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Ask For Janice review: Christmas cocktails and sharing plates at Farringdon hotspot
‘Janice Eggnog’ (left) and ‘Berry Christmas’ (right) cocktails at Ask For Janice
© Amy Lorna
Exposed brick, vintage furniture and neon lighting give the venue a relaxed, industrial vibe
© Amy Lorna
With the rebuilding of the overground station and lots of redevelopment in the surrounding area in recent years, Farringdon lost some of the many cool venues (eg Turnmills) I used to frequent. So I was pleased to here some character coming back to EC1 with the opening of bar-restaurant Ask For Janice last year. I had wanted to visit for some time, so with Christmas approaching, one of my friends and I popped along for some festive food and drink last week.
Ask For Janice is located across the road from Smithfield Market, so has plenty of visual stimulation for people watchers visiting during trading hours. With exposed pipework and brick walls, the venue has an industrial look with the vintage school-esque furniture and neon lighting bringing a sense of warmth. We were given a spot by the windows on high stools which was cosy and intimate, with low-lighting and a subtle beat in the background giving a decidedly evening vibe (quite different I should imagine to those who visit in the day for breakfast or lunch).
Vintage style: The ‘Snowball; – Advocaat, Sherry and lemonade
Our main objective was to try the special Christmas cocktail menu – comprising of three festive tipples. Of course, we had to try all of them. As I was slightly peckish on arrival, I first went for the most food-like of the drinks – the ‘Janice Eggnog’ – made from an egg and dusted with nutmeg which was deliciously frothy. Next was after something a bit more sophisticated, the ‘Berry Christmas’ – a measure of Janice’s own Sloe Gin, with cranberry syrup and Prosecco, topped with cranberries and a sprig of rosemary, which was refreshing with elements of sweetness, with the herbs giving the Prosecco a bit of a kick. Finally, to finish it was an old ’70s classic – which admittedly I had never tried before – the ‘Snowball’ – made of Advocaat, Sherry and Lemonade. It was sweet and light and actually my favourite drink of the three Christmas choices.
AFJ’s menu is seasonal and sourced, with the options of snacks, small plates for sharing or separate dishes. Being the season for sharing, my friend and I opted for the small plates, choosing Garlic Fries, Black Badger Bean Hummus, Buttermilk and Sweetcorn Fritters and Crown Prince Squash, Cobnuts and Norfolk Fava Bean Croquettes. They were equally tasty, although I particularly enjoyed the fritters. The freshness of the ingredients were clear and I really thought the different dishes complemented each other well.
Overall, we had a lovely evening. The staff were friendly and attentive, there was a lovely atmosphere and most important the food and drink were good. Christmas cocktails aside, there’s an extensive beer and wine menu, with many craft ales available. I’ll have to make a repeat visit to check out their breakfast menu.
- Ask For Janice, 50-52 Long Lane, Smithfield, EC1A 9EJ. Nearest station: Farringdon or Barbican. For more information, visit the Ask For Janice website.
Sharing plates are good choices for socialable evenings
Memorial to Wat Tyler and the Peasants’ Revolt 1381 in Smithfield
The history of the peasants’ revolt immortalised on the walls of St Barts’ Hospital.
The memorial to Wat Tyler and the Great Rising of 1381
Many assume the Tower of London to be one of the bloodiest locations in the capital due to its history of prisoners and capital punishment. Although famous these days for its meat market, Smithfield‘s history features butchery of a different kind… of humans. The area, located in the ward of Farringdon Without in the north-west corner of the City of London, has played host to many bloody executions over the centuries, most famously Scottish patriot William Wallace (1270-1305).
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The death of Wat Tyler. From a manuscript copy of the Chronicles of Jean Froissart, created 1483).
