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The Guildhall

The Guildhall in Gresham Street has been the centre of government for the City of London for over a thousand years. London was granted a charter of self government by William the Conqueror, and the Corporation of the City of London dates back to this time. Note that the City of London denotes the area that once lay within the old city walls. This area is sometimes known as the Square Mile.

The present Guildhall is the only non-religious building in the City to date from before the Great Fire of 1666. It was built between 1411 and 1439, and parts of it may date back to the thirteenth century. The west crypt is thought to be the oldest part of the building. This site was an also important meeting place in Roman times. Excavations have found the remains of a Roman amphitheatre underneath Guildhall Yard.

Government business is still carried out here. The election of the Lord Mayor of London, the ceremonial head of the City of London, takes place every year an event that dates from the charter granted to the city in 1215 by King John. This charter was granted in the same year as the famous Magna Carta, and the Guildhall as headquarters of the elective government of London represents a milestone in democratic government in Britain. The election of the Lord Mayor is always followed by the Lord Mayor's Show, an event that has continued almost continuously since 1215. For centuries the procession floated down the Thames, which gave rise to the term floats for the mobile displays that drive slowly down roads in processions today. In 1757 a drunken flower girl knocked the Lord Mayor off his horse, and ever since he has ridden in a extravagant coach, which when not being used in the Show can be seen at the Museum of London. Every year in November the Lord Mayor's procession sets off from the Guildhall and ends at the Courts of Justice, where the Mayor swears allegiance to the sovereign. The ceremony seems to demonstrate deference to the crown, when in fact the event came out of King John's insecurity following the concessions wrung out of him in 1215. A ceremony of allegiance to the crown is an echo of the first stirrings of democracy.

For more details on the Lord Mayor' Show see the web site: www.lordmayorsshow.org

Opening Times: The Guildhall is open to the public when it is not being used. Opening times vary, please ring prior to your visit to check. Building work is taking place as of January 2008 so opening times are limited at present.

Directions: TheGuildhall is in Grecian Streetin the City of London. Click here for an interactive map centred on the Guildhall.

Access: access for wheel chair users is good, and adapted toilet facilities are available. Induction loops are available in all the major function rooms, except the crypt.

Contact:

phone: 020 7606 3030