City of London
City of London | ||
---|---|---|
Wessex resettlement 886 AD (Lundenburg) | | |
Wards | ||
Government | ||
• Body | ||
ISO 3166-2 | GB-LND | |
Police | City of London Police | |
Patron saint | St. Paul | |
Website | cityoflondon | |
The City of London, widely referred to simply as the City, is a
The City of London is known colloquially as the Square Mile, as it is 1.12 sq mi (716.80 acres; 2.90 km2)
The
The City is a major business and financial centre,[9] with both the Bank of England and the London Stock Exchange based in the City. Throughout the 19th century, the City was the world's primary business centre, and it continues to be a major meeting point for businesses.[10] London came second (after New York) in the Global Financial Centres Index, published in 2022. The insurance industry is located in the eastern side of the city, around Lloyd's building. Since about the 1980s, a secondary financial district has existed outside the city, at Canary Wharf, 2.5 miles (4 km) to the east. The legal profession forms a major component of the northern and western sides of the City, especially in the Temple and Chancery Lane areas where the Inns of Court are located, of which two—Inner Temple and Middle Temple—fall within the City of London boundary.
The City has a resident population of 8,583 based on 2021 census figures,[11][12] but over 500,000 are employed there (as of 2019)[13] and some estimates put the number of workers in the City to be over 1 million. About three-quarters of the jobs in the City of London are in the financial, professional, and associated business services sectors.[14]
History
Origins
The Roman legions established a settlement known as "Londinium" on the current site of the City of London around AD 43. Its bridge over the River Thames turned the city into a road nexus and major port, serving as a major commercial centre in Roman Britain until its abandonment during the 5th century. Archaeologist Leslie Wallace notes that, because extensive archaeological excavation has not revealed any signs of a significant pre-Roman presence, "arguments for a purely Roman foundation of London are now common and uncontroversial."[15]
At its height, the Roman city had a population of approximately 45,000–60,000 inhabitants. Londinium was an ethnically diverse city, with inhabitants from across the Roman Empire, including natives of Britannia, continental Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.[16] The Romans built the London Wall some time between AD 190 and 225. The boundaries of the Roman city were similar to those of the City of London today, though the City extends further west than Londinium's Ludgate, and the Thames was undredged and thus wider than it is today, with Londinium's shoreline slightly north of the city's present shoreline. The Romans built a bridge across the river, as early as AD 50, near to today's London Bridge.
Decline
By the time the London Wall was constructed, the city's fortunes were in decline, and it faced problems of plague and fire. The Roman Empire entered a long period of
Anglo-Saxon restoration
During the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy, the London area came in turn under the Kingdoms of Essex, Mercia, and later Wessex, though from the mid 8th century it was frequently under threat from raids by different groups including the Vikings.
Alfred's taking of London and the rebuilding of the old Roman city was a turning point in history, not only as the permanent establishment of the City of London, but also as part of a unifying moment in early England, with Wessex becoming the dominant English kingdom and the repelling (to some degree) of the Viking occupation and raids. While London, and indeed England, were afterwards subjected to further periods of Viking and Danish raids and occupation, the establishment of the City of London and the Kingdom of England prevailed.[20]
In the 10th century,
As the focus of trade and population was moved back to within the old Roman walls, the older Saxon settlement of Lundenwic was largely abandoned and gained the name of Ealdwic (the "old settlement"). The name survives today as Aldwych (the "old market-place"), a name of a street and an area of the City of Westminster between Westminster and the City of London.
Medieval era
Following the
William built three castles around the city, to keep Londoners subdued:
- Tower of London, which is still a major establishment.
- Baynard's Castle, which no longer exists but gave its name to a city ward.
- Montfichet's Tower or Castle on Ludgate Hill, which was dismantled and sold off in the 13th century.
About 1130,
From medieval times, the city has been composed of
In 1381, the Peasants' Revolt affected London. The rebels took the City and the Tower of London, but the rebellion ended after its leader, Wat Tyler, was killed during a confrontation that included Lord Mayor William Walworth. In 1450, rebel forces again occupied the City during Jack Cade's Rebellion before being ousted by London citizens following a bloody battle on London Bridge. In 1550, the area south of London Bridge in Southwark came under the control of the City with the establishment of the ward of Bridge Without.
