Falcon Court, EC4Y

Falcon Court is a courtyard off the south side of Fleet Street between Chancery Lane and Fetter Lane.

City of London
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There is an ornate wrought iron gate at the entrance to Falcon Court.

If you had lived in the 16th century and been making a visit to the Temple Church then your access would probably have been through Mr Davis’s tailors shop in the Court. In those days all churches, their graveyards and cemeteries were places of sanctuary where law breakers could deposit themselves in full assurance that they were out of reach by the hand of justice. The Temple Church was one of the most popular resorts for such criminals and Mr Davis must have been sick to the high teeth with the constant procession through his premises.

Henry Styrrell, a barrister of the Middle Temple, too was at the end of his tether with the annoyance caused by the disorderly gathering. In 1610 he petitioned the societies of the Inner and Middle Temple to take action and withdraw the right of way through the tailors shop. Three months after the petition Davis was forced to leave and the building was pulled down. To avoid any future nuisance it was also decided to wall up the gateway between the churchyard and Fleet Street.

Falcon Court also features in the very early history of London printing. Wynkyn de Worde, London’s second printer, owned a house here. After his apprenticeship to William Caxton he set up in business in 1502 and remained the predominant printer in London until his death in 1534. It is amazing to learn that on his primitive hand press, laboriously printing one page at a time, he succeeded in the production of over 600 books. He was also the pioneer of music printing in England, a technique developed by wearisome trials. In his will he left a sufficient sum of money to supply a pension for the printing apprentices of Fleet Street and a legacy for St Bride’s church. He was buried in the previous church of St Bride, which was destroyed in the Great Fire.

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Citation information:	The alleyways and courtyards of London
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NEARBY LOCATIONS OF NOTE

Alsatia Alsatia was the name given to an area lying north of the River Thames covered by the Whitefriars monastery.

Alsatia

Lisle’s Tennis Court Lisle’s Tennis Court was a building off Portugal Street in Lincoln’s Inn Fields in London.

Lisle’s Tennis Court

Old and New London: Temple Bar Temple Bar was rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren, in 1670–72.

Old and New London: Temple Bar

Temple Bar Temple Bar is the point in London where Fleet Street, City of London, becomes the Strand, Westminster, and where the City of London traditionally erected a barrier to regulate trade into the city.

Temple Bar

The Temple The Temple is one of the main legal districts in London and a notable centre for English law.

The Temple

NEARBY STREETS

Andrews Crosse, EC4A Andrews Crosse stood on the site of the courtyard of the former Andrews Crosse Inn (City of London)

Andrews Crosse, EC4A

Arundel Street, WC2R Arundel Street runs from the Strand to Temple Place (Temple)

Arundel Street, WC2R

Ashentree Court, EC4Y Ashentree Court was named after the ashen trees formerly located here at the Whitefriars’ monastery (City of London)

Ashentree Court, EC4Y

Australia House, WC2B Australia House can be found on Strand (Aldwych)

Australia House, WC2B

Bell Yard, EC4A Bell Yard is a small lane off the Strand where the Bell Inn once stood (City of London)

Bell Yard, EC4A

Blackfriars House, EC4V Blackfriars House is a block on New Bridge Street (City of London)

Blackfriars House, EC4V

Bolt Court, EC4A Bolt Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4A postal area (City of London)

Bolt Court, EC4A

Bouverie House, EC4A Bouverie House is a block on Fleet Street (City of London)

Bouverie House, EC4A

Bouverie Street, EC4Y Bouverie Street is named for the Pleydell-Bouveries, Earls of Radnor, who were landowners in this area (City of London)

Bouverie Street, EC4Y

Bride Court, EC4Y Bride Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Bride Court, EC4Y

Bride Lane, EC4Y Bride Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Bride Lane, EC4Y

Bridewell Place, EC4V Bridewell Place is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)

Bridewell Place, EC4V

Carey Street, WC2A Carey Street is one of the streets of London in the WC2A postal area (Aldwych)

Carey Street, WC2A

Carmelite Street, EC4Y Carmelite Street continues south from Whitefriars Street, which itself is just off Fleet Street (City of London)

Carmelite Street, EC4Y

Carpmael Building, EC4Y Carpmael Building is a block on Crown Office Row (City of London)

