Historic environment

The City of London is the ancient core from which the rest of London developed and is governed by the oldest local authority in the country, with origins pre-dating parliament. It has been a centre for settlement, commerce and ceremony since the Roman period, accumulating a unique historic environment of exceptional richness and significance. The City's history is easily seen in its townscape and makes a significant contribution to its commercial and cultural vibrancy. 

There are many designated heritage assets in the City, more than 600 listed buildings, 28 conservation areas, 48 scheduled ancient monuments and four historic parks and gardens. 

Typical examples of these include listed Wren churches (such as St Mary-le-Bow) and the Guildhall, historic areas such as Fleet Street and Bank Junction, scheduled archaeological remains such as the Roman and medieval City Wall and registered gardens such as the Inner and Middle Temples. The City forms part of the Tower of London World Heritage Site's local setting. 

Through our local plan policies and the planning process, we strive to celebrate and enhance our historic environment whilst promoting the highest standards of contextual, innovative and sustainable design. Our approach is set out in the City of London Local Plan.