The city was burnt severely on a number of occasions, the worst being in 1123 and in the Great Fire of London in 1666. Both of these fires were referred to as the Great Fire. After the fire of 1666, a number of plans were drawn up to remodel the city and its street pattern into a renaissance-style city with planned urban blocks, squares and boulevards. These plans were almost entirely not taken up, and the medieval street pattern re-emerged almost intact.
Early modern period
In the 1630s the Crown sought to have the Corporation of the City of London extend its jurisdiction to surrounding areas. In what is sometimes called the "great refusal", the Corporation said no to the King, which in part accounts for its unique government structure to the present.[22]
By the late 16th century, London increasingly became a major centre for banking, international trade and commerce. The Royal Exchange was founded in 1565 by Sir Thomas Gresham as a centre of commerce for London's merchants, and gained Royal patronage in 1571. Although no longer used for its original purpose, its location at the corner of Cornhill and Threadneedle Street continues to be the geographical centre of the city's core of banking and financial services, with the Bank of England moving to its present site in 1734, opposite the Royal Exchange. Immediately to the south of Cornhill, Lombard Street was the location from 1691 of Lloyd's Coffee House, which became the world-leading insurance market. London's insurance sector continues to be based in the area, particularly in Lime Street.
In 1708, Christopher Wren's masterpiece, St Paul's Cathedral, was completed on his birthday. The first service had been held on 2 December 1697, more than 10 years earlier. It replaced the original St Paul's, which had been completely destroyed in the Great Fire of London, and is considered to be one of the finest cathedrals in Britain and a fine example of Baroque architecture.
Growth of London
The 18th century was a period of rapid growth for London, reflecting an increasing national population, the early stirrings of the Industrial Revolution, and London's role at the centre of the evolving British Empire. The urban area expanded beyond the borders of the City of London, most notably during this period towards the West End and Westminster.
Expansion continued and became more rapid by the beginning of the 19th century, with London growing in all directions. To the East the Port of London grew rapidly during the century, with the construction of many docks, needed as the Thames at the City could not cope with the volume of trade. The arrival of the railways and the Tube meant that London could expand over a much greater area. By the mid-19th century, with London still rapidly expanding in population and area, the City had already become only a small part of the wider metropolis.
19th and 20th centuries
An attempt was made in 1894 with the
The city's population fell rapidly in the 19th century and through most of the 20th century, as people moved outwards in all directions to London's vast suburbs, and many residential buildings were demolished to make way for office blocks. Like many areas of London and other British cities, the City fell victim to large scale and highly destructive aerial bombing during World War II, especially in the Blitz. Whilst St Paul's Cathedral survived the onslaught, large swathes of the area did not and the particularly heavy raids of late December 1940 led to a firestorm called the Second Great Fire of London.
There was a major rebuilding programme in the decades following the war, in some parts (such as at the Barbican) dramatically altering the urban landscape. But the destruction of the older historic fabric allowed the construction of modern and larger-scale developments, whereas in those parts not so badly affected by bomb damage the City retains its older character of smaller buildings. The street pattern, which is still largely medieval, was altered slightly in places, although there is a more recent trend of reversing some of the post-war modernist changes made, such as at Paternoster Square.
The City suffered terrorist attacks including the
The 1970s saw the construction of tall office buildings including the 600-foot (183 m), 47-storey
The main residential section of the City today is the Barbican Estate, constructed between 1965 and 1976. The Museum of London was based there until March 2023 (due to reopen in West Smithfield in 2026),[23] whilst a number of other services provided by the corporation are still maintained on the Barbican Estate.
Governance
The city has a unique political status, a legacy of its uninterrupted integrity as a corporate city since the Anglo-Saxon period and its singular relationship with the
It is administered by the City of London Corporation, headed by the Lord Mayor of London (not to be confused with the separate Mayor of London, an office created only in the year 2000), which is responsible for a number of functions and has interests in land beyond the city's boundaries. Unlike other English local authorities, the corporation has two council bodies: the (now largely ceremonial) Court of Aldermen and the Court of Common Council. The Court of Aldermen represents the wards, with each ward (irrespective of size) returning one alderman. The chief executive of the Corporation holds the ancient office of Town Clerk of London.