Carpmael Building, EC4Y

Clement House, WC2B Clement House is located on Aldwych (Aldwych)

Clement House, WC2B

Clement House, WC2R Clement House is a block on Strand (Temple)

Clement House, WC2R

Clement’s Inn, WC2R Clement’s Inn was named after the neighbouring St Clement Danes church, stood alongside New Inn and Lyon’s Inn on the Strand’s northern side, near the Law Courts’ western edge. (Aldwych)

Clement’s Inn, WC2R

Clements Inn Passage, WC2A Clements Inn Passage - also know as St Clement’s Passage - is a narrow connecting street (Aldwych)

Clements Inn Passage, WC2A

Cliffords Inn Passage, EC4Y Cliffords Inn Passage is one of the streets of London in the EC4A postal area (City of London)

Cliffords Inn Passage, EC4Y

Cliffords Inn, EC4A Cliffords Inn is one of the streets of London in the EC4A postal area (City of London)

Cliffords Inn, EC4A

Crane Court, EC4Y Crane Court lay beside the Two Crane Inn Tavern. (City of London)

Crane Court, EC4Y

Crown Office Row, EC4Y Crown Office Row is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Crown Office Row, EC4Y

Daniel House, EC4A Daniel House is a block on Fleet Street (City of London)

Daniel House, EC4A

Devereux Court, EC4Y Devereux Court lies on the south side of the Strand, opposite the Law Courts (Westminster)

Devereux Court, EC4Y

Devereux Court, WC2R Devereux Court is a location in London (Temple)

Devereux Court, WC2R

Dorset Rise, EC4Y Dorset Rise is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Dorset Rise, EC4Y

Dr Johnson’s House, EC4A Dr Johnson’s House is a block on Gough Square (City of London)

Dr Johnson’s House, EC4A

East Harding Street, EC4A This is a street in the EC4A postcode area (City of London)

East Harding Street, EC4A

Essex Court, EC4Y Essex Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Essex Court, EC4Y

Essex Street, WC2R Essex Street stretches from Milford Lane in the south to Strand in the north, flanked by Little Essex Street on the west and Devereux Court on the east. (Temple)

Essex Street, WC2R

Falcon Court, EC4Y Falcon Court is a courtyard off the south side of Fleet Street between Chancery Lane and Fetter Lane. (City of London)

Falcon Court, EC4Y

Farringdon Road, EC4V Farringdon Road is a road in the EC4A postcode area (City of London)

Farringdon Road, EC4V

Farringdon Street, EC4M Farringdon Street was constructed over the Fleet river (City of London)

Farringdon Street, EC4M

Fetter Lane, EC4A Fetter Lane is corrupted from ’Fautre’ which was the name for a spear rest - spears were made close by (City of London)

Fetter Lane, EC4A

Fleet Street, EC4A Fleet Street is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Fleet Street, EC4A

Fleetbank House, EC4Y Fleetbank House is located on Salisbury Square (City of London)

Fleetbank House, EC4Y

Fleur De Lis Court, EC4A Fleur De Lis Court was situated off Fetter Lane (City of London)

Fleur De Lis Court, EC4A

Fountain Court, EC4Y Fountain Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (Westminster)

Fountain Court, EC4Y

Francis Taylor Building, EC4Y Francis Taylor Building is a block on Kings Bench Walk (City of London)

Francis Taylor Building, EC4Y

Garden Court, EC4Y Garden Court is a pedestrian thoroughfare in the Temple area (City of London)

Garden Court, EC4Y

Gladstone House, WC2R Gladstone House is a block on Arundel Street (Temple)

Gladstone House, WC2R

Gough Square, EC4A Gough Square is one of the streets of London in the EC4A postal area (City of London)

Gough Square, EC4A

Gunpowder Square, EC4A Gunpowder Square is one of the streets of London in the EC4A postal area (City of London)

Gunpowder Square, EC4A

Hanging Sword Alley, EC4Y Hanging Sword Alley is an alley running between Whitefriars Street and Salisbury Square (City of London)

Hanging Sword Alley, EC4Y

Hare Court, EC4Y Hare Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Hare Court, EC4Y

Hare Place, EC4Y Hare Place is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Hare Place, EC4Y

Harmsworth House, EC4Y Harmsworth House lies near the Inner Temple (City of London)

Harmsworth House, EC4Y

Harp House, EC4A Harp House is a block on Farringdon Street (City of London)

