Why is rotten row

From Latin Ratumena Porta , allegedly called this in memory of some Ratumena, a charioteer who died at that gate in Ancient Rome. The accident was sad, but, as far as we are concerned, can be dismissed without much regret. Latin place names are numerous in Britain, but they are old, while no record of Rotten Row has been traced to the Anglo-Saxon times. From the woolen stuff called rateen. The etymon of the English word is French, and in English rateen turned up too late to be of use in the present context, but a Rateenrow seems to have been mentioned in in Bury St.

Although Engl. No historical evidence shows that cows and oxen were driven along any Rotten Row. Rother Street in Stratford-upon-Avon must be familiar to many, and there is a family name Rother the meaning is no longer understood, which is a blessing in disguise: compare the family name Heifer. One can see that Rother Street has not become Rotten Street. From the name of someone who had a business in that area; the name was said to contain a German cognate of Engl.

This eponymous ancestor of Rotten Row, supposedly a purveyor of red herrings! From Old Engl. From Engl. From Routine Row , on account of the processions of the church passing in that direction. Before I mention the only hypotheses that, in my opinion, deserve consideration, the following may perhaps be stated with some confidence. The Middle English name seems to have originated in the north. The vogue for Rotten Row makes it unnecessary to reconstruct the circumstances that led to the naming of each street called this.

Rotten Row does not owe its origin to a local personal name or a local event. Two etymologies sound more or less realistic. The beauty of a list about books that are about London, to read whilst in London, is that it is pretty much never ending - writers have been basing their stories on London and February — How to entertain kids over half term David - December 12, 0.

Half-term can be a stressful time for parents, and can sometimes make the prospect of a trip to London seem like a bad idea. Well, there is so much going on in London this Britain might be a nation of tea drinkers, but when it comes to the capital, the caffeine fix of choice has to be a good cup of coffee. And London is filled with a Load more. Britain has long been a hub for great fashion and timeless style, with fantastic brands making the spotlight over the years. From luxurious classics Connect with us.

Park Grand London Hotels. But over many of the years of its existence it has been far from peaceful. In the late seventeenth century it was a busy but dangerous route running between Kensington Palace and the seat of government in Whitehall and Westminster.

Highwaymen, both mounted on horseback and on foot, accosted and robbed travellers in the hours of darkness and the courtiers of William III had to run the gauntlet. So in the King ordered the route to be lit by oil lamps to provide safe passage for carriages and riders alike, making it the first lit highway in England.

The road became known as the Road of the King, or Route du Roi in French, and it is believed to be a corruption of this term that led to its present name of Rotten Row. Many other etymological theories for the name exist and there are also other Rotten Rows around England and Scotland — and even one in Harare, Zimbabwe.

The well-to-do paraded their finery on this now safe and wide thoroughfare. Thousands would flock to the park on high days and holidays, lining the railings of Rotten Row to watch the riders and carriages. It became a great meeting place for friends, families, food sellers, entertainers and, of course, the pickpockets that would have been part of the crowd. When first the warmer weather brought these people all together, And the crowds began to thicken through the Row, I reclined against the railing on a sunny day, inhaling All the spirits that the breezes could bestow.

And the riders and the walkers, and the thinkers and the talkers, Left me lonely in the thickest of the throng. Not a touch upon the shoulder — not a nod from one beholder — As the strain of Art and Nature went along. But I brought away one image, from that fashionable scrimmage, Of a figure and a face — ah, such a face! Love has photographed the features of that loveliest of creatures On my memory, as Love alone can trace.

Did I hate the little dandy with long whiskers they were sandy , Whose absurd salute was honoured by a smile? Did I marvel at his rudeness in presuming on her goodness, When she evidently loathed him all the while? Oh, the hours that I have wasted, the regrets that I have tasted, Since the time it seems a century ago , When my heart was won instanter by a lady in a canter, On a certain sunny day in Rotten-row!