Mitre Sq, The demise is almost complete

[Rob1n]

Bridewell, great stuff, I'm affraid the place is ruined now but it is still possible to estimate where the murder was as your helper has shown us. 😁

[Sam Flynn]

Whenever I gave one of my cheapo Ripper tours for friends and colleagues, I always contrived to get one or more of my audience to stand on the approximate spot where Eddowes lay. When I said "and her body was found... THERE!", whether young or old, male or female, my poor victims would invariably jump out of their skins. Such a shame if these modern developments will render such things impossible in future.

[Bridewell]

And finally - before everyone gets bored:

[Bridewell]

2011 again:

[Bridewell]

More from 2011:

You can just see the old bench in the far corner.

[Bridewell]

And more (2011):

[Bridewell]

And again:

[Bridewell]

How it used to be (2011)

[Geddy2112]

My little Ripperoligist standing as close to the 'scene' as we could guess in Feb 2018. This was about where the 'park bench' was that stood there for many years after the last redevelopment in Mitre Square.

[Rob1n]

There is, I think, some grass and brickwork areas to sit on but, it's just another boring concrete seating area - very boring.
I do actually have one sett from Mitre sq. It was before the recent rebuild, probably 4 - 5 years ago, there was a damaged part of the setts awaiting repair, there were 3 or 4 loose one's just lying there and people were just walking by it.....

[Herlock Sholmes]

The pity is Herlock, they need to see beyond the "murder site" thing, these were historical sites, the few that existed a few years back had an atmosphere about them, Mitre sq in particular could be visited on a Sunday or even late at night and, it would be so quiet, peaceful. Sounds mad doesn't it? I had visited the site at silly hours of the morning (because I worked nearby & finished work at 01:30) in winter, dark and cold but, I could sit there and imagine how it was back in 1888, I really liked being there, now though, it's lit up like a football stadium, it's too open and, has lost all atmosphere. God knows what the Durward st site will look like once they've finished but, it's possible they'll destroy that too, what really annoys me is, they seem to have targeted the Ripper sites, I'm sure that monstrosity in Mitre sq could have gone somewhere else.

I visited Mitre Square last year at the end of a ripper tour with John Bennett and there was a grass centre! I’m not sure if anything will survive of Durward Street when the work is complete? Pretty much everything directly related is gone unfortunately.

[Rob1n]

Not as far as I’m aware c.d. but I don’t think that the suggestion of preserving murder sites would have gone down very well. It’s a pity that there isn’t film footage of Mitre Square as it was though (and the other sites come to think of it.) The best that we get is the very short bit of footage taken in the yard of 29 Hanbury Street in The London Nobody Knows. Pity they didn’t film James Mason walking from the street to the yard.

The pity is Herlock, they need to see beyond the "murder site" thing, these were historical sites, the few that existed a few years back had an atmosphere about them, Mitre sq in particular could be visited on a Sunday or even late at night and, it would be so quiet, peaceful. Sounds mad doesn't it? I had visited the site at silly hours of the morning (because I worked nearby & finished work at 01:30) in winter, dark and cold but, I could sit there and imagine how it was back in 1888, I really liked being there, now though, it's lit up like a football stadium, it's too open and, has lost all atmosphere. God knows what the Durward st site will look like once they've finished but, it's possible they'll destroy that too, what really annoys me is, they seem to have targeted the Ripper sites, I'm sure that monstrosity in Mitre sq could have gone somewhere else.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Was there ever any effort or movement to preserve these sights?

c.d.

Not as far as I’m aware c.d. but I don’t think that the suggestion of preserving murder sites would have gone down very well. It’s a pity that there isn’t film footage of Mitre Square as it was though (and the other sites come to think of it.) The best that we get is the very short bit of footage taken in the yard of 29 Hanbury Street in The London Nobody Knows. Pity they didn’t film James Mason walking from the street to the yard.

[c.d.]

Was there ever any effort or movement to preserve these sights?

c.d.

[Herlock Sholmes]

I’m going to London again for my annual break in October but I think I’ll avoid ripper tours as everything’s disappearing. Gareth’s right though that Gunthorpe Street is atmospheric and worth a visit. The White Hart’s a nice pub too. Two years ago me and a friend tried to see Durward Street but we couldn’t get near it due to road works. I’m not sure if it’s accessible now or even if there’s anything left to see? I’ve been on around 6 tours and none of them went to Durward Street or Henrique Street. I don’t think that Duvall Street even exists any more?

Only just seen Spyglass’ post. Yes it was a Cross Rail thing.