The environment of sixteenth century London

Gresham College, now based in Holborn in London  - and for the history of which see Gresham College - originated with the beneficence of Sir Thomas Gresham in 1597. It still offers excellent lectures by distinguished academics and interpreters over a wide range of topics deriving from the mefievsl trivium and quadrivium. These days they are made available online and are well worth sampling.

I came upon a very good example of these yhr other day. It is a lecture from 2019 by Carolyn Roberts entitled “The Natural Environment of Tudor London”. In it she looks at the city and it’s environs in terms of the environment, public health, cleansing, the impact on the urban area of the underlying landscape, flora and fauna and the corresponding impact in return of London on them.

It is entertaining and insightful and rounds out one’s perception of not just sixteenth century London but of the later medieval and Stuart city as well.

The video can be viewed at The Natural Environment of Tudor London