Image from Wikimedia Commons
While Wallace is an iconic figure in Scottish history, the name Wat Tyler doesn’t have the same recognition it deserves. Back in 1381, many Englishmen were unhappy with the state of living. In the 14th century, under the young King Richard II (1367-1400), a new kind of poll tax had been introduced, which was a fixed rate regardless of an individual’s earnings. Peasants were also tiring of the serfdom system of labour, meaning they didn’t have a choice in who they worked for.
In June 1381, thousands of workers from Kent advanced on London, led by Wat Tyler and inspired by radical cleric John Ball (1338-1381), demanding an end to serfdom and fairer taxes. The boy King, who was just a teenager at the time, retreated to the Tower of London for protection as many of his troops were abroad. On 13 June, the rebels entered London and were joined by some locals as they destroyed the Savoy Palace (home to John of Gaunt, who was widely blamed for introducing the poll tax), burned law books and buildings at Temple, killed Royal government associates and opened gaols.
On 14 June, King Richard met with the rebels at Mile End, East London, and agreed to their demands. Meanwhile, a separate group of rebels took over the Tower of London and beheaded several royal figures. Overnight, the King planned to regain control of the City. On 15 June, King Richard and around 200 men gathered in Smithfield outside St Bartholomew’s Priory, while thousands of rebels were on the western end. Tyler stepped forward to talk to the King, who wanted to know why the rebels hadn’t left London. Tyler explained he wanted their agreement drawn up in a charter and was shocked to find the King reneging on his previous promises. An argument then broke out between him and some of King Richard’s associates, with the Mayor of London, William Walworth (d.1385) stabbing Tyler. Royal squire Ralph Standish (1333-1415) then stepped in and repeatedly stabbed Tyler with his sword. resulting in the latter’s death. With the rebels’ leader dead, the King’s men were able to take control of the situation and the men dispersed. Tyler’s head was cut off and displayed on a pole on the southern end of London Bridge. Today, Walworth’s sword is preserved in a display box in Fishmongers’ Hall by London Bridge.
The memorial has been placed on the wall of St Bart’s Hospital next to another memorial to Protestant martyrs (right)
Over 600 years after his death, Wat and his cause have finally been commemorated with a memorial in Smithfield, in the very place he breathed his last breath. Local resident Matthew Bell commissioned a memorial by sculptor Emily Huffnung, which was unveiled by film-maker Ken Loach on 15 July 2015. Made of Caithness stone from Scotland, the triptych is mounted on a blocked window bay of St Barts’ Hospital. A few feet away are older memorials to William Wallace and 60 Protestant martyrs, killed in the 16th century under the reign of Queen Mary I (1516-1558), aka Bloody Mary.
The memorial reads: ‘At this place on 15th June 1381, Wat Tyler, John Ball and other representatives of the Great Rising met King Richard II to finalise terms for ending the Rebellion. The King had agreed to all the political reforms aimed at alleviating the plight of the people. However he and his advisors later reneged on that agreement, after killing Tyler in the process near this spot. John Ball and many others of the Revolt were also later executed.’ John Ball is then quoted: ‘Things cannot go on go on (sic) well in England nor ever will until everything shall be in common when there shall be neither vassal nor Lord, and all distinctions levelled.’
- The memorial is located on the south east corner of West Smithfield, Smithfield, EC1A. Nearest station: Farringdon. To read about Matthew Bell’s journey to have the revolt memorialised, check out his blog.
For more of Metro Girl’s history posts, click here.
To read about the history of the nearby St Bartholomew’s Gatehouse, click here.
St Bartholomew’s Gatehouse | A rare survivor of 16th century London
The story of how a Tudor façade stayed hidden until World War I.
St Bartholomew’s Gatehouse in Smithfield features a 13th century arch topped by a two-storey Tudor building
Thanks to the Great Fire of London and the Blitz, there aren’t many buildings left in the City of London dating back to before the mid 17th century. However, thanks to a stroke of luck – namely a Georgian Londoner who cared little for Tudor architecture – one historic piece of London dating back to the 13th and 16th century still survives today.
