Portpool

Portpool was a manor or soke in the district of Holborn, London. It is not recorded in the Domesday Book but references to it occur from the 12th century onwards. For many years it was owned by the Dean and Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral, who let it out to the Grey family. The manor house of Portpool subsequently became known as Gray's Inn, acquiring a reputation for the teaching of law. Documents from the 13th and 14th centuries indicate that Portpool included the present site of Gray's Inn, stretching eastwards beyond Leather Lane, northwards beyond present day Clerkenwell Road and southwards to the City boundary. Its area diminished over time as parts were sold off. The exact location of the manor buildings does not appear to be...