The City of London

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The City of London

 

London was born almost 2,000 years ago, when the Romans set up a trading post on the banks of the River Thames in 47 AD. They called it Londinium, and the wall that they built around their town corresponds roughly with the boundary of the City of London today. It borders Westminster to the west, Tower Hamlets to the east, Camden, Islington and Hackney to the north, and the River Thames to the south.

The area covers just one square mile and has a population of less than 8,000, far fewer than any other borough in London. In fact, it’s not even a borough, but a city in its own right and is administered by the City of London Corporation. It may be small in size and population, but it has always been one of the most important and influential areas of the city.

After the Romans left, the Anglo Saxons created their own community just to the west of the wall and the former Roman town became virtually uninhabited. However, the location of old Londinium still had its advantages for trading. The Thames being tidal, meant that boats could come up this far, and yet it was still narrow enough to be bridged.

St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
Monument to the Great Fire of London lost amongst the skyscrapers
Monument to the Great Fire of London lost amongst the skyscrapers

From Alfred the Great’s resettlement in the 9th century, right up to the modern day, trading has always played an important part in the City of London’s history.

The Great Fire of London in 1666 swept away the medieval streets and alleyways, and in its place came the Royal Exchange, Bank of England and insurance giants like Lloyds of London.

The ships have also gone and in their place we now have modern buildings, such as the ‘Gherkin’, ‘Cheesegrater’ and ‘Walkie Talkie’ which entice an army of 300,000 people to swarm into ‘The City’ everyday to work in either the financial institutions or offices of the legal profession. Today, the City of London and the financial institutions of Canary Wharf have made London one of the world’s most important financial centres.

For visitors, the Square Mile as it’s sometimes called, doesn’t have as many historical attractions as Westminster, partly because of the Great Fire, and also because it was heavily bombed during the Blitz. St Paul’s Cathedral is the notable exception, quite possibly because it’s been said that it was used as a marker by the Luftwaffe.

The main thing to remember is that The City is primarily an area of finance where fortunes are made and lost. Pubs are often frequented by ‘City Gents’ and you’ll find yourself rubbing shoulders with people in suits and designer clothes, which will help to explain why prices are generally higher here. That said, you can also find hotel accommodation cheaper on a weekend, but it’s worth bearing in mind that when the financiers and legal eagles return home to suburbia for the weekend, The City changes to a tranquil place, with most offices, shops, and pubs closing up until Monday morning when the whole mad rush starts up all over again.

London Bridge, site of the first river crossing
The old Billingsgate Fish Market
The old Billingsgate Fish Market

ORIGINAL POST – SEPTEMBER 2017

LATEST UPDATE – SEPTEMBER 2021

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Originally posted 2021-09-03 14:08:52.

23 thoughts on “The City of London”

    1. Easymalc Post author

      This was my first post on London (and one of the first blogs I did) so I’m not surprised that you didn’t see it.

      I try to keep my blogs updated from time to time, but I thought that I would republish this one to see if it reached a new audience. I haven’t changed it much from the original to be honest, but there were a few technical changes I made.

      Why I’m telling you all this is because there were some technical hitches but I’ll probably republish more posts in the future. If ever you think of doing the same you may come across the same problems but I think it’s probably still worth doing.

      Reply ↓
    1. Easymalc Post author

      I’m glad it’s brought back some memories Luisa. This is actually an update of an early post so there may well be some more updates about London to come. Unfortunately republishing these posts doesn’t work well with WordPress Reader and they need to be viewed on the website directly. It looks like you’ve already sussed that though 🙂

      Reply ↓
  4. equipsblog

    Since I am a more recent reader, I ‘m glad you updated this posting. I’ve been a London and Anglophile since elementary school.. Visited England once for two weeks. Decades overdue to do it again. Lovely write-up. (And obviously you’ve kept up with it for four years now. 😉

    Reply ↓
    1. Easymalc Post author

      I do try and keep things updated Pat, but I’m just trying to find a way of updating and republishing without losing the stats and comments etc. so I’m glad you’ve commented as it proves I’ve found a way. Thank you 🙂

      Reply ↓
    1. Malcolm Post author

      Only time will tell if it works or not Don but I’m looking forward to the challenge. Thanks for your encouragement

      Reply ↓
        1. Malcolm Post author

          Thanks Albert, You’ll be glad to know that I’ve just this minute booked a hotel in The City for 6th January 🙂

          Reply ↓

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