Cardinal Cap Alley is an alley in Bankside


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(51.5081 -0.09762, 51.508 -0.097) 


Cardinal Cap Alley is an alley in Bankside.

Bankside was a bawdy place, full of taverns, brothels then called 'stews' from the stewhouses, which were steam baths doubling as brothels. There were bear and bull-baiting pits and, in the time of Shakespeare, public theatres. Cardinal Cap Alley, off Bankside, used to lead to a brothel called the The Cardinal's Cap which was so-called because it had been owned by Henry Beaufort, the Bishop of Winchester, who had paraded here, wearing his red hat, after being appointed a cardinal by the Pope.

In the photo, the entrance to Cardinal Cap Alley is under the lamp, left of the yellow door.


Attribution: Peter Holmes

Licence: Not known