an overview
The City of London is an extraordinary place. The phenomenal financial business done here each working minute reverberates around the world. This is the heart of global finance, the place where business is done best.
Established soon after the Romans invaded Britain in AD43, the City is where London began – the “original” London – the place from which today’s thriving metropolis grew.
Such history, and its position as the world’s leading international financial and business centre, have imbued it with a unique character and a distinct identity. Pass between the dragons that mark its entrances and exits and you’ll recognise a difference. This is where ancient and modern sit side by side; where medieval alleyways open out onto major streets; where historic churches snuggle up to soaring glass neighbours; where the past embraces the future.
Over 2,000 years of history are told through its buildings – from the remains of its Roman walls to modern icons such as the Lloyd’s Building. Old or new, there is much to marvel at – the mighty dome of St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge and 30 St Mary Axe (the Gherkin) are just some of the landmarks that punctuate the City skyline.
Wren’s great masterpiece and other world-famous attractions will make the City a must-do destination for many, but visitors are also drawn by an invitation to explore, to wander cobbled side streets and narrow passageways and to discover, tucked away from view, ancient churches, taverns, halls and houses, and a plethora of monuments, plaques and statues commemorating the City’s great past.
It is the events, people and deeds these celebrate that help to make the City’s attractions unique. From All Hallows church where diarist Samuel Pepys watched the Great Fire of London to Wren’s towering Monument which commemorates it; from the house where Doctor Johnson compiled the first-ever English dictionary to his statue in St Paul’s Cathedral; and from that same Cathedral – where Charles and Diana wed and Nelson and Wellington lay buried to St Bartholomew-the-Great – the church where scenes from Shakespeare in Love and Four Weddings and a Funeral were shot.
Museums, exhibitions and galleries abound here, and the treasures they contain enthral and amaze. Stand in awe under John Singleton Copley’s The Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar, 1782 – one of the UK’s largest oils spanning two floors of Guildhall Art Gallery, experience breathtaking views from the walkways inside Tower Bridge or hold a real gold bar at the Bank of England Museum.
From smaller collections like that of the Bank’s or the ancient timepieces at the Clockmakers’ Museum to Europe’s largest urban history museum – the Museum of London – the City’s, and London’s past, are celebrated, as are the time-honoured professions that have helped push the City to the forefront of the international business world.
It is these ancient professions that help provide the City with its distinct character. As its importance as a business centre increased over the centuries, tradesmen came together to form guilds or livery companies – bodies regulating their professions to protect customers and their members. Wherever you look – be it at the names of City streets, the flags hanging from the livery halls where Company members still meet today, or the shop and bank signs of old that punctuate garden railings and rows of retail outlets, the importance these trades played – and still play – in City life is remembered.
The City celebrates its past – but it is also a vital, vibrant and exciting place to be. In the workday week, its streets – voted the cleanest in Britain – are abuzz with workers going about their daily business, sharing news in the many cafés, bars and restaurants that spill out onto the pavements or hurrying by, on to the next meeting. Eateries serve up food from the four corners of the globe to sate the tastes of the international business community; hotels – from budget to boutique, from low-cost to luxury – provide accommodation befitting the City’s business visitors; and theatres, concert halls, cinemas, music venues and other performance spaces present top-class acts for corporate entertainment and culture-hungry workers and residents. A world-class offer for a world-class City.
In this the City’s visitors share and enjoy – for so diverse and so large is the offer, that there’s rarely a shortage of somewhere to sit, relax and unwind, be it over a coffee, a beer, a spot of lunch or while taking in a show. And although, at weekends, when the working populace is absent, the City takes on an altogether more leisurely pace, that vitality is not lost. Rather, the stiller climate inspires a throng of visitors; emptier hotels offer great deals and traffic on the roads disperses, allowing visitors to explore the City’s hidden treasures in a calm and peaceful environment.
Whatever the day of the week – the City is perfect for walking. Referred to as the “Square Mile” because of its size, a destination within its boundaries is never far away and, with over 150 parks, gardens, churchyards and plazas, there’s plenty of havens to provide respite for tired feet, a change of pace or the perfect setting for an al fresco lunch.
Given its location, the City is a great place to stay, especially for those with an itinerary that takes them in opposite directions across the capital. Its central position in wider London means that the sights, sounds and attractions of the West End, Brick Lane and historic Southwark as well as most other parts of London are – quite literally – on its doorstep.
That said, if the lure of other attractions does not beckon – there’s rarely need to leave the City’s limits as almost everything a visitor might want can be found here. From the bowling green at Finsbury Circus Gardens to the award-winning Golden Lane Leisure Centre, with its public swimming baths, tennis courts and multi-purpose indoor sports hall; from ‘essentials’ outlets to the cobbled streets of Leadenhall Market – restored to its original Victorian splendour; from supermarkets to the luxury shopping opportunities at the 19th century Royal Exchange with its designer labels and commercial galleries.
And – as home to the Barbican, Europe’s largest arts and conference centre –– the City’s entertainment offer is second to none. From classical, contemporary, jazz and world music to international programmes of theatre and dance, this mighty hub is one of London’s premier venues for live performance. Its three cinemas screen anything from independent and art house films to the latest blockbusters, while its galleries showcase contemporary art, architecture, design and photography.
But the City’s galleries are not confined indoors for its streets showcase a fascinating array of ancient statues and sculptures aloft plinths, buildings and monuments, as well contributions from more modern masters such as Anthony Gormley. What’s more, new work is being commissioned all the time, from light installations in City drains to a street improvement scheme that sees cutting-edge contemporary landscaping of open spaces.
It is these streets too that play host to many events – be they sporting spectaculars such as the Flora London Marathon, the Great City Race or last year’s Tour de France – festivals such as the annual City of London Festival which takes to the tarmac each summer with parades and open-air concerts – or ancient ceremonies such as the spectacular Lord Mayor’s Show with its pomp, pageantry and fireworks.
At over 800 years old, this Show marks the inauguration of a new head of City government each year. An area as unique as this needs a unique system of administration and the City of London Corporation is the body that provides it. Older than Parliament and the model on which the Parliament at Westminster is built, the City Corporation operates on a non-party political basis through its Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Members of the Court of Common Council.
Its home is at Guildhall – a building dating back to 1411 and containing the third largest civic hall in England. Over the ages, the Guildhall has welcomed many heads of state, royalty and other notable dignitaries; it was here that Lady Jane Grey was tried and condemned in 1553 and where a lunch was held for the Queen in celebration of her Golden Jubilee in 2002. Today, the dignitaries still come, as do many visitors, to see its imposing medieval hall, magnificent stained glass windows and its monuments to national heroes such Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill.
This national profile is no accident; the City Corporation’s role is not confined to local government services for the Square Mile alone; it delivers a host of additional facilities for the benefit of London and the UK and maintains and enhances the status of the business City as the world's leading international financial and business centre.
A world-class City deserves a world-class welcome and the City Corporation is committed to ensuring that all those that come here experience the very best this place has to offer. Its new City of London Information Centre – situated across the street from St Paul’s Cathedral – helps visitors do just that. Whether it’s directions to the nearest Underground station, tickets for a show at the Barbican or a few ideas of things to do with the kids on a wet day in June, the staff at the centre are there to lend a hand. And while this face-to-face service specialises in all there is to see and do in the Square Mile, there’s plenty of information available about other London attractions and those in other cities across the country.
So wherever you’re from and wherever you’re heading, the City looks forward to your visit; to sharing with you its treasures, its history and heritage, its culture and its vibrancy; and its boundless capacity to delight, to amaze, to please.
The City of London: take a closer look
