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Finsbury Square

Cheapside · 0.6 miles

A public green of about 0.7 hectare lies on the east side of City Road, opposite Bunhill Fields, and is managed by Islington Council. The square incorporates a six-rink grass bowling green and an underground NCP car park, with two former petrol-station sites now used for surface parking. It is served by bus routes 21, 43, 141 and 214 and sits roughly 200 m north of Moorgate station, 300 m north-west of Liverpool Street station and 400 m south of Old Street station, making it easily reachable on foot or by public transport. An occasional farmers’ market is held on the site, and entry to the green is free. Originally laid out in 1777 as a planned quadrangle of terraced town houses surrounding a central garden, the area was previously part of the open Finsbury Fields in the parish of St Luke’s. From the late-19th century the residential buildings were replaced by larger commercial premises. Throughout its history the square has hosted a range of occupants, including the Temple of the Muses, James Lackington’s bookshop and the early home of the rabbinical seminary that later became the London School of Jewish Studies (1855–81). In the early 20th century the City of London Yeomanry were based at 39 Finsbury Square, a site now occupied by City Gate House. Today the western side contains a 150 000 sq ft office block used by the London Metal Exchange, while the north side is dominated by Triton Court and Royal London House, the latter now operating as The Montcalm Hotel. The east side houses the University of Liverpool’s London campus and Grant Thornton’s offices. The square continues to function as an open space within a dense commercial district, offering both recreational facilities and easy access to surrounding transport links.

Rivington Place

Shoreditch · 0.6 miles

Rivington Place is a purpose-built international visual arts centre in Shoreditch, London.

St Mary Aldermanbury

Barbican · 0.6 miles

The ruined walls of St Mary, the Virgin, Aldermanbury lie at the junction of Aldermanbury and Love Lanes, a short walk from the Guildhall and the Barbican area of the City of London. The site is presented as a small garden, its perimeter marked by a large stone indicating the former altar position, and it is listed as a Grade II building. Visitors can see the surviving stonework, a memorial plaque placed by Westminster College, a bust of Shakespeare commemorating Henry Condell and John Heminges, and Edwina Sandys’ sculpture *Breakthrough* nearby. The garden is publicly accessible and forms part of the historic streetscape of the City. Established in the early 12th century and first recorded in 1181, the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and rebuilt in Portland stone to a design by Christopher Wren. A second destruction occurred on 29 December 1940 during the Blitz, after which only the gutted walls remained. In 1966 the surviving stones were dismantled, numbered and shipped to Fulton, Missouri, where they were reconstructed on the campus of Westminster College as part of the National Churchill Museum. The London footprint, retaining some original stones, was refurbished in 2024 with assistance from the college. As a historic ruin set within a landscaped park, the site offers a tangible link to medieval parish life, Wren’s post-Fire architecture and the later trans-Atlantic commemoration of Winston Churchill’s legacy.

Guildhall

Barbican · 0.6 miles

Located off Gresham and Basinghall streets in the City of London, the Guildhall occupies a site that has hosted civic activity since at least the early 12th century, with documentary references dating to 1127-28. The present structure, whose construction began in 1411 and was completed in 1440, incorporates a medieval great hall and sits above the remains of the London Roman Amphitheatre, the largest known in Roman Britain. Partial remains of the amphitheatre are displayed in the basement of the Guildhall Art Gallery, while the courtyard’s paving marks the arena’s outline with a black circle. The building has survived the Great Fire of 1666, a wartime fire-raid in 1940, and subsequent restorations, and it remains a Grade I-listed landmark. Today the Guildhall serves as the ceremonial and administrative centre of the City of London Corporation, which operates the site. Modern extensions house the corporation’s offices, while the historic core is used for official functions and is opened to the public during the annual London Open House weekend. Visitors can view the great hall, the wooden statues of the legendary giants Gog and Magog (re-carved in 1953), and the Guildhall Art Gallery, added in the 1990s. The adjacent Guildhall Library offers specialist reference material on London from the 11th century onward. Access is via the Barbican area, and the landmark is identified on maps as a City of London Corporation-operated attraction.

Guildhall

Barbican · 0.6 miles

A historic municipal building stands off Gresham and Basinghall streets, straddling the City of London wards of Bassishaw and Cheap. Operated by the City of London Corporation, the structure dates from 1411 and is listed at Grade I by Historic England. The site has hosted civic functions for several centuries and continues as the ceremonial and administrative centre of the City, distinct from the modern City Hall in Canning Town. Archaeological evidence shows that a Roman amphitheatre once occupied the ground, with partial remains displayed in the basement of the Guildhall Art Gallery and the arena’s outline marked on the courtyard paving. Visitors can view the medieval Great Hall, the principal room that survived the Great Fire of 1666 and later restorations, as well as the statues of the legendary giants Gog and Magog, whose current wooden forms were installed in 1953. The complex also includes the Guildhall Art Gallery, added in the 1990s, and the Guildhall Library, a public reference facility holding specialist collections dating from the 11th century. Modern extensions – the North Wing (1955-58) and the West Wing (1970-75, Grade II listed) – flank the historic core and house the Corporation’s offices. The building is accessible to the public during the annual London Open House weekend, and the courtyard provides a clear view of the Roman amphitheatre’s layout. The nearest landmark is the Barbican area, and the heritage status is confirmed by Historic England.

Guildhall Art Gallery

Barbican · 0.6 miles

The Guildhall Art Gallery presents the City of London’s historic art collection within a stone structure that echoes the semi-Gothic aesthetic of the adjoining Guildhall. Situated in the Moorgate district, the building is linked internally to the medieval hall and lies close to the Barbican area of the City. Its external form was intended to complement the older civic complex while providing a contemporary setting for the artworks. The collection traces its origins to portrait commissions begun in 1670, expanding over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries through gifts and bequests. A significant enrichment arrived in 1902 when the businessman and collector Charles Gassiot donated more than a hundred Victorian-era paintings, including works by Clarkson Stanfield, David Roberts, John Everett Millais, William Dyce and James Tissot. The original purpose-built gallery, completed in 1885, was destroyed during the Blitz in 1941, resulting in the loss of numerous pieces. After a redevelopment decision in 1985, a new post-modern building designed by architect Richard Gilbert Scott opened in 1999, intended to accommodate around 4,000 items. A prominent feature in the entrance hall is John Singleton Copley’s large canvas “The Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar”. The basement houses in-situ remains of London’s Roman amphitheatre, displayed for visitors. Operated by the City of London Corporation, the gallery offers free admission and publishes its opening times on the official listing. Access is straightforward from Moorgate, with the venue forming part of the broader Guildhall complex.