Chancery Lane
Chancery Lane is a one-way street that forms part of the City of London#Boundary, western boundary of the City of London. The east side of the street is entirely within the City,city gates and walls, dating from at least 1466. It was originally named Cross Lane and is shown as such on
John Speed
John Speed (1551 or 1552 – 28 July 1629) was an English cartographer, chronologer and historian of Cheshire origins.; superseding . The son of a citizen and Merchant Taylor in London,"Life of John Speed", ''The Hibernian Magazine, Or, Compe ...
's map of Dublin of 1610. This changed around the time the Goldsmith's Guild moved to Goldsmith's Hall at 22 Golden Lane in 1812 however the Golden Heart pub was also located on the street in the 18th century as well as a number of other goldsmiths. From 1709 to 1812 Goldsmith's Hall was located on nearby Werburgh Street.
As of 2023, none of the original pre-20th century buildings remain on the street, at least above ground level.
History
Church of St Michael le Pole
The street was close to the site of the Church of St Michael le Pole at the time Norse invaders arrived in the 9th and 10th centuries. The church was located off Golden Lane between Ship Street Great and Chancery Lane.
The building was deconsecrated in 1682 following the uniting of the parishes of St Michael Le Pole, St Stephen and St Bride, and in 1706 it became a school. The
round tower
A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with defensive walls such as curtain wall (fortification), curtain walls. Castle ...
of the church lasted for almost 700 years until It was damaged in a storm in 1775 and was taken down.
Early Scandinavian Dublin
The street was occupied in Viking times, as it is near the Dubh Linn, the black pool which gave Dublin its name. It was also at one of the highest points in the city near
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle () is a major Government of Ireland, Irish government complex, conference centre, and tourist attraction. It is located off Dame Street in central Dublin.
It is a former motte-and-bailey castle and was chosen for its position at ...
and hence would have been a natural defensive position. Various Viking burials and artefacts have been found near the original street line.
Post-1700
In the 18th century, the street was mainly residential, containing the houses of educated and professional persons and merchants from the city proper. A gatehouse referred to as "Whitefriars gatehouse" is detailed on the street on John Roque's 1756 map of Dublin. In 1790, the architect Francis Sandys designed a fountain on the street to match other fountains which he designed for James Street and Merrion Street, which are still in existence.
By 1862, the street was dominated by cobblers as well as some of the residual businesses related to the gold trade. By the early 20th century, the street, along with much of the inner city, was in decline with much of the street recorded as tenements in the 1901 census. The last of the original Georgian and pre-Georgian houses were demolished in the 1980s.