St Bartholomew-The-Great church is now greatly reduced from the original priory, with the crossing and choir surviving from the original Norman church
Situated on West Smithfield, a stone’s thrown from the historic St Bart’s Hospital, is the St Bartholomew’s Gatehouse. Sandwiched between a French restaurant and a red brick Georgian-style structure, the narrow gatehouse comprises of a 13th century arch, topped by a two-storey, 16th century Tudor building. The name St Bartholomew’s comes from the nearby church St Bartholomew-The-Great, which was formerly an Augustinian Priory, founded by Rahere (d.1134) in 1123 (Rahere is buried in the church). When King Henry VIII (1491-1547) ordered the dissolution of the monasteries, a lot of St Bartholomew’s was demolished in 1539, including the nave, although the Norman crossing and choir still remain today. The original Priory church measured a whopping 300 feet by 86 feet.
Also surviving is part of the west doorway into the southern aisle of the church, an archway dating back to the 13th century. Following the dissolution, Sir Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich (1496/7-1567) bought the church and surrounding land in 1546/47, sub-dividing it for housing. In 1595, a Tudor, timber-framed building was added by William or Philip Scudamore. The simple, narrow structure features two-storeys with a small attic above. Under the first floor window is a coat of arms. In between the two windows on the second floor is a statue of St Bartholomew, one of the 12 Apostles, who the Priory and adjoining hospital were named after.
Miraculously, the gatehouse managed to survive the Great Fire of London in 1666 due to the protection of the priory walls. The fire actually ended just a three-minute walk away on Giltspur Street and is commemorated by the Golden Boy of Pye Corner. At some point in the 18th century, whoever owned the gatehouse didn’t care much for its ‘old-fashioned’, Tudor façade so it was given a Georgian makeover and was used as a shop for two centuries. (Check out a London Metropolitan Archive of the building in 1912, with the Georgian façade covering the Tudor building).
St Bartholomew’s Gatehouse in Smithfield features a 13th century arch topped by a two-storey Tudor building
Finally, in 1916, it was the destructive act of war that ended up uncovering the building’s original design. A nearby German Zeppelin bomb raid caused damage to the Georgian shop front, revealing the Tudor origins underneath and exposing more of the 13th century stonework from the original nave. Following the end of World War I, it was fully restored by 1932 and is now Grade-II listed. If you walk through the arch and turn right to see the doorway leading into the building, you will see ‘1240’ and ‘1932’ inscribed in the stonework – commemorating the year of the arch’s construction and restoration. The interior of the building includes bolection panelling from around 1700, with original panelling dating back to 1595 in the attic. When the building was restored in the 1930s, it was dedicated the memory of architect Sir Aston Webb (1849-1930), his brother Edward Alfred Webb (former churchwarden of St Bart’s) and Frederick L Dove, ‘who worked together on the restoration of the fabric of the church for over forty years’. A plaque to mark their work and the Webbs’ coat of arms has been erected within the gate.
Today, the gatehouse is a private building, but served as the rectory for the church for many years. Between 1948 and 1979, the then-rector’s wife Phyllis Wallbank MBE (1918-2020) set up and ran the Gatehouse School, an independent Montessori school. Obviously due to the size, the building couldn’t educate too many students and it eventually moved to a larger site in Bethnal Green, east London, in the 1970s. Today, the surviving church of St Bartholomew-The-Great is the oldest Parish church in London.
- St Bartholomew’s Gatehouse, West Smithfield, Smithfield, EC1A. Nearest stations: Barbican or Farringdon. The Gatehouse is not open to the public, but can be admired from the outside. For more information about St Bartholomew-The-Great church, visit their official website.
A sculpture of St Bartholomew stands on the façade
For more of Metro Girl’s history blog posts, click here.
To read about the nearby 41-42 Cloth Fair, a 16th century London home, click here.
41-42 Cloth Fair | City of London’s oldest house which has survived the Great Fire and the Blitz
How did this 17th century house in Smithfield survive war, riots and fires?
