“Terrible place—dangerous work—other day—five children—mother—tall lady, eating sandwiches—forgot the arch—crash—knock—children look round—mother’s head off—sandwich in her hand—no mouth to put it in—head of a family off—shocking—shocking.” This coach-yard and its entrance existed until the days of _Copperfield_, who came to THE GOLDEN CROSS in the nineteenth chapter of his history, having just finished his education at Dr. Strong’s. He arrived “outside the Canterbury Coach,” and here met _Steerforth_, his former schoolboy patron, who speedily arranged for his transference from No. 44, “a little loft over a stable,” to No. 72, a comfortable bedroom next his own. Here, says David, “I fell asleep in blissful condition . . . until the early morning coaches rumbling out of _the archway underneath_ made me dream of thunder and the gods.” This entrance was abolished in 1851, giving place to a more convenient exterior arrangement and doorway; again remodelled, 1897. THE GOLDEN CROSS is again referred to in the Copperfield experience (chapter 40) as the place where David conferred with _Mr. Peggotty_, one snowy night, after their unexpected meeting opposite St. Martin’s Church (close at hand on the north, at the corner of St. Martin’s Lane), when _Martha_ listened at the door. “In those days there was a side entrance” (Duncannon Street, now appropriated by the London and North-Western Railway Company) “nearly opposite to where we stood. I pointed out the gateway, put my arm through his, and we went across. Two or three public rooms opened out of the stable-yard; and looking into one of them, and finding it empty, and a good fire burning, I took him in there.” Opposite the principal entrance of THE GOLDEN CROSS is Craven Street, leading to the Thames Embankment. It now mainly consists of private hotels and boarding-houses, at which visitors to London may be conveniently accommodated on reasonable terms. In the days of _Oliver Twist_ these were, for the most part, private houses; and here was MR. BROWNLOW’S RESIDENCE—taken after his removal from Pentonville—in which was the back parlour where full confession was extorted from _Monks_, _alias Edward Leeford_. The house, No. 39 (now _Barnett’s Private Hotel_), centrally situated on the east side, is stated to have been assigned as the residence aforesaid.