London’s Alleys: Counter Court, SE1

This very shabby dirt ridden little alley near London Bridge is a legacy of judicial power, being named after an early prison on the same location.The prison was called the Borough Compter, a small prison controlled by a sheriff, mainly used to house debtors and religious dissenters. The name of the alley, Counter Court is a variation on Compter Court.
The first court was built from the converted St Margaret’s church that stood on the site, with the ground floor converted into the holding