Friday 13 March 2015

Pie Corner, Cock Lane EC1

The Golden Boy of Pie Corner marks the point where the Great Fire of London of 1666 finally burnt out. 
The fire started in Pudding Lane and though Pie Corner probably got its name from a pub called the Magpie, local wags joked that it was a punishment for the deadly sin of gluttony. Today, some seem to think that our forefathers meant this to be taken seriously, which is a terrible slur on the sense of humour of the folk that included Congreve, Etherege and Aphra Behn. They took the Catholic conspiracy theory very seriously, however.
The Golden Boy was carved in the early 18th century by a signmaker called Puckridge in Hosier Lane and placed over the door of the Fortunes of War tavern in Giltspur Street. He was painted, not gilt, and the inscription now seen on a stone plaque was inked on his chest.
The pub was demolished in 1910 but the Fat Boy delightfully still marks the spot where the fire died out.

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