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The City of London is the historic center of London, England, and the city’s central business district.
Introduction to the City of London
The City of London is where the Romans founded Londinium in 43 AD. It’s only a tiny part of the city, but it’s not a London borough. In fact, it’s a considered the actual city surrounded by the 32 boroughs of greater London. The City of London is also a county of England, and the smallest county in size.
This post is an incomplete look at my exploration of the City of London. Other than St. Paul’s Cathedral, which is covered in another post, I only passed through certain sections. I plan to explore much more thoroughly on future trips.
Temple Bar
First of all, near St. Paul’s Cathedral is Temple Bar. It was the main ceremonial entrance to the City of London from Westminster. The original Temple Bar dates back to at least 1327. The current gate was commissioned by King Charles II and was built by Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723) between 1669 and 1672. The statues on the south side depict King Charles II and his father, King Charles I. The north side includes statues of Charles II’s parents, King James I and Anne of Denmark.
Temple Bar was purchased by Henry Meux (1856-1900) in 1880. He moved the gate from its original location on Fleet Street, in front of the Royal Courts of Justice, to Theobalds Park in Hertfordshire. In 2004, it was dismantled and returned to London, re-erected as an entrance to Paternoster Square.
Paternoster Square
On the north side of Temple Bar is Paternoster Square. It’s been the home of the London Stock Exchange since 2004, as well as the location of a few major investment banks. In the center is the Paternoster Square Column, a 75 foot tall monument topped by a flaming copper urn covered in gold leaf.
Another monument on the square is Paternoster, also known as Shepherd and Sheep. It was sculpted in 1975 by Elisabeth Frink and depicts a shepherd herding five sheep.
St. Paul’s Cathedral
St. Paul’s Cathedral is on the south side of Temple Bar. This massive Anglican cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of London. It’s one of the most iconic buildings in the city.
St. Lawrence and Mary Magdalene Fountain
Across the street from Saint Paul’s to the south is the St. Lawrence and Mary Magdalene Fountain. It was designed by architect John Robinson and includes a bronze sculpture by Joseph Durham (1814-1877). The fountain was originally erected in 1866 outside the Church of St. Lawrence Jewry. It was dismantled in the 1970s, placed in a city vault for 15 years, and then stored in a barn before being reassembled in its current location in 2010.
The Monument
The Monument to the Great Fire of London, simply known as the Monument, was erected between 1671 and 1677. It stands 202 feet from the spot where the Great Fire of London started on September 2, 1666, wiping out much of the historic city center.
The Monument was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built on the site of St. Margaret New Fish Street, the first church to be destroyed by the fire. It has Latin inscriptions on three sides of the base. The west side of the base contains a bas relief sculpture by Caius Gabriel Cibber (1630-1700) representing the destruction of the city. Charles II and his brother, James, the Duke of York (later King James II) are depicted leading its restoration.
It’s possible to climb the 311 steps to the top of the Monument’s viewing platform, which has been a tourist attraction since the 17th century. Adult admission is £6 (as of December 2023). It’s open daily from 9:30am to 1pm and again from 2pm to 6pm.
The Gherkin
Some of London’s most impressive skyscrapers are located in the City of London. The most recognizable is 30 St. Mary Axe, popularly known as the Gherkin. It was built between 2001 and 2003 and opened in April 2004. The Gherkin stands on the former site of the Baltic Exchange, which was severely damaged in an IRA bombing on April 10, 1992. It’s 40 stories high.
Lloyd’s Building
Nearby is the Lloyd’s Building, home of insurance giant Lloyd’s of London. It was built between 1978 and 1986 on the site of the first Lloyd’s Building, which dates back to 1928. It consists of three main towers and three service towers surrounding a central space.
The building was designed by Richard Rogers and Partners, with the unique feature of having all ductwork, electrical, lifts, pipes, and staircases on the outside. This leaves an uncluttered interior.
Gibson Hall
A minor yet impressive building in the area is Gibson Hall, which was once Westminster Bank. It was built in 1865 and changed its name in the 1990s. It has operated as an events venue since 1998.
Tower Hill Memorial
Finally, not technically in the City of London but nearby is the Tower Hill Memorial. It’s across the street from the Tower of London. Tower Hill Memorial consists of three memorials containing the names of merchant sailors and fisherman who perished during both World Wars and the Falklands War in 1982, and have no known graves. The Falklands War Memorial was erected in 2005, after I had a chance to visit.
The first is the Mercantile Marine War Memorial, which was unveiled on December 12, 1928. It consisted of a vaulted colonnaded open on both ends and contains the names of 12,000 missing sailors from World War I on bronze panels. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944).
The Merchant Seamen’s Memorial was unveiled on November 5, 1955, and designed by Sir Edward Maufe (1882-1974). It’s a semi-circular sunken garden behind the first memorial, and contains a wall listing 24,000 missing sailors from World War II on 132 bronze panels. Two sentries flank a central stone inscribed with the main dedication. On the eastern side is a Merchant Navy seaman, and on the western side is a Merchant Navy officer.