The city is a ceremonial county which has a Commission of Lieutenancy headed by the Lord Mayor instead of a
Wards
The city is made up of
The wards are ancient and their number has changed three times since time immemorial:
- in 1394 Farringdon was divided into Farringdon Within and Farringdon Without
- in 1550 the ward of Bridge Without, south of the river, was created, the ward of Bridge becoming Bridge Within;[28]
- in 1978 these Bridge wards were merged as Bridge ward.[29]
Following boundary changes in 1994, and later reform of the business vote in the city, there was a major boundary and electoral representation revision of the wards in 2003, and they were reviewed again in 2010 for change in 2013, though not to such a dramatic extent. The review was conducted by senior officers of the corporation and senior judges of the
Each ward elects an
Census data provides eight nominal rather than 25 real wards, all of varying size and population. Being subject to renaming and definition at any time, these census 'wards' are notable in that four of the eight wards accounted for 67% of the 'square mile' and held 86% of the population, and these were in fact similar to and named after four City of London wards:
Census ward | % of the City of London |
Residents | % of built-upon land | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Commercial | Residential | |||
Cripplegate (east half of Barbican neighbourhood) | 10.0% | 2,782 | 79% | 21% |
Aldersgate (west half of Barbican neighbourhood) | 4.5% | 1,465 | 81% | 19% |
Farringdon Without (and much of Castle Baynard) | 22.1% | 1,099 | 90% | 10% |
Portsoken (contains Aldgate Underground station) | 6.6% | 985 | 86% | 14% |
Elections
The city has a unique electoral system. Most of its voters are representatives of businesses and other bodies that occupy premises in the city. Its ancient wards have very unequal numbers of voters. In elections, both the businesses based in the city and the residents of the City vote.
The City of London Corporation was not reformed by the
The business or "
The City of London (Ward Elections) Act 2002, a private Act of Parliament,[35] reformed the voting system and greatly increased the business franchise, allowing many more businesses to be represented. Under the new system, the number of non-resident voters has doubled from 16,000 to 32,000. Previously disenfranchised firms (and other organisations) are entitled to nominate voters, in addition to those already represented, and all such bodies are now required to choose their voters in a representative fashion. Bodies employing fewer than 10 people may appoint 1 voter; those employing 10 to 50 people 1 voter for every 5 employees; those employing more than 50 people 10 voters and 1 additional voter for each 50 employees beyond the first 50. The Act also changed other aspects of an earlier act relating to elections in the city, from 1957.
The Temple
Other functions
Within the city, the Corporation owns and runs both
The city has its own independent police force, the
The city has one hospital, St Bartholomew's Hospital, also known as 'Barts'. Founded in 1123, it is located at Smithfield, and is undergoing a long-awaited regeneration after doubts as to its continuing use during the 1990s.
The city is the third largest UK patron of the arts. It oversees the Barbican Centre and subsidises several important performing arts companies.
The London Port Health Authority, which is the responsibility of the corporation, is responsible for all port health functions on the
The boundary of the City
The size of the city was constrained by a defensive perimeter wall, known as London Wall, which was built by the Romans in the late 2nd century to protect their strategic port city. However the boundaries of the City of London no longer coincide with the old city wall, as the City expanded its jurisdiction slightly over time. During the
Most of the wall has disappeared, but several sections remain visible. A section near the
The boundary of the city was unchanged until minor boundary changes on 1 April 1994, when it expanded slightly to the west, north and east, taking small parcels of land from the London Boroughs of Westminster, Camden, Islington, Hackney and Tower Hamlets. The main purpose of these changes was to tidy up the boundary where it had been rendered obsolete by changes in the urban landscape. In this process the city also lost small parcels of land, though there was an overall net gain (the City grew from 1.05 to 1.12 square miles). Most notably, the changes placed the (then recently developed) Broadgate estate entirely in the city.[42]
Southwark, to the south of the city on the other side of the Thames, was within the City between 1550 and 1899 as the Ward of Bridge Without, a situation connected with the Guildable Manor. The city's administrative responsibility there had in practice disappeared by the mid-Victorian period as various aspects of metropolitan government were extended into the neighbouring areas. Today it is part of the London Borough of Southwark. The Tower of London has always been outside the city and comes under the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
Arms, motto and flag
The Corporation of the City of London has a full
The
The Latin motto of the city is "Domine dirige nos", which translates as "Lord, direct us". It is thought to have been adopted in the 17th century, as the earliest record of it is in 1633.[45][47]
A banner of the arms (the design on the shield) is flown as a flag.