41-42 Cloth Fair is believed to be the oldest surviving home in the City of London
The Great Fire of London ravaged the City of London in 1666, altering the cityscape forever. However, despite the blaze ending around Giltspur Street just 300 metres away, one Smithfield home dating to before the fire still survives today. Located opposite St Bartholomew The Great Church is what is said to be the oldest house in the City of London. The name Cloth Fair stems back to the annual cloth fair held in August in the churchyard of St Bartholomew, which has stood on the site since 1123 when it was an Augustinian Priory. The fair was originally a trading place for merchants, but its popularity meant other attractions became popping up, including freak shows, music and other stalls. It later became known as the Bartholomew Fair and ran until 1855. It was only after the dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII (1491–1547) that the priory was reduced and houses were allowed to be built in the area. Located in what is known as the Farringdon Without ward of the City, 41-42 Cloth Fair is the only home on the road surviving from that period. The building dates back to the late Tudor/Jacobean period, having been constructed between 1597 and 1614 by Henry Rich.
When the building of 41-42 Cloth Fair was completed in 1614, it was part of a scheme of 11 houses with a courtyard in the middle called ‘the Square in Launders Green’, named so because it was on the site of the priory’s laundry. Amazingly, the houses managed to survive the Great Fire when it struck 52 years later. Records show they were unscathed due to being enclosed with the large priory walls.
The building was constructed between 1597 and 1614 by Henry Rich
During the 1700s, the building was used as a wool drapers’ shop run by Thomas and Elizabeth Witham. The decades and centuries went by and the buildings remained – if a little ravaged by time – until the early 20th century. By 1904, the building housed Markham & Co’s wholesale cutlers and electro-platers business until 1927. In 1929, 41-42 Cloth Fair was earmarked for demolition by the Corporation of London as part of its slum clearance programme on the grounds of public health. Fortunately it was saved when it was bought for £3,000 freehold, before being restored by Paul Paget (1901-1985) and John Seely (the 2nd Lord Mottistone) in 1930, who used the building as their home and an office for their architectural practice until 1978. It obviously survived The Blitz and was converted into offices for an estate agents in 1979 after it was sold by Paget and Seely. Over the 80s and early 90s it was rather neglected, but fortunately bought in 1995 and extensively renovated to the home you see today, with the co-operation of English Heritage, Royal Commission of Historic Monuments and the City of London Corporation.
The ground floor exterior is probably the most changed today and looks pretty modern. However, if you look up at the first and second floors, the rectangular timber bays with led glass windows and their pediment crowns are evidence of its history. Today the address is a Grade II-listed four-bedroom home with roof terrace worth several million pounds. In 2000, the building was honoured with the City Heritage Award for being an asset to the local area. Among the famous people to have visited the house include Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965) and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (1900-2002). There are rumours that skeletons are buried in foundations of the building, which is plausible given its location so close to the church.
Meanwhile, when you’re in the area check out 43 Cloth Fair next door – a Georgian house which was formerly home to Sir John Betjeman (1906-1984), a writer and broadcaster who was a significant figure in the heritage movement and fought to save many historical buildings from demolition. A blue plaque notes the former resident and today you can rent the house for a holiday let from the Landmark Trust. Also, around the corner on West Smithfield is St Bartolomew’s Gatehouse, another survivor from the Tudor period.
- 41-42 Cloth Fair, Smithfield, EC1A. Nearest stations: Farringdon, Barbican or St Pauls. Please note this is a private residence and not open to the public.
To read about the St Bartholomew’s Gatehouse around the corner, click here.
Or to find out about the nearby Golden Boy Of Pye Corner, to commemorate the end of the Great Fire, click here.
For more of Metro Girl’s history posts, click here.
The Great Fire of London’s OTHER monument | The Golden Boy of Pye Corner
The history of the ‘little brother’ to The Monument.