Harp House, EC4A

Hat and Mitre Court, EC4Y Hat and Mitre Court is a road in the EC1M postcode area (City of London)

Hat and Mitre Court, EC4Y

Hill House, EC4A Hill House is sited on Little New Street (City of London)

Hill House, EC4A

Hind Court, EC4Y Hind Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4A postal area (City of London)

Hind Court, EC4Y

Hood Court, EC4Y Hood Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Hood Court, EC4Y

Howard Street, WC2R Howard Street ran from Surrey Street to Arundel Street until 1974 (Temple)

Howard Street, WC2R

Inner Temple Lane, EC4Y Inner Temple Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Inner Temple Lane, EC4Y

John Carpenter Street, EC4Y John Carpenter was town clerk of the City of London in the fifteenth century, and founder of the City of London School (City of London)

John Carpenter Street, EC4Y

Kildare House, EC4Y Kildare House can be found on Dorset Rise (City of London)

Kildare House, EC4Y

King’s Bench Walk Temple, EC4Y A street within the EC4Y postcode (City of London)

King’s Bench Walk Temple, EC4Y

King’s Bench Walk, EC4Y King?s Bench Walk is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

King’s Bench Walk, EC4Y

Kings Bench Walk, EC4Y Kings Bench Walk is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Kings Bench Walk, EC4Y

Lamb Building, EC4Y Lamb Building is a block on Pump Court (City of London)

Lamb Building, EC4Y

Lionel Robbins Building, WC2A Lionel Robbins Building is sited on Portugal Street (Aldwych)

Lionel Robbins Building, WC2A

Little Essex Street, WC2R Little Essex Street lies off Essex Street (Temple)

Little Essex Street, WC2R

Little New Street, EC4A Little New Street is one of the streets of London in the EC4A postal area (City of London)

Little New Street, EC4A

Ludgate Circus, EC4M Ludgate Circus is a junction in the City of London where Farringdon Street and New Bridge Street cross Fleet Street/Ludgate Hill (City of London)

Ludgate Circus, EC4M

Ludgate House, EC4M Ludgate House is located on Fleet Street (City of London)

Ludgate House, EC4M

Magpie Alley, EC4Y Magpie Alley marks the position occupied by the dorter (dormitory) of the Friary of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel, commonly called the Whitefriars Monastery (City of London)

Magpie Alley, EC4Y

Maltravers Street, WC2R Maltravers Street is one of the streets of London in the WC2R postal area (Temple)

Maltravers Street, WC2R

Masters House Temple Church, EC4Y Masters House Temple Church is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Masters House Temple Church, EC4Y

Middle Temple Lane, EC4Y Middle Temple Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Middle Temple Lane, EC4Y

Milford House, WC2R Milford House is a block on Tweezers Alley (Temple)

Milford House, WC2R

Milford Lane, WC2R Milford Lane is one of the streets of London in the WC2R postal area (Temple)

Milford Lane, WC2R

Mitre Court Buildings, EC4Y Mitre Court Buildings is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Mitre Court Buildings, EC4Y

New Bridge Street, EC4V New Bridge Street is one of the streets of London in the EC4V postal area (City of London)

New Bridge Street, EC4V

New Court, EC4V New Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

New Court, EC4V

New Square Passage, WC2A This is a street in the WC2A postcode area

New Square Passage, WC2A

Norfolk Street, WC2R Norfolk Street ran from the Strand in the north to the River Thames and, after the Victoria Embankment was built (1865–1870), to what is now Temple Place (Temple)

Norfolk Street, WC2R

Old Mitre Court, EC4Y Old Mitre Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Old Mitre Court, EC4Y

Old Seacoal Lane, EC4M Old Seacoal Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4M postal area (City of London)

Old Seacoal Lane, EC4M

Paper Buildings, EC4Y Paper Buildings is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Paper Buildings, EC4Y

Pemberton Row, EC4A Sir James Pemberton was Lord Mayor of London in 1611, and a member of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths (City of London)

Pemberton Row, EC4A

Penley Court, WC2R Angel Court was renamed as Penley Court in 1937 (Aldwych)

Penley Court, WC2R

Pleydell Court, EC4A Pleydell Court runs off Pleydell Street - formerly Silver Street (City of London)

