City of London Tour

1. Outside Tower Hill Underground• On exiting Tower Hill underground , turn left, then left again where you will find

giant sundial and viewing platform. Tower of London views.• City of London was founded in the 1st century AD as a Roman trading post. City of

London completely walled. Present day, the city is a very important financial and commercial institution known world wide.

• It was once a living city and you can see constant reminders that it was lived in.• During week it is a busy financial and commercial hub, but at weekends the area is

almost deserted.• Ahead of you is Tower of London it was founded as Royal Palace after 1066

invasion. It is a fine example of a Medieval castle but not it is not strictly in the City of London.

• To your left you can see the old Roman walls that mark the old walls of the city. • The White Tower is the central dome and dates from 11th century. In the 12th

century saw expansion of the tower and moat. In the 13 th century the palace was transformed the palace with concentric rings. Last expansion was in 15 th century. Most famously it is used as a royal treasury for the Crown Jewels.. Many people have been executed here, including 2 of Henry 8th wives.

• Trinitiy Square Gardens is on your right which was sight of many executions.• Church of All Hallows is just beyond Trinity Square Gardens on the far side of main.

This was originally one of many parish churches in the City of London.• Exit sundial platform to your right and head towards main road, turn right and cross

road via pedestrian crossing. Walk along pedestrian area just past main ticket booth to the Tower of London and Tower welcome tower on your right.

• Small round building This was owned by London Hydraulic Tower company 1868 marks small tunnel under the Thames but the idea never caught on. The tunnel still exists as a service tunnel for electrical wiring

• Continue on to the River Thames.

2. North Bank of River Thames• Look along river to your left you will see tower bridge.

This was built in 1894 by Horace Jones. This bridge can be opened hydraulically. 2 positions fully open and partially open. In the past it was opened over 50 times a day.

• A high level walk way can be used for Londoners to cross when Bridge is open.

• Ahead of you on South Bank is HMS Belfast naval cruiser built 1938 in WW2 and Korean War. As part of imperial War museum is popular in own right.

• Start walking to right along pathway along the river heading for point 3 just before London Bridge.

• You will pass by Billings Gate market building famous for fish market and fish sculptures on weather veins. On site for nearly 700 years. Moved in 1982. Fish juices seeped into the cobbles and people thought they could smell fish.

• Head along the river to just before London Bridge to a church set back from the river on your right

3. London Bridge• There have been several versions of London

Bridge latest completed in 1970’s. • The most famous London Bridge, that

existed in Elizabethan times that houses and shops built on top of bridge and features in many paintings.

• The church to the right is St Magnus the Martar designed by Sir Christopher Wren, just behind it is first glimpse of stone columns celebrating the Great Fire of London in 1666, it has large golden statue at top. This was also designed by Sir Christopher Wren

• Now make way around right hand side of church, when you reach main road head for main entrance porch of the church.

4. Church of St Magnus the Martar• Outside of the church is fairly plain

and austere. If the church is open it is worth looking inside.

• The church yard formed part of main roadway to London Bridge. As you stand in front of door. Look to your left old piece of wood ad 75 and formed part of Roman Wharf in River Thames.

• Head to main road on over Thames Street and cross using crossing to Pudding Lane you will pedestrian walkway crossing the road above. Head to half way along Pudding Lane.

5. Pudding Lane and Monument Street• Pudding Lane is place where Great Fire

of London started in 1666 and started in a bakers shop and destroyed large parts of city. You will see plaque where it started. You can see monument on your left by Sir Christopher Wren to commemorate those who perished in the fire and to give hope to residents that the city would rise again. It is the tallest single column structure in the world, you can climb the 311 steps to the top of the tower.

• Walk up Fish Street Hill away from the River to junction of Grace Church Street across Eastcheap. Continue walking along right of Grace Church Street. At entrance to Lendenhall Market by a pub called the New Moon

6. New Moon Pub• The scene in front of you may be familiar, it is regularly used as film set. It has

been used in the Harry Potter Films.• Market built in late 19th century as a wholesale market.• Most of the market is now boutiques, bars and restaurants. If you look up you

may see several silver dragons the symbols of London. You may spot the city coat of arms.

• Carry on through the market. As you leave look up at the archway - you will see Latin motto translated - God Guide Us.