The Golden Boy Of Pye Corner marks the spot of the end of the Great Fire of London
Most Londoners have heard of The Monument in the City – after all there’s a tube station named after it and it’s pretty visible on the skyline (despite the increasing amounts of skyscrapers). The Monument was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and erected in the 17th century to commemorate the beginning of the Great Fire Of London in 1666. However, did you know there’s also a monument to mark the end of the Great Fire? While The Monument is a 202ft tall Grade I-listed structure, the sculpture commemorating the end is rather more low-key.
The Golden Boy Of Pye Corner is located on the corner of Giltspur Street and Cock Lane in the Smithfield area of the City. The name Pye (or Pie) Corner is believed to have come from a nearby inn, named the Maypie or the Magpie, which has long since gone. At the time of the Great Fire in September 1666, a pub named The Fortune Of War stood on Pye Corner. Five days after starting at a bakery on Pudding Lane, the Great Fire finally came to an end at the pub (although this has been disputed by critics who believed it’s too convenient to have a Pudding Lane and a Pye Corner at either end of the inferno). Cock Lane stems back to at least 1200, taking its name from where fighting cocks were sold. However, the lane had a rather more smutty association by the late Middle Ages, when it was the only place in the City you could find legal brothels (most of brothels of the time being south of the river in Southwark/Borough). Meanwhile, Giltspur Street is believed to have been named for the gilt spurs worn by knights at jousting tournaments at Smithfield. While the name is first recorded in the 16th century, it was previously known as Knightsriders Street during the Medieval heyday of the jousting tournaments in the area.
Although Pye Corner is long gone, The Golden Boy now stands on the junction of Cock Lane and Giltspur Street
While The Monument was completed in 1677 – 11 years after the Great Fire – the sculpture of the Golden Boy did not appear until the early 18th century, erected on The Fortune Of War public house. The wooden carving of a chubby little boy, around 2ft tall, was made to represent the gluttony of Londoners. One of the many causes suggested for the fire was it had been a punishment from God for the city’s residents being so gluttonous. He originally had the words ‘This boy is in memory put up for the late Fire of London, occasion’d by the sin of gluttony, 1666’ inscribed upon his torso, but it eventually became impossible to read. When he was first carved, he was a natural wood colour and was given many nicknames, including ‘The Glutton’, ‘Fat Boy’ or ‘Naked Boy’. It was only when he was gilded in the late 19th century, he became known as ‘The Golden Boy’.
A few decades after being gilded, The Fortune Of War was torn down in 1910 and on its site now stands the Grade II-listed headquarters of City & Guilds (an image of the pub just before demolition, can be found here.). Fortunately, The Golden Boy was remounted on the Edwardian building with his original chest inscription carved underneath him in stone. Below that, reads a rather lengthy sentence (which in my opinion is crying out for some punctuation): ‘The boy at Pye Corner was erected to commemorate the staying of the great fire which beginning at Pudding Lane was ascribed to the Sin of Gluttony when not attributed to the papists as on the Monument and the Boy was made prodigiously fat to enforce the moral he was originally built into the front of a public-house called The Fortune of War which used to occupy this site and was pulled down in 1910. The Fortune of War was the chief house of call North of the River for Resurrectionists in body snatching days years ago. The landlord used to show the room where on benches round the walls the bodies were placed labelled with the snatchers’ names waiting till the surgeons at Saint Bartholomew’s could run round and appraise them.’ This rather gruesome fact refers to The Fortune Of War being renowned as a popular hotspot for body snatchers in the 19th century. Located across the road from St Bartholomew’s Hospital, surgeons and anatomists would visit the pub to buy bodies for research.
- The Golden Boy Of Pye Corner can be found on the junction of Cock Lane and Giltspur Street, Smithfield, EC1A. Nearest stations: Farringdon, St Paul’s or City Thameslink.
To read about The Monument, click here.
When you’re in the area, why not check out the City’s oldest house 41-42 Cloth Fair or find out the amazing history of the St Bartholomew’s Gatehouse.
Or to read more of Metro Girl’s history posts, click here.