Geography
The City of London is the
The elevation of the City ranges from sea level at the Thames to 21.6 metres (71 ft) at the junction of High Holborn and Chancery Lane.[49] Two small but notable hills are within the historic core, Ludgate Hill to the west and Cornhill to the east. Between them ran the Walbrook, one of the many "lost" rivers or streams of London (another is the Fleet).
Boundary
Beginning in the west, where the City borders Westminster, the boundary crosses the
The boundary then runs up the centre of the low-tide channel of the Thames, with the exception that Blackfriars Bridge (including the river beneath and land at its south end) is entirely part of the City, whilst the span and southern abutment of London Bridge is part of the city for some purposes[50] (and as such is part of Bridge ward).[51]
The boundaries are marked by black bollards bearing the city's emblem, and by dragon boundary marks at major entrances, such as Holborn and the south end of London Bridge. A more substantial monument marks the boundary at Temple Bar on Fleet Street.
In some places, the financial district extends slightly beyond the boundaries, notably to the north and east, into the London boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Islington, and informally these locations are regarded as being part of the "Square Mile". Since the 1990s the eastern fringe, extending into Hackney and Tower Hamlets, has increasingly been a focus for large office developments due to the availability of large sites compared to within the city.
Gardens and public art
The city has no sizeable parks within its boundary, but does have a network of a large number of gardens and small open spaces, many of them maintained by the corporation. These range from formal gardens such as the one in
Gardens include:
- Barber-Surgeon's Hall Garden, London Wall
- Cleary Garden, Queen Victoria Street[53]
- Finsbury Circus, Blomfield Street/London Wall/Moorgate
- Jubilee Garden, Houndsditch
- Portsoken Street Garden, Portsoken Street/Goodman's Yard
- Postman's Park, Little Britain
- Seething Lane Garden, Seething Lane
- St Dunstan-in-the-East, St Dunstan's Hill
- St Mary Aldermanbury, Aldermanbury
- St Olave Hart Street churchyard, Seething Lane
- St Paul's churchyard, St Paul's Cathedral
- West Smithfield Garden, West Smithfield
- Whittington Gardens, College Street
There are a number of private gardens and open spaces, often within courtyards of the larger commercial developments. Two of the largest are those of the Inner Temple and Middle Temple Inns of Court, in the far southwest.
The Thames and its riverside walks are increasingly being valued as open space and in recent years efforts have been made to increase the ability for pedestrians to access and walk along the river.
Climate
The nearest weather station has historically been the London Weather Centre at
The city has an
Accordingly, the weather station holds the record for the UK's warmest overnight minimum temperature, 24.0 °C (75.2 °F), recorded on 4 August 1990.[58] The maximum is 37.6 °C (99.7 °F), set on 10 August 2003.[59] The absolute minimum[60] for the weather station is a mere −8.2 °C (17.2 °F), compared to readings around −15.0 °C (5.0 °F) towards the edges of London. Unusually, this temperature was during a windy and snowy cold spell (mid-January 1987), rather than a cold clear night—cold air drainage is arrested due to the vast urban area surrounding the city.
The station holds the record for the highest British mean monthly temperature,[61] 24.5 °C (76.1 °F) (mean maximum 29.2 °C (84.6 °F), mean minimum 19.7 °C (67.5 °F) during July 2006). However, in terms of daytime maximum temperatures, Cambridge NIAB[62] and Botanical Gardens[63] with a mean maximum of 29.1 °C (84.4 °F), and Heathrow[64] with 29.0 °C (84.2 °F) all exceeded this.
