alley, in turn connecting to Moorgate. The side street is the location of the Chartered Accountants' Hall, home of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW was established by a Royal Charter in 1880

The Guildhall is connected to Moorgate station via Bassishaw Highwalk. The Guildhall is a building in the City of London, off Cheapside and Basinghall Street, in the wards of Bassishaw and Cheap. Moorgate station is a London Underground and National Rail station in the City of London, on Moorgate, north of London Wall. The Guildhall is the home of the City of London Corporation and the centre of City government since the Middle Ages. The City of London Corporation (formerly known as the Corporation of London)is the municipal governing body of the City of London. Adjacent and internally connected to the Guildhall is the Guildhall Art Gallery, which houses the art collection of the City of London. The Guildhall Art Gallery houses the art collection of the City of London, England. It occupies a stone building in a semi-Gothic style which was completed in 1999 to replace an earlier building destroyed in 1941. See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period.

Finsbury Circus, an oval-shaped circus, branches east out of Moorgate, sitting on the site of the old Bethlem Hospital and part of Moorfields. A circus is most commonly a traveling company of performers that may include acrobats, Clowns trained animals trapeze acts Hoopers, tightrope walkers The gardens in the centre of the circus occupy a 5,000 square metre (1. 2 acres) plot enclosed by railings, and include the immaculate lawn of the City of London Bowls Club. The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U Built in 1814, it is unusual amongst London's squares in being elliptical, with the major axis oriented west-east. Public square and city square redirect here For Public Square Cleveland see Public Square and for City Square in Leeds see Leeds City Square. In Mathematics, an ellipse (from the Greek ἔλλειψις literally absence) is a Conic section, the locus of points in a In Geometry, the semi-major axis (also semimajor axis) is used to describe the dimensions of ellipses and hyperbolae According to the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens, the garden is Grade II listed. In England, the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England safeguards the features and qualities of key landscapes for the future A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural historical or cultural significance

Moorgate is also the birthplace of John Keats, one of the principal poets in the English Romantic movement. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Romanticism is a complex artistic literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the Keats was born in 1795 in the Swan and Hoop Inn at 199 Moorgate, where his father was an ostler. The pub is now called "The John Keats at Moorgate", having previously been known as "The Moorgate Coffee House" and "The Moorgate", only a few yards from Moorgate station.

Redevelopment of the area

A number of large buildings are being planned in the neighbouring streets. These include a 43-storey, 140m residential skyscraper at Milton Court, which would be taller than CityPoint. CityPoint (previously known as Britannic House) is a Skyscraper on Ropemaker Street on the northern fringe of the City of London. A 90m office tower at Ropemaker Place is also being developed by British Land, with construction already underway. British Land Company PLC ( is one of the largest property development and investment companies in the United Kingdom. In addition, the investment firm JP Morgan are planning a huge 1 million square foot headquarters on Fore Street, which would become one of the largest buildings in London. John Pierpont Morgan ( April 17, 1837 &ndash March 31, 1913) was an American financier banker and art collector who

See also

References

Books and articles

• Lange, D. The Queen's London: A Pictorial and Descriptive Record of the Streets, Buildings, Parks and Scenery of the Great Metropolis. Cassell and Company, London, 1896.
• Harris, C. M. What's in a name? The origins of the names of all stations in current use on the London Underground and Docklands Light rail with their opening dates. Midas Books and London Transport, fourth edition, 2001. Transport for London ( TfL) is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the Transport system in Greater London in England. ISBN 1-85414-241-0.
• Mills, A. D. Dictionary of London Place Names. Oxford University Press, 2004. ISBN 0-19-860957-4.
• Rocque, J. Rocque's Map of London. 1746 and 1763.
• Harben, H. A. A Dictionary of London. 1918.
• Stow, J. Survey of London. 1720 and 1755. 2 volumes.
• Colvin, S. John Keats - Biography. Sidney Colvin ( 18 June 1845 –1927 was an English literary and art critic 1887.
• Motion, A. Keats. University of Chicago Press, 1998. The University of Chicago is a Private university located principally in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. ISBN 0-374-18100-4.
• Holloway, S. Moorgate: Anatomy of a Railway Disaster. Trafalgar Square Publishing, 1989. ISBN 0-7153-8913-0.
• Bacon, J. M. The Dominion of the Air, Chapter 3. Online extract.

Other web sites

• Metronet history of the Circle Line. Retrieved 31 March 2005. Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• Metronet history of the Hammersmith and City Line. Retrieved 31 March 2005. Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• Start of construction of Moorhouse kicks off Crossrail in the City of London. Crossrail press release, 18 June 2002. Events 618 - Coronation of the Chinese governor Li Yuan as Emperor Gaozu of Tang, the new Emperor of China, initiating three centuries See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar.

External links

• Train times and station information for Moorgate from National Rail
• BBC News account of the 1975 crash
• Moorgate station. National Rail is a brand name of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC Official homepage of the station from Metronet. Metronet Rail is a brand within the Transport for London group that is responsible for the maintenance renewal and upgrade of the infrastructure on nine London Underground
• John Rocque's Map of London - 1746.
• Streetmap.co.uk. The map is centred on the Moorgate campus of London Metropolitan University. The London Metropolitan University, sometimes referred to as London Met or LMU, located in London, England, was formed on 1 August
• BBC nature walks - Roman London and a geological walk of the world.

Major buildings

• Emporis information on the new Moorhouse
• Emporis information on the old Moor House
• CapitaLand homepage on 25 Moorgate
• City of London Corporation homepage on Guildhall

Vincenzo Lunardi

• Hydrogen balloon model. Site with information about the balloon attempt and a model of the hydrogen balloon. Retrieved 8 April 2005. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• Flights of fancy. Site with information about the balloon attempt. Retrieved 8 April 2005. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• Balloon Corner, Welham Green. Site with picture of the stone marking the landing spot of Lunardi's balloon at Welham Green. Accessed 9 October 2005
• Streetmap.co.uk showing Welham Green and Ware in Hertfordshire. Events 768 - Carloman I and Charlemagne are crowned Kings of The Franks. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.