The Oval, Jerusalem & Dark Satanic Mills of South London
With the final Test between England and Australia at the Oval today William Blake’s Jerusalem will no doubt be sung by some of the crowd.
One verse has an interesting South London connection.
And did the Countenance Divine,
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among these dark Satanic Mills?
While its often thought that the dark Satanic Mills were in the north of England in fact they were at the top of Blackfriars Rd on Bankside. James Watt was one of those involved in setting up the Albion flour mills in 1786. They were burnt down in 1791 possibly deliberately. They were seen as taking custom away from artisan millers in the Capital. The Wiki entry suggests: London’s independent millers celebrated with placards reading, “Success to the mills of Albion but no Albion Mills.”
The top of Blackfriars Rd is within relatively easy walking distance of Kennington Oval. Indeed when the Chartists gathered on the Common for the vote on Monday 10th April 1848 they then tried to march to Parliament but were stopped on the south side of Blackfriars bridge by police and troops.
With a Welsh friend passing John Betjemen’s house in 1980 we sang Jerusalem to him. No idea if he was in unfortunately. Still it’s the thought that counts.