Climate data for London Weather Centre 1971–2000, 43 m asl | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8.3 (46.9) |
8.5 (47.3) |
11.1 (52.0) |
13.5 (56.3) |
17.1 (62.8) |
20.0 (68.0) |
22.6 (72.7) |
22.5 (72.5) |
19.3 (66.7) |
15.3 (59.5) |
11.2 (52.2) |
9.1 (48.4) |
14.9 (58.8) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 3.7 (38.7) |
3.4 (38.1) |
5.0 (41.0) |
6.4 (43.5) |
9.4 (48.9) |
12.3 (54.1) |
14.6 (58.3) |
14.7 (58.5) |
12.5 (54.5) |
9.6 (49.3) |
6.2 (43.2) |
4.7 (40.5) |
8.5 (47.4) |
Source: yr.no[65] |
Public services
Police and security
The city is a
Where the majority of British police forces have silver-coloured
The city's position as the United Kingdom's financial centre and a critical part of the country's economy, contributing about 2.5% of the UK's
The area is also spoken of as a possible target for
Fire brigade
The city has fire risks in many historic buildings, including
Power
There is power station located in Charterhouse Street that also provides heat to some of the surrounding buildings.[70]
Demography
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
2021 | 8,600 | +16.6% |
Sources: Office for National Statistics[71] |
The
The city's full-time working residents have much higher gross weekly pay than in London and Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland): £773.30 compared to £598.60 and £491.00 respectively.[74] There is a large inequality of income between genders (£1,085.90 in men compared to £653.50 in women), though this can be explained by job type and length of employment respectively.[74] The 2001 Census showed the city as a unique district amongst 376 districts surveyed in England and Wales.[73] The city had the highest proportional population increase, one-person households, people with qualifications at degree level or higher and the highest indications of overcrowding.[73] It recorded the lowest proportion of households with cars or vans, people who travel to work by car, married couple households and the lowest average household size: just 1.58 people.[73] It also ranked highest within the Greater London area for the percentage of people with no religion and people who are employed.[73]
Ethnicity
Ethnic Group | Year | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1981 estimations[75] | 1991[76] | 2001[77] | 2011[78] | 2021[79] | ||||||
Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
White: Total | 3,732 | 95.5% | 3,840 | 92.7% | 6,075 | 84.6% | 5,799 | 78.5% | 5,955 | 69.4% |
White: British | – | – | – | – | 4,909 | 68.3% | 4,243 | 57.5% | 3,649 | 42.5% |
White: Irish | – | – | – | – | 241 | % | 180 | 2.4% | 185 | 2.2% |
White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller
|
– | – | – | – | 3 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | ||
White: Roma | – | – | 59 | 0.7% | ||||||
White: Other | – | – | – | – | 925 | 12.8% | 1,373 | 18.6% | 2,062 | 24.0% |
Asian or Asian British : Total
|
– | – | 217 | 5.2% | 638 | 8.9% | 940 | 12.5% | 1,445 | 16.7% |
Asian or Asian British: Indian | – | – | 69 | 1.7% | 159 | 2.2 % | 216 | 2.9% | 321 | 3.7% |
Asian or Asian British: Pakistani | – | – | 20 | 0.5% | 23 | 0.3 % | 16 | 0.2% | 33 | 0.4% |
Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi | – | – | 9 | – | 276 | 3.8 % | 232 | 3.1% | 287 | 3.3% |
Asian or Asian British: Chinese | – | – | 56 | 1.3% | 147 | 2 % | 263 | 3.5% | 545 | 6.3% |
Asian or Asian British: Other Asian | – | – | 63 | 1.5% | 33 | % | 213 | 2.8% | 259 | 3.0% |
Black or Black British: Total | – | – | 38 | 0.9% | 184 | 2.6% | 193 | 2.5% | 232 | 2.7% |
Black or Black British: African | – | – | 12 | 0.3% | 117 | 1.6 % | 98 | 1.3% | 153 | 1.8% |
Black or Black British: Caribbean | – | – | 12 | 0.3% | 51 | % | 46 | 0.6% | 54 | 0.6% |
Black or Black British: Other Black | – | – | 14 | 0.3% | 16 | % | 49 | 0.6% | 25 | 0.3% |
Mixed or British Mixed: Total | – | – | – | – | 163 | 2.3% | 289 | 3.8% | 470 | 5.5% |
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean | – | – | – | – | 33 | % | 38 | 0.5% | 53 | 0.6% |
Mixed: White and Black African | – | – | – | – | 16 | % | 37 | 0.5% | 49 | 0.6% |
