Discovering the Tudors, unexpectedly

I had a varied day - working at home in the morning, lunch in Stoke Newington with a friend and her 11-month-old son (who slept soundly the whole time), then to Farringdon for a work meeting. I had a little time to kill before the meeting, so I walked into Charterhouse Square - what a history this area has! The square itself contains, way underground, the largest plague burial pit in London, formed in 1348 and containing thousands and thousands of bodies (I wouldn't want to go digging in this area). A Carthusian monastery was founded in the square in 1371 and dissolved in 1537. It then became a Tudor household, with the name Howard House. Elizabeth I prepared for her coronation in the house and James I held court there. In the 17th century, it became a hospital and school. It is still home to some 40 pensioners, known as 'brothers'.

I love this about London, that I can discover such areas just by stumbling upon them.