• Continue ahead to Leadenhall Place and Lime street.

7. Corner of Leadenhall Place and Lime Street

• The Silver Grey building on your left is Lloyds of London, home of famous insurance brokers. It has its routes in 17th Century as insurers of ship and cargo. Lloyds of London will provide any insurance apart from Life Insurance. Present building built in 1980s.

• Head left to the end of Lime Street at end of Leadenhall Street. Head for the road opposite, St Mary Axe. You will pass St Andrews Undershaft, a pre-fire church and tiny, delightful garden. Continue down St. Mary Axe until you reach the Swiss Re Building.

8. Swiss Re Building• Standing at 600 ft. tall and completed in 2003,

the Swiss Re building, also known as the Gherkin, was a building proposed by architect Norman Foster. When it was first proposed, the Gherkin caused controversy but everyone has now accepted it as an integral part of the capital.

• The building used 24,000 square metres of glass and each window is unique due to the buildings bulbous, spiralling shape. The Gherkin is the second highest skyscraper in London, the highest being Tower 42 which will be seen later on the tour. (Right, Below)

• Turn with your back facing the Swiss Re Building and head down on the right side of the street past St. Helens Church. Once past the church, keep going straight on through Great St. Helens Square and pass under the archway to audio point 9 on Bishop’s Gate.

9. Threadneedle Street• To continue the tour, head to the left

and take the first road on the right down Threadneedle Street. This is one of the most famous streets in the city, being home to the bank of England. To the right is Tower 42, the highest building in London.

• The next stop is at the busy junction at the end of the street, in front of a large columned building called the Royal exchange. This is audio point 10.

10. The Royal Exchange• Built in 1844, the royal exchange is the third building on site. The

1st building was built in 1570 by Thomas Gresham who envisioned a covered market place in the city. It was destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666. The 2nd building was also burnt in 1838. The present building is now occupied by luxury stores and restaurants.

• With your back to the royal exchange, the building to the right is the Bank of England, known as the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street. The suggestion for the reason of this name is that a female ghost haunts the Gardens. Just ahead of you is a Statue of Wellington, built by Frances Leggett Tantry in 1844. It is cast in metal made of French guns captured in the war that had bee melted down.

• To the left is Mansion house, the official residence of the Lord Mayor of London. The building was completed in 1753 and it is the only private residence in England that has it’s own Court of Justice.

• Head right, crossing Threadneedle Street. At the other side of the road, turn left and cross Prince’s Street and then head down the next street called Poultry. Keep on the right until you come to Audio Point 11, at the corner of King’s Street which is the 4th turning on the right.

11. King’s Street• Before you turn into King’s Street, you

will notice a large church on the left side of Poultry. This is the church of St. Mary Le Bow, famous for it’s Bow Bells. According to legend, only those born within the sound of the Bow Bells may refer to themselves as Cockney.

• As you turn into King’s Street, you shall see ahead of you the London Guild Hall which is effectively Town Hall.

• Walk down King’s Street and continue to Audio Point 12, on the square facing the Guild Hall.

12. Guild Hall• The Guild Hall has been described as one of London's

undiscovered secrets due to it’s stunning interior. The beautifully decorated walls date f4rom around the 1400s, well before the Great Fire of London. Although damaged in the flames, The Guild Hall survived with damage only being done to the roof, which was renovated in the 1940s.

• Underneath the Guild Hall are Medieval Crypts. It was also the site of a large Roman Amphitheatre. You will notice on the ground in front of the Hall an oval outline made of grey blue slate. This represents the exact outline of the Amphitheatre that stood here some 2000 years ago.

• To continue your walk, you need to head to your left as you face the guild hall, heading under the buildings with the entrance to the guild hall on your right and out onto Gresham Street. Continue down Gresham Street to the corner of Noble Street which is the 4th turning on the right.

13. Noble Street• On the corner of Greysham Street and Noble Street,

the Church of St.Anne and St.Agnes will be opposite.• You now need to walk along Noble Street to where it

meets a street called London Wall. The name relates to the old Roman wall that used to encircle the city. On the left side of Noble street there is a section of the ancient wall to serve as a reminder to London's roman roots.

• Audio point 14 is at the end of Noble Street on the left hand side.

