Oak brackets like this give an idea of what it was like to walk the
streets of London in the Tudor and early Stuart period. Brackets were used
to support overhanging upper storeys or 'jetties' of timber-framed houses.
This carved oak bracket from Tooting dates from 1610-20.
Gloomy streets
In a city with limited space like London, people built the upper rooms of
their houses out over the street to gain more room. On narrow lanes
jetties could extend over the middle of the road, making it quite dark for
people walking below. In places like Wandsworth, jetties may have been
used out of fashion rather than lack of space.
A nuisance
This style of building had existed from medieval times. In 1276 it was
ordered that all jetties be at least nine feet (2.7m) above ground so
riders on horseback could still get down the street. From the mid-16th
century, jetties were seen as a major nuisance. They went out of fashion
in the 17th century.
Additional image showing brackets in use: John C. Buckler, View of Silver
Street, Bermondsey, 1828. Guildhall Library, Corporation of London
