The Porters' Path was a drovers' route into the Old London Town from Epping Forest and south eastern Essex. Livestock for the city's ever growing appetite, would be led on foot through to London Fields, the last common grazing area before the final journey, through what is now Broadway market, to Brick Lane's Slaughter Street or further on to East Smithfield. The well-worn path would be as old as time itself, at least as long ago as the foundation of London, for some 3,000 years according to the ancient Legends. Interestingly, this route bisects the planned roads in the same way as the old Native American trackway, better known today as Broadway, New York! 

The Market in 1909. Photo-prints available at Off Broadway.

Broadway Market seems to be the beaten track itself historically. It is only centuries of subsequent development and traffic diversion from Hackney Road to Cambridge Heath road that has fortunately left Broadway intact

The Ancient Town of Hackeneye is first mentioned in 1252, during the reign of Henry III, but coins found near Temple Mills, date back to Julius Caesar who visited in 55BC.

While the name Hackney Carriage is associated with the town all over the world for taxi cabs, the name is more likely to have been borrowed from the French haquenée. Meaning a slow horse!

John Rocque's map of 1745 (available for purchase at Off Broadway)shows the Porter's Path distinctly, and identifies such hostelries as 'The Leg of Mutton &Cat' (now The Cat and Mutton in Broadway Market), and 'The Nags Head' on Hackney Road. The Flying Horse in Mare Street, (by the BP service station) was said to be one of the old posting-houses on the old road to Cambridge and Newmarket in the days of old Queen Bess. For those eating away from home were usually travelers. Restaurants as we know these today, would have only existed in major cities.

The diet has changed considerably in the last three hundred or so years. In Samuel Pepys' Diaries (1659-69), detailed references to the menu, whether at home or prepared in the many hostelries, were recorded for posterity. A 'pretty' dinner March 26 th 1662, comprised a brace of stewed carps, six roasted chickens and a jowl of salmon followed by a tanzy, two neats' tongues and cheese for the second course. Protein and fats would be 95% of a wealthy mans intake, fruit and green vegetables a mere 5%. For the poor it would be the reverse. Had malnourishment, bad living conditions, disease and long hours been absent from the latter, the poor would have long outlived their paymasters when it came to diet. Pepys' recorded visits to Kingsland, May 12 th 1667, one year after the Great Fire. 

Hackney (Danish Hacon's Eye or island) was home of the Knight Templers, (Viz. the listed Temple Mills on the River Lea). Later the Knights of St John of Jerusalem. Ancient records show the residence to be at The Priory in Wells Street. It former name was Beaulieu in 1352 when it was sold by the Prior of St John to John Blaunch and Nicholas Shordych. During Stowe's time it was called Shoreditch Place (now Shore Road.)

There has been a cycle of architectural events in this world, where large houses are turned into institutions and eventually redeveloped with changing needs. This started to occur in Hackney many centuries ago, leaving now only two ancient buildings for aesthetic posterity, namely what are now the Geoffrye Museum, Shoreditch and Sutton House in Lower Clapton. Fortunately today there is a far greater respect for history, bringing a halt to the ambitions of developers. So when we re-look at the extended borough of Hackney, there is still a wealth of Georgian and Victorian squares and terraces to remind us of our heritage. Most of all, our riches are measured by every days events, the atmosphere of a place, and particularly a good meal. Broadway Market in particular, boasts friendliness and good reason for its hospitality

