If you’re travelling to London on business, the chances are you’ll find yourself in the City of London at some point. Here are a few interesting facts about London’s primary financial district to impress your colleagues with:
- 400,000 people are employed in the City of London – explains why Liverpool Street Station is so manic at rush hour!
- There’s never been a ‘road’ in the City, until 1994 when Goswell Road was named. Until then there had only been lanes, streets and ways. Public paths weren't referred to as roads until late in the 16th century.
- The Bank of England’s basements, vaults and cellars are said to give the building the same space as that of Tower 42, one of London’s tallest buildings.
- Fancy a tipple before work? The Fox and Anchor pub in Smithfield is licensed to sell alcohol from 7:00 to fit around the hours of market porters.
- Go exploring in the City and find the hidden treasure of Cloth Fair, which runs by the side of West Smithfield. Two of the buildings on this street have stood the test of time, even surviving the Great Fire of London in 1666.
- In 1941, a German bomb hit the north transept of St. Paul’s Cathedral sending shudders up into the famous dome causing the entire structure to lift completely off its base by a few millimetres.
- We often pass the same statues each day and never question their significance. For example, have you ever noticed the statue of Queen Anne is facing away from the church towards the pub? A subtle nod from the City of London towards her mild drinking problem, ‘Poor Queen Anne, left in the lurch, facing a pub, back to the church'.
- If you’re more of a Hollywood lover than a history buff, maybe St. Bart’s Church will be of more interest to you. It’s been used as a location in many a film including the Other Boleyn Girl, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Shakespeare in Love, Sherlock Holmes and Robin Hood.
- Clerkenwell’s famous for a number of things, but can also claim the nursery rhyme ‘Pop Goes the Weasel’ as its own. The song refers to the act of pawning your suit after spending all day and all your money in the pubs in the area.
If you’re working in the City you might be interested in browsing our portfolio of serviced apartments in the area. Alternatively, view our full range of serviced apartments in London.
