Minories

Minories is my old student stomping ground. Back then, it felt like Students vs. suits. I’m sure they looked at us with envy as we made our way to the canteen with the best views of the Tower of London. I wish Snoopy was invented back then because of the front house views.

Depending on how late I ran for class, I would walk from Liverpool Street Station or Tower Hill. If I had ample time, I’d walk down Minories. Let me tell you a little more about Minories.

Minories

Today, it looks like an important artery. The street runs north-south from Aldgate to Tower Hill, part of the A1211 road. Minories is a street just east of the old city walls near the Tower of London. The glass buildings and new hotels and eateries can hide the street's long history.

When I was a student, it was fairly busy traffic-wise. However, even back then, it had an odd charm to it. Just around the corner are the famous Tower of London and Tower Bridge.

Where Does The Name Come From?

Its name comes from the Abbey of the Minoresses of St. Clare, founded in 1294 by nuns of the Franciscan order, known as "minoresses" from the Latin sources minores ("little sisters"). The abbey sat outside the city’s defences, giving the area a distinct identity, and its legacy lingers in the street’s name and nearby St. Clare Street.

Historically, Minories was a bit of an outsider—geographically and administratively. From 1686, it was part of the Liberties of the Tower of London, a zone with some autonomy from the City and the Bishop of London’s control.

The abbey itself was dissolved in 1539 during Henry VIII’s Reformation, and its chapel became the Church of Holy Trinity, Minories. That church, rebuilt in 1706, served as a parish hub until it was destroyed in the 1940 Blitz. The area also had a notable Jewish community in the past, adding to its cultural mix.

It’s had its share of historical quirks: a Roman eagle statue, likely from a funerary monument, was dug up in 2013, hinting at nearby Roman cemeteries (burials were banned inside the city back then). Minories also lent its name to a railway station opened in 1840 for the London and Blackwall Railway, a cable-hauled line, though the site’s now home to the Docklands Light Railway’s Tower Gateway station.

Today’s Minories

Today, Minories feels like a blend of old and new. You’ll find Ibex House, a striking 1930s art deco building, alongside modern offices and fast-food joints. The Minories pub, tucked under a railway bridge, is a local favourite with a heated beer garden and screens for sports, serving up classic pub grub and craft beers.

The area’s boundaries shifted in 1994, placing it entirely within the City of London. However, it still has an edge-of-the-city vibe, close to tourist heavyweights like Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.

It’s a place where history’s layered thick—medieval nuns, Roman relics, and Victorian rails all leave their mark—but it’s also just a working street where people grab a pint or rush to a meeting. If you’re strolling through, watch for the cobbled bits off St. Clare Street; they whisper the past louder than the traffic.

Vine Street

Vine Street runs parallel to Minories, and if you're a history buff, you can’t afford to miss it. What they discovered, will blow your mind. To read more, hit the link below.

https://shopping-feedback.today/wander/the-remarkable-roman-wall-find-at-35-vine-street-london%3C/p%3E%3Cstyle data-emotion-css="14azzlx-P">.css-14azzlx-P{font-family:Droid Serif,Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:1.1875rem;-webkit-letter-spacing:0.01em;-moz-letter-spacing:0.01em;-ms-letter-spacing:0.01em;letter-spacing:0.01em;line-height:1.6;color:#1A1A1A;margin-top:32px;}

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