156: Smithfield: London’s Theatre of Public Execution

Hazel Baker introduces Smithfield (West Smithfield near St Bartholomew’s Hospital and Smithfield Meat Market) as a deceptively ordinary open space that for centuries served both as a major market/fairground and a prominent execution site used to project state and church power. With tour guide Maria Alexe’s commentary, the episode traces Smithfield’s execution history from William Wallace’s hanging, drawing and quartering in 1305 to the last clearly documented burning in 1612, noting its particular association with heresy burnings and high-profile traitors, especially the Marian burnings under Mary I (about 48 at Smithfield, per Foxe). It highlights John Foxe’s shaping of Protestant martyr memory through accounts such as John Rogers and Anne Askew, describes execution methods including hanging, burning, quartering and boiling (Richard Rouse in 1531; Margaret Davy in 1547), and explains the crowd spectacle, commerce, and the risk of creating martyrs. It ends by identifying surviving local traces—St Bartholomew the Great, the gateway, street names like Cloth Fair, and modern contrasts—and invites listeners to related walking tours.

You can listen to 156: Smithfield: London’s Theatre of Public Execution online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

156: Smithfield: London’s Theatre of Public Execution is an episode from London History by londonguidedwalks.co.uk.

This episode is 00:36:57 long.

This episode was published on Apr 9, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from London History when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.