Guildhall

Bang in the centre of the Square Mile, the Guildhall has been the City’s seat of government for nearly 800 years. The present building dates from the early 15th century, making it the only secular stone structure to have survived the Great Fire of 1666, although it was severely damaged both then and during the Blitz of 1940. Most visitors’ first port of call is the impressive Great Hall, where you can see the banners and shields of London’s 12 guilds (principal livery companies), which used to wield absolute power throughout the City. The lord mayor and sheriffs are still elected annually in the vast open hall, with its chunky chandeliers and its church-style monuments. It is often closed for various other formal functions, so it’s best to ring ahead. Meetings of the Common Council are held here on the third Thursday of each month (except August) at 1pm, and the Guildhall hosts the awards dinner for the Man Booker Prize, the leading British literary award. Among the monuments to look out for (if the hall is open) are statues of Winston Churchill, Admiral Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and the two prime ministers Pitt the Elder and Younger. In the minstrels’ gallery at the western end are statues of the biblical giants Gog and Magog, traditionally considered to be guardians of the City; today’s figures replaced similar 18th-century statues destroyed in the Blitz. The Guildhall’s stained glass was also blown out during the Blitz but a modern window in the southwestern corner depicts the city’s history; look out for a picture of London’s first lord mayor, Richard ‘Dick’ Whittington, and his famous cat. Beneath the Great Hall is London’s largest medieval crypt, with 19 stained-glass windows showing the livery companies’ coats of arms. The crypt can be seen only as part of a free guided tour. The buildings to the west house Corporation of London offices and the Guildhall Library, founded in about 1420 under the terms of Dick Whittington’s will. It is divided into three sections for research: printed books; manuscripts; and prints, maps and drawings. Also here is the Clockmakers’ Museum, which has a collection of more than 700 clocks and watches dating back some 500 years. The clock museum sometimes closes for an hour or two on Monday to wind the clocks.