Mixed: White and Asian | – | – | – | – | 57 | % | 111 | 1.5% | 179 | 2.1% |
Mixed: Other Mixed | – | – | – | – | 57 | % | 103 | 1.3% | 189 | 2.2% |
Other: Total | – | – | 47 | 1.1% | 125 | 1.7% | 154 | 2% | 482 | 5.6% |
Other: Arab | – | – | – | – | 69 | 0.9% | 114 | 1.3% | ||
Other: Any other ethnic group | – | – | 47 | 1.1% | 125 | 1.7 % | 85 | 1.1% | 368 | 4.3% |
Ethnic minority: Total | 177 | 4.5% | 302 | 7.3% | 1,110 | 15.4% | 1,576 | 21.5% | 2,629 | 30.6% |
Total | 3,909 | 100% | 4,142 | 100% | 7,185 | 100% | 7,375 | 100% | 8584 | 100% |
Economy
The City of London vies with New York City's
London's foreign exchange market has been described by Reuters as 'the crown jewel of London's financial sector'.[81] Of the $3.98 trillion daily global turnover, as measured in 2009, trading in London accounted for around $1.85 trillion, or 46.7% of the total.[14] The pound sterling, the currency of the United Kingdom, is globally the fourth-most traded currency[82] and the fourth most held reserve currency.[83]
Canary Wharf, a few miles east of the City in Tower Hamlets, which houses many banks and other institutions formerly located in the Square Mile, has since 1991 become another centre for London's financial services industry. Although growth has continued in both locations,[ambiguous] and there have been relocations in both directions, the Corporation has come to realise that its planning policies may have been causing financial firms to choose Canary Wharf as a location.[citation needed]
In 2022, 12.3% of City of London residents had been granted non-domicile status in order to avoid their paying tax in the UK.[84]
Headquarters
Many major global companies have their headquarters in the city, including
A number of the world's largest law firms are headquartered in the city, including four of the "
Other sectors
Whilst the financial sector, and related businesses and institutions, continue to dominate, the economy is not limited to that sector. The legal profession has a strong presence, especially in the west and north (i.e., towards the
Retail and residential
The trend for purely office development is beginning to reverse as the Corporation encourages residential use, albeit with development occurring when it arises on windfall sites. The city has a target of 90 additional dwellings per year.[92] Some of the extra accommodation is in small pre-World War II listed buildings, which are not suitable for occupation by the large companies which now provide much of the city's employment. Recent residential developments include "the Heron", a high-rise residential building on the Milton Court site adjacent to the Barbican, and the Heron Plaza development on Bishopsgate is also expected to include residential parts.
Since the 1990s, the City has diversified away from near exclusive office use in other ways. For example, several hotels and the first
Landmarks
Historic buildings
Fire, bombing and post-
The Tower of London is not in the city, but is a notable visitor attraction which brings tourists to the southeast of the city. Other landmark buildings with historical significance include the Bank of England, the Old Bailey, the Custom House, Smithfield Market, Leadenhall Market and St Bartholomew's Hospital. Noteworthy contemporary buildings include a number of modern high-rise buildings (see section below) as well as the Lloyd's building.
Skyscrapers and tall buildings
- Completed
A growing number of tall buildings and skyscrapers are principally used by the financial sector. Almost all are situated in the eastern side around
The city's buildings of at least 100 m (328 ft) in height are:
Rank | Name | Completed | Image | Architect | Use | Height to roof | Floors | Location | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
metres | feet | ||||||||
1 | Twentytwo | 2020 | PLP Architects | Office | 278 | 912 | 62 | 22 Bishopsgate | |
2 | Heron Tower | 2010 | Kohn Pedersen Fox | Office | 230 | 754 | 46 | 110 Bishopsgate | |
3 | Leadenhall Building | 2014 | Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners |
Office | 225 | 737 | 48 | 122 Leadenhall Street | |
