Our London private tours can take you all over this vast and historic capital city, exploring its many great attractions, from grand buildings to sites where history was made and famous people lived. However, it is also possible to see a huge wealth of things in the actual City of London itself.
This area is colloquially known as the ‘Square Mile’, but it is in fact a tiny bit larger than that, at 1.12 square miles to be precise. Nonetheless, a lot is crammed into this area, not just in terms of its buildings or the important things that happen, but also a deep and rich history that dates back to the very beginnings of London itself.
Indeed, the area today has a unique status that suggests either something unusual or just very special has taken shape here, things that beg some interesting questions:
· Why is it administered separately from the 32 London Boroughs?
· Why is there a Lord Mayor of London who isn’t the same person as the mayor of Greater London?
· What is the London Wall About?
· How did this area become one of the world’s great financial centres?
There is much to discover about the City of London that answers all these questions, much of which can be illuminated by a private tour around the district.
When Was The City Of London Founded?
The City of London today is largely the same area where London was founded as Londinium by the Romans in about 50 AD. The tidal Thames was an ideal location for a port. Among the major events of the early years was the attack by the Iceni tribe, led by Queen Boudica in 60 AD, which sacked the city.
Unlike Colchester, which was also sacked, a rebuilt Londonium did not immediately gain a wall. This followed much later, around 190-225 AD. The partially-ruined wall can be seen today and followed across the City, although it was later repaired and rebuilt in places by the Saxons and Normans.
What Can You See Of Roman London?
There is plenty to see of Roman London in the City. Among the best attractions are:
· Billingsgate Bath House
· The Roman Amphitheatre below the London Guildhall complex
· The Roman Basilica
The Roman occupation of Britain ended in 410, but the City did not fall into ruin. Instead, it remained a significant port. But, by late Saxon times, nearby Westminster had been established as an equally, if not more important, location, with the establishment of the Abbey making it an ecclesiastical seat of influence close to the economic centre.
This was extended further by the Normans, with the Palace of Westminster and royal residences making it a political seat of power as well.
What Is The Lord Mayor’s Show All About?
A curious effect this had on London that lives on to this day concerns the Lord Mayor of the City. When various barons got together and forced King John to sign the Magna Carta in 1215, limiting the King’s power and granting various rights, one of the provisions was that London should always be allowed to elect its own Lord Mayor.
This is one of the very few provisions of the Magna Carta that still remains in law and one element of it is that the office of mayor is permitted as long as the office holder makes an annual trip upriver to Westminster, to pledge loyalty to the monarch.
This event, known as the Lord Mayor’s Show, is a grand parade and well worth seeing every November.
How And When Did The City Become A Huge Financial Centre?
Part of the Mayor’s role was to run the City’s financial district, with its own police force. Down the centuries, the commercial hub became a financial one, with the formation of the Bank of England in 1696 confirming the City’s place as the economic centre point of the country. Two years later, the nearby London Stock Exchange was founded.
The Bank is based on Threadneedle Street and has its own museum.
While the financial status of the City has long been established, the architecturally eclectic skyscrapers are a relatively new feature, none being built before the late 20th century.
Other great sights in the City include Christopher Wren’s monument to the Great Fire of London in 1666, as well as many buildings he designed afterwards. The most notable is St Paul’s Cathedral with its grand dome, one of 51 churches he designed in the City. Some of these are fine architectural treasures.
Local planning rules restrict some developments to prevent the view of St Paul’s from being obscured by new developments.
The City of London is a very small place, but it is the oldest and perhaps most significant part of London, with a rich history and an ongoing importance that vastly outstrips its tiny size and population.
