The lane on Hollar's map of London. Late 17th century. Click for broader map and to enable varied magnification.

The lane in about 1875.^[1] Click for broader map and to enable varied magnification.

Beer Lane (originally Bear Lane or Beare Lane) was a short street of the City of London from at least 1570 to 1910. It ran from almost the east end of Great Tower Street (latterly № 37), from opposite Seething Lane, to 53 Lower Thames Street, opposite the east warehouse block of Custom House.^[2][3] John Stow (born 1525) wrote "At the east end of Tower Street, on the south side, have ye^[a] Beare Lane, wherein are many fair houses, and runneth down to Thames Street."^[4]

Opposite its lower end, on the Tideway's city bank, was Bear Quay, later Great Bear Quay and Little Bear Quay, principally used for the landing and shipment of corn.^[2] Edward Hatton, in his A New View of London (1708) wrote "Here is a very great market for wheat and other sorts of grain, brought hither from the neighbouring counties".^[5]

In the early twentieth century, the lane hosted the office-warehouse of H.C. König & Co. from where they distributed their Westphalian Gin.^[6]

• Beer Street and Gin Lane (fictional)

51°30′33.08″N 0°4′46.63″W / 51.5091889°N 0.0796194°W / 51.5091889; -0.0796194