4 | 8 Bishopsgate | 2022 | WilkinsonEyre | Office | 204 | 669 | 51 | 8 Bishopsgate | |
5 | The Scalpel | 2018 | Kohn Pedersen Fox | Office | 190 | 630 | 39 | 52 Lime Street | |
6 | Tower 42 | 1980 | R Siefert & Partners | Office | 183 | 600 | 47 | 25 Old Broad Street | |
7 | 30 St Mary Axe |
2003 | Foster and Partners | Office | 180 | 590 | 40 | 30 St Mary Axe | |
8 | 100 Bishopsgate | 2019 | Allies and Morrison | Office | 172 | 563 | 40 | 100 Bishopsgate | |
9 | Broadgate Tower | 2008 | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill | Office | 164 | 538 | 35 | 201 Bishopsgate | |
10 | 20 Fenchurch Street | 2014 | Rafael Viñoly | Office | 160 | 525 | 37 | 20 Fenchurch Street | |
11 | 40 Leadenhall Street | 2022 | Make Architects | Office | 154 | 505 | 34 | 40 Leadenhall Street | |
12 | One Bishopsgate Plaza | 2020 | MSMR | Hotel | 135 | 443 | 44 | 150 Bishopsgate | |
13 | CityPoint[A] |
1967 | F. Milton Cashmore and H. N. W. Grosvenor[93] | Office | 127 | 417 | 36 | 1 Ropemaker Street | |
14 | Willis Building | 2007 | Foster and Partners | Office | 125 | 410 | 26 | 51 Lime Street | |
=15 | Cromwell Tower | 1973 | Chamberlin, Powell and Bon | Residential | 123 | 404 | 42 | Barbican Estate | |
=15 | Lauderdale Tower | 1974 | Chamberlin, Powell and Bon | Residential | 123 | 404 | 42 | Barbican Estate | |
=15 | Shakespeare Tower | 1976 | Chamberlin, Powell and Bon | Residential | 123 | 404 | 42 | Barbican Estate | |
18 | St. Helen's |
1969 | GMW Architects | Office | 118 | 387 | 28 | 1 Undershaft | |
19 | The Heron | 2013 | David Walker Architects | Residential | 112 | 367 | 35 | Milton Court | |
20 | St Paul's Cathedral | 1710 | Sir Christopher Wren |
Cathedral | 111 | 365 | n/a | Ludgate Hill | |
21 | 99 Bishopsgate | 1976 | GMW Architects | Office | 104 | 340 | 26 | 99 Bishopsgate | |
22 | One Angel Court | 2017 | Fletcher Priest | Office | 101 | 331 | 24 | 1 Angel Court | |
23 | Stock Exchange Tower | 1970 | Richard Llewelyn-Davies, Baron Llewelyn-Davies, Weeks, Forestier-Walker and Bar | Office | 100 | 328 | 27 | 125 Old Broad Street |
- ^ CityPoint was originally completed in 1967 and named Britannic House standing at 122 m tall, but was refurbished in 2000 and increased to 127 m in height.
- Timeline
The timeline of the tallest building in the city is as follows:
Name |
Years as tallest |
Height to roof (m) |
Height to roof (ft) |
Floors |
---|---|---|---|---|
Twentytwo | 2019–present | 278 | 912 | 62 |
Heron Tower | 2010–2019 | 230 | 754 | 46 |
Tower 42 | 1980–2010 | 183 | 600 | 47 |
CityPoint |
1967–1980 | 122 | 400 | 35 |
St Paul's Cathedral | 1710–1967 | 111 | 365 | n/a |
St Mary-le-Bow | 1683–1710 | 72 | 236 | n/a |
Monument to the Great Fire of London | 1677–1683 | 62 | 202 | n/a |
Old St Paul's Cathedral | 1310–1677 | 150 | 493 | n/a |
Transport
Rail and Tube
The city is well served by the London Underground ("tube") and National Rail networks.
Seven London Underground lines serve the city:[94]
- Aldgate
- Bank and Monument
- Barbican
- Blackfriars
- Cannon Street
- Chancery Lane
- Liverpool Street
- Mansion House
- Moorgate
- St. Paul's
In addition,
The Docklands Light Railway (DLR ) has two termini in the city: Bank and Tower Gateway. The DLR links the City directly to the East End. Destinations include Canary Wharf and London City Airport.[94][95]
The Elizabeth line (constructed by the Crossrail project) runs east–west underneath the City of London. The line serves two stations in the City – Farringdon and Liverpool Street – which additionally serves the Barbican and Moorgate areas. Elizabeth line services link the City directly to destinations such as Canary Wharf, Heathrow Airport, and the M4 Corridor high-technology hub (serving Slough and Reading).[96]
The city is served by a frequent
There are several "
in the city:- London Blackfriars – Thameslink services and some Southeastern services to South East London and Kent.
- London Cannon Street – Southeastern services to South East London and Kent.
- London Fenchurch Street – C2c services along the Thames Estuary towards East London, south Essex, and Southend.
