Moorgate

Moorgate was one of the old minor gates of the old London Wall surrounding the City of London, the historic and financial centre of Greater London in the United Kingdom. The name survives as the name of a major street in the heart of the City connecting it with Islington, and in the name of a mainline terminus and London Underground train station. Several major investment and commercial banks congregate in this area. There is a mixture of historic and contemporary office buildings, including Moorhouse, which was designed by Foster and Partners, and stands at the corner of Moorgate and London Wall.

Moorgate (street) and the neighbourhood

The present dual way street of Moorgate runs north from Princes Street and Lothbury near the Bank of England, past London Wall, where the old gate was, then continues north. It is located inside the postal district London EC2. Heading out of the City and entering the London Borough of Islington it becomes Finsbury Pavement (known at one time as Moor Fields Pavement) and then City Road. The street was constructed at around 1846 for the formation of the new approaches to London Bridge. It was at one time known as "Moorgate Street" but the "street" part of the name eventually disappeared.

Related Topics:
North - Princes Street - Lothbury - Bank of England - London EC2 - London Borough of Islington - Finsbury Pavement - London Bridge

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The street is lined with branches and offices of several major commercial banks and investment banks. Due to the clientele, the Marks and Spencer store at Moorgate Hall (143-171 Moorgate) boasts the biggest sandwich shop for the chain with 30 checkout lanes, but the store itself is open on weekdays only and closed on Saturdays and weekends.

Related Topics:
Commercial bank - Investment bank - Marks and Spencer - Sandwich - Weekdays

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A campus of London Metropolitan University (formerly belonging to London Guildhall University) is located at 84 Moorgate. This houses its business school, a library as well as other facilities.

Related Topics:
London Metropolitan University - London Guildhall University

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The John Keats at Moorgate

John Keats, one of the principal poets in the English Romantic movement, was born in 1795 in the Swan and Hoop Inn at 199 Moorgate, where his father was an ostler. The pub is now called "The John Keats at Moorgate", having previously been known as "The Moorgate Coffee House" and "The Moorgate", only a few yards from Moorgate station.

Related Topics:
John Keats - Poets - English - Romantic - Ostler

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Moorhouse

Moorhouse is a new office building scheduled for opening in 2005, located at the corner of Moorgate with London Wall. Designed by Foster and Partners, the building provides 300,000 square feet (28,000 m²) of space in 19 storeys, and replaces a building built in the 1960s known as Moor House (two words). The building incorporates part of Crossrail's new station and ticket hall serving Liverpool Street and Moorgate.

Related Topics:
Foster and Partners - Square feet - M² - Crossrail

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The development is being undertaken by Moorhouse Property Developments Limited in association with The Moorhouse Limited Partnership, a partnership between Greycoat, Hammerson and Pearl Assurance. The partnership has entered into a new development agreement and lease with the freeholders, the Corporation of London, to permit the new scheme. The Corporation also made the land available to Crossrail for the new ticket hall.

Related Topics:
Partnership - Greycoat - Hammerson - Pearl Assurance - Corporation of London

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Moorgate Place

Moorgate Place is a small side street branching east out of Moorgate at No. 40. It now connects to another side street known as Swan Alley, in turn connecting to Moorgate. The Chartered Accountants' Hall, home of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, is located at Moorgate Place.

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Guildhall

Connected to Moorgate station via Bassishaw Highwalk is the Guildhall, the home of the Corporation of London and the centre of City government since the Middle Ages. Adjacent and internally connected to the Guildhall is the Guildhall Art Gallery, which houses the art collection of the City of London. It occupies a stone building in a semi-gothic style which was completed in 1999 to replace an earlier building destroyed in 1941.

Related Topics:
Moorgate station - Guildhall - Corporation of London - Middle Ages - Guildhall Art Gallery - Gothic

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Finsbury Circus

Finsbury Circus, an oval-shaped circus, branches east out of Moorgate, sitting on the site of the old Bethlem Hospital and part of Moorfields. The gardens in the centre of the circus occupy a 5,000 square metre (1.2 acres) plot enclosed by railings, and include the immaculate lawn of the City of London Bowls Club. Built in 1814, it is unusual amongst London's squares in being elliptical, with the major axis oriented west-east. According to the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens, the garden is Grade II listed.

Related Topics:
Circus - Acre - Square - Elliptical - Major axis - National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens - Grade II listed

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The buildings on each side are formed of a pair of graceful curved terraces. The London branch of the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi is located at 12-15 Finsbury Circus. BP's headquarters were previously at 1 Finsbury Circus (it is now at 1 St. James's Square).

Related Topics:
Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi - BP - St. James's Square

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