Guidhall
For over 800 years Guildhall has been London's power house. This was where the Lord Mayor of London and the ruling merchant classes held court. Today, Guildhall is frequently the venue for glittering receptions and banquets for royal events, heads of state, and other dignitaries. They could hardly hope for a more impressive venue than this ancient hall with its beautiful stained glass windows.
The present Guildhall was begun in 1411. It survived both the Great Fire of London and the Blitz and it is the only secular stone structure dating from before 1666 still standing in the City.
Guildhall Art Gallery
The City of London has been collecting works of art since the seventeenth century and its collection now numbers around 4,000 items depicting a wide range of subjects from naval battles to kings and queens, period views of historic London and a good collection of Victorian art, including the Pre-Raphaelites. It's a great place for history buffs.
The gallery building is fairly new, the interior is designed around Britain´s largest independent oil painting, a battle scene, by John Singleton Copley, which spans two floors. Collections on display are mostly British, including Victorian art and sculpture .
The original gallery was built in 1885 to house paintings and sculpture belonging to the Corporation of London. The present gallery, which is right next to Guildhall, opened in 1999.
The Roman Ampitheatre (Colosseum)
Guildhall was built on the site of London's Roman amphitheatre which dates from AD70. It was used for animal fights. executions, and gladiator games as well as for religious activities.
The Romans left in the 4th century and the amphitheatre lay derelict for centuries. In the 11th century the area was reoccupied and by the 12th century the first Guildhall was built next to the amphitheatre Its remains are housed in the basement of the Guildhall/Art Gallery complex. It was discovered only in 1988 when work began on the new art gallery and is now a protected monument. It is under the Guildhall Art Gallery. Go down to the basement and you can see a section that was the entranceway.
Guildhall Yard
A tranquil and historic square in the middle of the City. There are regular music events throughout the year. A great place to relax over your lunchtime sandwich.
Guildhall and the Art Gallery are open free of charge to the public. The exceptions are when the Guildhall it is being used for events.
How to get to Guildhall.
The Guildhall complex is off Gresham and Basinghall streets. The nearest London Underground stations are Bank, St Paul's and Moorgate.
Related articles:
City of London - Financial Centre of Britain
London - Visit Bank of England and Museum
Cathy Smith - I have Miss McGinn to thank for my becoming a writer. I was in her class for only two years from age nine to eleven. In what we called ...
Join the Conversation