According to L&M: “Market-gardeners’ houses and houses of entertainment on the river-bank opposite Vauxhall.”
They can be seen on this map from 1806.
Neat Houses
Map
The overlays that highlight 17th century London features are approximate and derived from Wenceslaus Hollar’s maps:
- Built-up London – London before the Fire
- City of London wall and Great Fire damage – London after the Fire
Open location in Google Maps: 51.485659, -0.135956
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References
Chart showing the number of references in each month of the diary’s entries.
1661
- Aug
1664
- Sep
1666
- Aug
1667
- Aug
1668
- May
6 Annotations
Second Reading
Bill • Link
"some trees near the Neate houses"
Neat Houses (The), at Chelsea, in the low ground by the Thames side west of Vauxhall Bridge. The name clearly points to the original purposes of the houses: neat-house = cow-house. The parish of St. Gabriel's, Pimlico, now occupies the site of the Neat House estate, belonging to St. George's, Hanover Square.
The Neat Houses are a parcel of Houses most seated on the banks of the river Thames, and inhabited by gardeners, for which it is of note for the supplying London and Westminster Markets with Asparagus, Artichoaks, Cauliflowers, Musmelons, and the like useful things that the earth produceth; which by reason of their keeping the ground so rich by dunging it (and through the nearness of London they have the soil cheap) doth make their crops very forward, to their great profit, in coming to such good markets.—Strype, B. vi. p.67.
---London, Past and Present. H.B. Wheatley, 1891.
There are encyclopedia entries for:
Neat's Tongue: www.pepysdiary.com/encyclopedia/1…
Neat's Feet: www.pepysdiary.com/encyclopedia/5…
There is a discussion of Neat Houses in the annotations of 19 August 1661.
Terry Foreman • Link
An example of Neat Houses toward Chelsea.
http://www.motco.com/Map/81002/Se…
Terry Foreman • Link
Another map of the Neat Houses inside the reverse-L bend of the Thames.
http://www.motco.com/map/81001/Se…
Terry Foreman • Link
The Neat Houses near Chelsea Bridge in the upper-left corner of the map.
http://www.motco.com/Map/81002/Se…
Terry Foreman • Link
According to L&M: “Market-gardeners’ houses and houses of entertainment on the river-bank opposite Vauxhall.”They can be seen on this map from 1806.
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
San Diego Sarah • Link
"It sounds like a treehouse, which would certainly be a Neat innovation in pleasure-garden development."
I usually recommend taking Pepys at his word, unless there are extenuating circumstances. I imagine this was a platform in a big old tree, with protective sides so no one fell out. Maybe some sort of canopy in case of rain.
However, do not underestimate the treehouses of the age. This shows an Elizabethan treehouse which has been maintained, and was known to Charles I and II -- and it resembles a box:
https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/i…