City of London walking tour

Explore the historic streets of London’s financial district on foot.

The City of London, known as the Square Mile, grew from the capital’s ancient core on the north bank of the Thames. Today it forms a distinctive district within the much larger metropolis. Heraldic dragons mark several entrances, while places such as Smithfield, the streets around Liverpool Street and the legal quarter near Middle Temple reveal different aspects of its life. At its eastern edge stands the Tower of London, just outside the City’s boundaries.

London Bridge and other river crossings connect the district with the south bank, while Tower Bridge lies nearby to the east. The City of London Corporation is its distinctive local authority, with a long civic history and responsibilities within the wider system of London government.

Around AD 50, the Romans established Londinium as a settlement and trading port. A bridge across the Thames helped it grow, linking routes on either side of the river near the site of today’s London Bridge.

Londinium developed into a major city of Roman Britain. A substantial defensive wall was built around AD 200, and surviving sections still help trace its extent. Roman imperial rule in Britain ended around AD 410, followed by a long period of change. The later city expanded far beyond the old walls, leaving fragments of the Roman landscape among modern streets and buildings.

The Great Fire of 1666 destroyed much of the City, including the old St Paul’s Cathedral and Royal Exchange. Rebuilding made greater use of brick and stone, and Christopher Wren’s churches became lasting landmarks. The financial district developed over time: C. Hoare & Co was founded in 1672, followed by the Bank of England in 1694. Their histories sit within a much broader story of trade, banking and the City’s changing working population.

The Square Mile remains an important international financial district. A walk here brings that contemporary role into contact with churches, old lanes, civic buildings and traces of Roman London, making it a rewarding place to explore beyond its office towers.