14. London Museum• On the corner of noble Street and London Wall, you

should be right by the entrance to the London Museum. The museum represents 250,000 years worth of history and there is over a million items stored here. It is also Europe's biggest archaeological archive.

• To continue your Tour, head left along Alder’s Gate Street. As the road bares left, cross it using a pedestrian crossing opposite a green building. Just to the right of this building is a small street called Little Britain while on the left is the entrance to Postman's Park and Audio Point 15.

15. Postman’s Park• You should now be at the entrance of

Postman's Park, a little known but very pleasant green space. The most obvious feature of the park is the commemorative wall to the right as you walk through. On this wall, you will see many plaques commemorating ordinary people who lost their lives trying to save others. The project was the idea of a 19th Century painter called G. F. Watts. He wanted to created a tribute to ordinary people who would have otherwise been forgotten after their deaths.

• To get to Audio Point 16, continue through the park and out onto King Edward Street.

16. Old Post Office Building• On King Edward Street, almost opposite and

slightly to the left is the Old Post Office Building which was the headquarters of Royal Mail. Further along to the left is a statue that commemorates the life of Rowland Hill who started the world’s first pre-paid postage system here in Britain. As the first nation to adopt this system, Britain assumed the right to not print the country of origin on the stamps. To this day, British stamps only have a silhouette of the reigning monarch and the price of the stamp on them.

• To continue your tour, head left to the end of Kind Edward Street. Opposite, you shall see an alleyway leading to St. Paul's Cathedral. To reach it, cross Newgate Street using the pedestrian crossing. Just before you reach the end of the alleyway, turn right and you will find yourself at Audio Point 17 in Paternoster Square.

17. Paternoster Square and Temple Bar• Although it has a modern appearance, Paternoster Square has

been around for several hundred years. The development you see before you was mainly built in the 1990s to provide office space in the shadow of St. Pauls. The square offers fantastic views of St. Pauls Cathedral. The statue of the Shepard and Sheep is named Paternoster, meaning ‘our father’ and is by Elizabeth Frink.

• To continue, you need to head diagonally left across the square where you will see an archway. This archway is known as Temple Bar which once formed the entrance to the city on the western side. It dates from 1672 and is thought to have been designed by Sir Christopher Wren.

• The Archway was often central to ceremonies and processions and it also had a gory side, being the place where traitors heads were traditionally displayed after they had been executed.

• The Temple Bar was not always as it is now. It was removed to to safety reasons with traffic and was nearly forgotten about. It was only brought back here in 2004, after 20 years of campaigning for it’s return.

• To continue your tour, you need to proceed through the arch, and head right to Audio Point 18, in front of the famous western transept of St. Pauls Cathedral.

18. St. Pauls Cathedral • The western transept of St. Pauls Cathedral is considered the

traditional view of this magnificent building. The city has had a cathedral dedicated to St. Paul since 604 AD. A total of four cathedrals have previously occupied this site before the present day cathedral. The current cathedral, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, was built between 1675 and 1710. It is 365 feet tall and is the cathedral for the capital city. Many historical and important events have taken place here, including the funeral of Winston Churchill, the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana and the peace ceremonies that marked the end of WW1 and WW2.

• The cathedral own literature describes it as a heritage site of international importance, a symbol of the city and the nation it serves and above all, a lasting monument to the glory of God.

• To continue your tour, you need to walk around St. Pauls to it’s southern side. Here, cross the road, turn left and then almost immediately turn right where you’ll see a sign for the Millennium bridge. Continue to Audio Point 19 at the northern end of the Millennium Bridge.

19. Millennium Bridge• This bridge was opened by the Queen in June 2000, the first

Thames crossing in London for more than 100 years. It was designed by the architect, Sir Norman Foster.

• The bridge also featured in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. The sequence lasted only 3 minutes but it took a year to digitally create it. The bridge is destroyed by death eaters in that scene.

• The bridge was almost consigned to history on it’s very first day after it started to wobble violently as 1000s of people crossed it for the 1st time. The design faults were quickly amended and it is now a much loved feature of London and an important crossing point over the River Thames.

• From the bridge, you will be able to see the Tate Modern Gallery, the large red brick building, to the right as look over the river. To the left of the Tate is the Globe Theatre, a faithful representation of the circular, open air theatre where William Shakespeare once worked.