Prompt Cast
The Rise and Fall of Barking Abbey: From Female Scholarship to Demolition
TLDR Barking Abbey in London was once a center of female scholarship and literary culture, housing famous nuns such as Mary Beckett and Elizabeth Chaucer. However, it was unfortunately demolished during the Reformation, leaving behind only a fragment of Anglo-Saxon architecture.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
In this episode, the hosts discuss different aspects of London life, including places, and one of the hosts talks about his pilgrimage to Barking, an ancient place in East London.
04:11
London was initially too dangerous for Augustine to settle due to stray dogs, bandits, and non-Christian kings, but eventually, Bishop Erkanwald established the church in London and his sister, Athelberg, turned the abbey at Barking into a center of female scholarship and literary culture.
08:09
In the 10th century, King Edgar the Peaceable pursued a woman named Wolfhilda, who rejected him and became a saintly abbess at Barking Abbey, which was known for housing other famous nuns such as Mary Beckett and Elizabeth Chaucer, but was unfortunately demolished during the Reformation.
12:09
In the Blitz, All Hallows by the Tower was badly bombed and revealed an Anglo-Saxon doorway made out of Roman tiles, which is the only fragment of Anglo-Saxon architecture in London and dates back to the founding of Barking Abbey.
15:40
Anglo-Saxon London is difficult to find and requires imagination, as there is very little physically preserved of it, but the 1950s in London saw a boom in coffee due to Italian immigrants bringing their shiny coffee machines to places like Soho.
19:15
In the 1950s, Soho in London was a cosmopolitan and vibrant neighborhood with coffee bars, Italian restaurants, and a diverse range of food and cultural offerings.
23:16
In the late 1950s, the coffee bar Two Eyes in Soho, London, becomes popular after hosting skiffle bands like Wally Whiter and the Vipers, which marks a cultural moment when youth culture and rock and roll start gaining attention in Britain.
26:58
The BBC program Six Five Special features the Two Eyes coffee bar in Soho, London, and this live broadcast from the bar solidifies its reputation as a popular venue for youth culture and pop music.
30:34
The Two Eyes coffee bar in Soho, London, had its moment as a popular venue for skiffle music in the late 1950s, but by the time the Beatles became well known, it was no longer cool and eventually closed in 1970.
Categories:
History