Pleydell Court, EC4A

Pleydell House, EC4Y Pleydell House is a block on Pleydell Street (City of London)

Pleydell House, EC4Y

Pleydell Street, EC4Y The Pleydell-Bouveries, Earls of Radnor, were landlords of this area (City of London)

Pleydell Street, EC4Y

Poppins Court, EC4A Poppins Court is an historic alley off Fleet Street. (City of London)

Poppins Court, EC4A

Pump Court, EC4Y Pump Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Pump Court, EC4Y

Queen’s Building, WC2R Queen’s Building is sited on Grange Court (Aldwych)

Queen’s Building, WC2R

Red Lion Court, EC4A Red Lion Court forms part of labyrinth of little passages behind the shops on the north side of Fleet Street. (City of London)

Red Lion Court, EC4A

Salisbury Court, EC4Y Salisbury Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Salisbury Court, EC4Y

Salisbury Square, EC4Y Salisbury Square is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Salisbury Square, EC4Y

Savoy House, WC2R Savoy House is a block on Tweezers Alley (Temple)

Savoy House, WC2R

Serjeants Inn, EC4Y Serjeants Inn is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Serjeants Inn, EC4Y

Serle Street, WC2A Serle Street is a road in the WC2A postcode area

Serle Street, WC2A

St Bride Street, EC4A St Bride Street is one of the streets of London in the EC4A postal area (City of London)

St Bride Street, EC4A

St Brides Avenue, EC4Y St Brides Avenue is a narrow alley which leaves Fleet Street almost opposite Shoe Lane (City of London)

St Brides Avenue, EC4Y

Star Yard, WC2A Star Yard is one of the streets of London in the WC2A postal area (Westminster)

Star Yard, WC2A

Strand, EC4Y A small section of Strand lies beyond Temple Bar in the City of London (City of London)

Strand, EC4Y

Tallis House, EC4Y Tallis House is a block on Tallis Street (City of London)

Tallis House, EC4Y

Tallis Street, EC4Y This street honours Thomas Tallis, composer whose name is engraved on the façade of the nearby former building of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (City of London)

Tallis Street, EC4Y

Temple Avenue, EC4Y Temple Avenue is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Temple Avenue, EC4Y

Temple Bar House, EC4Y Temple Bar House is a block on Fleet Street (City of London)

Temple Bar House, EC4Y

Temple Chambers, EC4Y Temple Chambers is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Temple Chambers, EC4Y

Temple House, EC4Y Temple House is a block on Temple Avenue (City of London)

Temple House, EC4Y

Temple House, WC2R Temple House is sited on Tweezers Alley (Temple)

Temple House, WC2R

Thanet Place, EC4Y Thanet Place ran south off Strand (City of London)

Thanet Place, EC4Y

The Australia Centre, WC2B The Australia Centre is one of the streets of London in the WC2B postal area (Aldwych)

The Australia Centre, WC2B

The Globe House, WC2R The Globe House is a building on Temple Place (Temple)

The Globe House, WC2R

Thomas More Building, WC2A Thomas More Building is a building on Strand (Aldwych)

Thomas More Building, WC2A

Tudor Street, EC4Y Tudor Street is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Tudor Street, EC4Y

Tweezer’s Alley, WC2R Tweezer’s Alley probably got its name after the tweezers used by smiths to heat items in the forge that stood there. (Temple)

Tweezer’s Alley, WC2R

Unilever House, EC4Y Unilever House is a block on Victoria Embankment (City of London)

Unilever House, EC4Y

Victoria House, WC2B Victoria House is a block on Strand (Aldwych)

Victoria House, WC2B

Water Street, WC2R This is a street in the WC2R postcode area (Temple)

Water Street, WC2R

Whitefriars Street, EC4Y Whitefriars Street is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area (City of London)

Whitefriars Street, EC4Y

William Sinkins House, WC2A William Sinkins House is a block on Carey Street (Westminster)

William Sinkins House, WC2A

Wine Office Court, EC4A Wine Office Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4A postal area (City of London)

Wine Office Court, EC4A

Wren House, Wren House is a building on Milford Lane (Temple)

Wren House,

Wren House, WC2 Wren House is a block on Milford Lane (Temple)

Wren House, WC2

Wren House, WC2R Wren House is a building on Milford Lane (Temple)

Wren House, WC2R

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