Shakespeare’s ‘missing’ home mapped with discovery

After the unearthing of a previously unknown floorplan, the precise location of William Shakespeare’s sole London residence has been identified as Blackfriars Street. Prof Lucy Munro of King’s College London confirmed the property’s size and position, offering new insights into the playwright’s life in the city. Scholars had long assumed Shakespeare retired from his theatrical career shortly after acquiring the home in 1613 and returned to Stratford-upon-Avon. However, this finding challenges that assumption, suggesting he may have remained active in London longer than previously thought.

Documents reveal key details

Munro’s research uncovered three historical documents, including two from the London Archives and one from the National Archives, which provided critical information. One of these was a 1668 plan of the Blackfriars precinct, created two years after the Great Fire of London. This document clarified the exact site and dimensions of the house, which had been believed to be part of the Great Gate leading into the Blackfriars friary. The gate area, now vanished, was not visible in the post-fire plan due to its lack of foundation.

“While conducting research for a broader project, I stumbled upon the floorplan of Shakespeare’s Blackfriars house. It was astonishing to realize what I was holding,” Munro remarked. “For years, interest in this property had waned, but these documents revive the narrative and pinpoint its location with certainty.”

Further evidence includes records of the property’s sale by Shakespeare’s granddaughter in 1665. The house occupied the eastern stretch of Ireland Yard, the base of Burgon Street, and sections of late 19th-century structures at 5 Burgon Street and 5 St Andrew’s Hill. This discovery also means the blue plaque honoring Shakespeare on St Andrew’s Hill now marks the actual site of his London home, not a neighboring location. The findings hint that Shakespeare’s work, including collaborations with John Fletcher on Two Noble Kinsmen in 1613, might have been crafted within this space.

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