Rediscovering Findalater’s Corner

Findlater’s Corner was home to one of London’s best known wine merchants, ‘Findlater Mackie & Todd’ for over a hundred years. Findlater’s double height railway arch and wine cellar was so popular that this threshold between the bridge and London Bridge railway station became known as Findlater’s Corner.

In 2022 The Arch Company funded the revival of four derelict arches that comprise the ’London Bridge Island’ under the railway viaduct beside Southwark Cathedral and Borough Market. The Baroque-Revival Doulton’s Carraraware façade has been carefully restored, a large glass mosaic announcing the former Express Dairy Tea Room was discovered and the original Italianate Victorian stucco work to the island site was conserved. Nine new shopfronts have been built in traditional materials which playfully reference Victorian railway architecture, comprising oak joinery and polychrome glazed brick stall risers. Join us to hear about this remarkable site, the gateway to Southwark since time immemorial.

The talk will be led by Benedict O’Looney, the project architect and a local Southwark campaigner for conservation, with a particularly passion for railway heritage.
Festival audiences will love the rich historic detail and incredible passion that Benedict brings to his talks.