Jumped from the Savoy steps in 1900 ...

[Relsearcher]

Hi Everyone - I'm having a little trouble locating a place mentioned in the 1900 Inquest of the suicide of my Great Great Aunt. 

According to the article, she 'jumped from the Savoy steps of the Thames Embankment into the river.' 

I have looked at several old maps dated around 1900 and there are no steps of this name, but there is an alleyway called Savoy Steps which does not lead to the river and is further back from the Embankment.  The only 'steps' in the area appear to be those at Cleopatra's Needle.  Waterloo Pier is also in this area but I would have thought this Pier would have been mentioned by name if that was the said place. 

Can anyone help me locate where the 'Savoy steps' were/are that she jumped from??? 

Many thanks, Nina

[PaulineJ]

Likely to be the riverside entrance to the Savoy Hotel?

https://www.thesavoylondon.com/event-spaces/the-river-room/

Pauline

[Relsearcher]

Hi Pauline - thanks for that - the Savoy doesn't actually meet the river as there is a garden area and a road inbetween so she wouldn't have been able to jump from there ... I feel it would be a set of steps actually leading off the Embankment into the water ...

[Dyingout]

Google " Watermans stairs wikipedia "
Savoy steps are mentioned
Next to last list
" Public stairs in use on the River Thames early 1700s "
There is a map but needs downloading and increasing in size

[Relsearcher]

Thanks Dyingout - that's very interesting! 

I have downloaded the 1746 map and located 'Savoy Stairs' on the map!  They seem to be under what is now the Embankment, which was constructed 1866-1869.  I assume that there were perhaps some new stairs into the Thames in front of this point which were still referred to as Savoy Steps/Stairs - where Waterloo Pier was sited in 1900. 

There appears to be a memorial plaque to Sir Walter Besant who died in 1901 at this site, erected in 1902 on a large concrete structure - perhaps this was built over the steps/stairs that my Grt Grt Aunt went to in 1900 ...

Thanks again for your help, Nina

[mazi]

They must surely be in “The precinct of the savoy”, by waterloo bridge, we got off a river bus there and went up the steps to the Embankment so there is definitely access to the river there.

Mike

[Relsearcher]

Thanks Mike - yes, sounds right - were they old stone steps?  Nina

[Dyingout]

Worth googling The Savoy on Wikipedia too gives the history of the area, which gives it's name to the hotel

[Relsearcher]

Thanks Dyingout - will do!