social cycle ride 10am Sat Sept 22nd

[Sally Eva]

This easy-paced ride two-hour ride starts in Peckham Square (under the Arch or thereabouts)(SE15 5JR) and ends two hours later in the same place. It's called Three prisons and a Ferryman's Seat because that's where it goes. And comes back.

Start/finish: Peckham Square (Peckham Library, Peckham Pulse, SE15 5JR)

It starts with an easy, local ride to the Thames at Globe Theatre. Southwark was not a very law-abiding place at times in it's history and consequently had a fine crop of prisons. The route visits sites of three of them: Horsemonger Lane Gaol, Marshalsea Prison and Kings Bench Prison. Southwark was settled by the Romans around 43 CE. It served as an entry point into London from southern England,particularly along Watling Street, the Roman road from Canterbury; this ran into what is now Southwark's Borough High Street and from there north to old London Bridge.

The area became known for its travellers and inns, including GeoffreyChaucer's Tabard Inn. The itinerant population brought with it poverty, prostitutes, bear baiting, theatres, (including Shakespeare's Globe) and prisons. In 1796 there were five prisons in Southwark - The Clink, King's Bench, Borough Compter, White Lion and the Marshalsea?compared to 18 in London as a whole.

The route is at https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/1760844296. It's 9.5 miles and flat. Harry will be leading. Everyone is welcome and the ride is free to all. Kids welcome (bring a parents). These rides are organised by Bruce Lynn and friends on behalf of Southwark Cyclists who are the borough branch of the London Cycling Campaign. Everything we do is free to everyone from all over London.