- Enfield, and Cheshunt.
- Moorgate – Great Northern towards Finsbury Park, Enfield, and other destinations in North London and Hertfordshire, including Hertford and Welwyn Garden City.
All stations in the city are in
Road
The national
Cycling
Cycling infrastructure in the city is maintained by the City of London Corporation and Transport for London (TfL).[101]
- Cycle Superhighway 1 runs from Tottenham to the city. It is a signposted cycle route, passing through Stoke Newington and Hackney before entering the City south of Old Street.
- Cycle Superhighway 2 runs from Stratford to the city, via Bow, Mile End, and Whitechapel. The route enters the city near Aldgate. The route runs primarily on segregated cycle track.
- bike freeway through the city. The route runs along the southern rim of the city, following the route of the Thames. Eastbound, Cycleway 3 provides cyclists with a direct, signposted cycle link to Shadwell, Poplar and Canary Wharf, and Barking. The route runs Westbound on traffic-free track to Lancaster Gate via Parliament Square, Buckingham Palace, and Hyde Park.
- King's Cross, and Kentish Town. The route southbound carries cyclists to Elephant and Castle.
- Cycle Superhighway 7 begins in the City at an interchange with Cycleway 3. It leaves the City over Southwark Bridge and provides cyclists with an unbroken, signposted route to Colliers Wood via Elephant and Castle, Clapham, and Tooting, amongst other destinations.
- Quietway 11 is a northbound continuation of Cycleway 7. It is a signposted cycle route which runs from Southwark Bridge to Hoxton, via the Barbican and Moorgate.
The Sandander Cycles and Beryl bike sharing systems operate in the City of London.[101][102]
River
One
There is a public riverside walk along the river bank, part of the Thames Path, which opened in stages – the route within the city was completed by the opening of a stretch at Queenhithe in 2023.[104] The walk along Walbrook Wharf is closed to pedestrians when waste is being transferred onto barges.
Travel to work (by residents)
According to a survey conducted in March 2011, the methods by which employed residents 16–74 get to work varied widely: 48.4% go on foot; 19.5% via light rail, (i.e. the Underground, DLR, etc.); 9.2% work mainly from home; 5.8% take the train; 5.6% travel by bus, minibus, or coach; and 5.3% go by bicycle; with just 3.4% commuting by car or van, as driver or passenger.[105]
Education
The city is home to a number of higher education institutions including: the
The city has only one directly maintained primary school, The Aldgate School (formerly Sir John Cass's Foundation Primary School) at Aldgate[106] (ages 4 to 11). It is a Voluntary-Aided (VA) Church of England school, maintained by the Education Service of the City of London.
City residents send their children to schools in neighbouring
.The City controls three independent schools, City of London School (a boys' school) and City of London School for Girls in the city, and the City of London Freemen's School (co-educational day and boarding) in Ashtead, Surrey. The City of London School for Girls and City of London Freemen's School have their own preparatory departments for entrance at age seven. It is the principal sponsor of The City Academy, Hackney, City of London Academy Islington, and City of London Academy, Southwark.[107]
Public libraries
Libraries operated by the Corporation include three lending libraries; Barbican Library, Shoe Lane Library and Artizan Street Library and Community Centre. Membership is open to all – with one official proof of address required to join.
Guildhall Library, and City Business Library are also public reference libraries, specialising in the history of London and business reference resources.[108]
Money Laundering
The City of London's role in illicit financial activity such as money laundering has earned the financial hub sobriquets like ‘The Laundromat’ and ‘Londongrad.’[109]
London’s role as the world’s dirty money clearing house is well-documented but efforts are being made to clean up through legislation, e.g. authorising unexplained wealth orders. High-value properties are sought after by criminals and money launderers legitimising their gains by investing in the city’s prestigious real estate.[110][111][112]
See also
- City of London Corporation
- City of London School
- City of London Freemen's School
- List of churches in the City of London
- List of areas of London
- Londinium
- Street names of the City of London
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Further reading
- Richard Tames. City of London Past, London: Historical Publications, 1995. ISBN 978-0-94866-731-2
Notes
- ^ The City of London is a sui generis unit of local government, referred by the Ordnance Survey as the City and County of the City of London[1] to distinguish it as such on their mapping and in their datasets.