There are many other notables in the immediate vicinity, whether domiciled, visiting or buried.
Visited by Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. (1591) Samuel Pepys (17 th C), Strype (17 th C).
Henry, Lord Percy, Earl of Northumberland, d.1537 in Hackney. He was later and employed with Sir Walter Walsh to arrest Cardinal Wolsley at Cawood. In 1546, the whole property was granted by Edward VI to William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke. Later it became Brooke House and was eventually owned by Francis Tyssen, whose funeral at Hackney in 1717 cost then £2,000! 
Sir Thomas More visited his daughter Cecilia at the manor in Shacklewell.
Sir Christopher Hatton, were the Earl of Oxford, a resident, (sat on the trials of Mary, Queen of Scots, the Earls of Arundel, Essex and Southampton)
Ben Johnson visited frequently
Lord Vaux, 1592. Converter of Protestants to Catholicism.
A Countess of Warwick, The Queen of Bohemia. Late 16 th C lived in the Black and White House, next the St. Augustine's church (The Tower)
Lord Brook (Brook House).
Bishop Bonner (16 th C). Bonner Hall, Victoria Park. Catholic Bishop of London who would not consent to Henry's divorce. Sentenced to the Tower of London. Later released by Mary 1 st . he returned to the Tower by Elizabeth, where he died.
Halley, now identified by 'his' Comet, lived in Haggerston) d.1741.
Milton frequently visited Tower House in London Lane where his first wife lived before they married. (by Pub on the Park.)
Daniel Defoe lived in Stoke Newington Church Street and Hackney. He is buried in Hackney
Elizabeth Fry (refuge founded 1847)
John Howard, Prison Reformer b.1727 in Lower Clapton
Owen Roe, who was a judge at the trial of Charles 1st  
John Okey, a General in Cromwell's Parliamentary Army. One of the signatories to Charles 1 st death warrant. In the same residence followed Busch, nurseryman to Katherine II, Empress of Russia, followed by Conrad Loddige, eminent horticulturist (1771)
Sir Thomas Heron, master of The Jewel House in the Tower of London for Henry VIII.
Thomas Sutton, Founder of Charterhouse School .d.1611
John Ward, Parliamentarian pilloried March 1727 for forgery of Sir John Blunts £50,000 estate, which had been forfeited to the South Sea Estate (South Sea Bubble).
Major Andre from Clapton was hanged by George Washington, as a spy.
Dick Turpin, the notorious highwayman was frequent visitor to Hackney. He was probably part of the gang who regularly held up coaches traveling north between what is now the canal bridge at Cambridge Heath Road and Westgate Street. This marshy area was desolate and ideal for surprise hold-ups.
William Wilberforce amongst others set up a refuge for reforming female criminals in 1805 at the Manor House, Dalston (Dorleston).
Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618) was Educated in Church (Mare) Street. So too was
Benjamin Disraeli. (1804-1881)

Image by Weezie Street tag from the 1980s. Photo-prints available at Off Broadway.

Once again this Historical Street refuses to sink and surfaces again; but this time it plans to stay afloat!
On Saturday the 8 th of May, Broadway Market one of London's oldest chartered markets launches a Farmers Style Market: Where emphasizes will be on 'Speciality, Quality and Variety.' Keeping with tradition this Market will attract local producers, farmers and crafts people to the area to sell their goods direct to the Public. Along the centuries old Drovers Path, commonly called Porters Path, it runs from the north-east corner of London and for many hundreds of years has seen local farmers drive their cattle through Upper Clapton, Mare Street to London Fields -which is Lammas Land and gives Shepherd's the right to stop and graze their flocks- and then continuing along through Broadway Market: to drive their live stock on to the City of London.

Present-day Broadway Market is a thriving and growing hub of community life, featuring fabulous restaurants, arts and crafts and local business. Broadways Market Traders and Residents Association for over 15 years have fought to build this community and revive its market, and promote café culture, specialist shopping and local business growth. This is also a positive opportunity for Hackney Council -whom we are working directly with and have been very encouraging and supportive- to promote working communities.

The new market will be opening from 8am till 6pm with 40 stalls offering a varied selection of goods including:

• Organic rare breed pork/veal/venison.
• Sea food and fresh fish
• Organic & conventional tomatoes.
• Handmade cheese butter & butter milk.
• Organic fair-trade coffee.
• Organic Breads/Cakes and Pastries.
• Health products, clothing.
• USA street clothes.
• Vintage Clothing 50/60/70.
• Along with a number of snack foods and health drinks.