Guildhall, London

The Guildhall is a building in the City of London, off Cheapside near Bank. It has been used as the town hall for several hundred years.

Related Topics:
City of London - Cheapside - Bank

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The current building is believed to be on the site of an earlier Guildhall, and has large mediaeval crypts underneath. During the Roman period it was the site of an amphitheatre, the largest in Britannia, partial remains of which are on public display in the basement of the Guildhall Art Gallery.

Related Topics:
Roman - Britannia - Guildhall Art Gallery

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Parts of the current building date from 1411 and it is the only stone building not belonging to the Church to have survived the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the ages.

Related Topics:
1411 - Great Fire of London - 1666

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The Great Hall did not completely escape damage in 1666, and was partially restored - with a flat roof - in 1670. A more thorough restoration was completed in 1866 by City of London architect Sir Horace Jones who added a new timber roof in close keeping with the original. Sadly, this replacement was destroyed during The Second Great Fire of London on the night of 29th/30th December 1940, result of a Luftwaffe fire-raid. It was replaced in 1954 during works designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott.

Related Topics:
1670 - 1866 - Architect - Horace Jones - The Second Great Fire of London - 1940 - Giles Gilbert Scott

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The day-to-day administration of the Corporation of London is now conducted from modern buildings immediately to the north of the Guildhall, but the Guildhall itself, and the adjacent historic interiors, are still used for official functions, and it is open to the public during the annual London Open House weekend. The Guildhall Art Gallery was added to the complex in the 1990s. The Clockmakers' Museum is also housed in the complex.

Related Topics:
Corporation of London - London Open House - Guildhall Art Gallery - Clockmakers' Museum

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