City of London Streets

To receive blog posts and walking tour schedules by email, please subscribe (for free) at the bottom of the page

City of London Street names: a dozen of the best

London On The Ground

Nov 104 min read

City of London Street names: a dozen of the best

The Square Mile has a wealth of unusual, colourful and deceptive street names. Many of London's most curious and unlikely street names...

168 views0 comments

The Cornhill Pump, The Royal Exchange, Fire and Insurance

London On The Ground

Jul 3, 20234 min read

The Cornhill Pump, The Royal Exchange, Fire and Insurance

The 224 year old pump links the City of London, fire, insurance and the Royal Exchange. The water pump on Cornhill features helpful signs...

158 views0 comments

London On The Ground

Feb 24, 20235 min read

Ludgate, London, Lud and legend

Lud, a pre-Roman ancient Briton, founded London, according to legend. There is a very old legend that a king called Lud ruled in ancient...

187 views0 comments

Old Dr Butler's Head: City pub named for James I's physician

London On The Ground

Aug 19, 20223 min read

Old Dr Butler's Head: City pub named for James I's physician

The pub is named after a self-proclaimed specialist in nervous disorders, who had no medical degree. According to its website a pub was...

75 views2 comments

Seven Ages of Man: Shakespeare, BT & brutalism

London On The Ground

Feb 11, 20222 min read

Seven Ages of Man: Shakespeare, BT & brutalism

Shakespeare's 'All the world's a stage' inspired a 22ft sculpture at BT's brutalist City of London building. The statue, entitled 'Seven...

147 views0 comments

London On The Ground

Feb 4, 20227 min read

Old Queens: Ten of Six in the City

The Queen's Platinum Jubilee prompts a look at ten public statues of six past queens in the City of London. By my count, ten statues of...

282 views0 comments

Bracken House: The Financial Times, Churchill And The Sun

London On The Ground

Jan 28, 20226 min read

Bracken House: The Financial Times, Churchill And The Sun

Named after a friend of Winston Churchill and designed by an architect who preferred candles to electric light. Bracken House, the City...

274 views0 comments

London knights: Cnihtengild statue guards Devonshire Square

London On The Ground

Dec 10, 20214 min read

London knights: Cnihtengild statue guards Devonshire Square

Unusual bronze sculpture evokes a guild of knights of 1,000 years ago. This impressive work of art in the east of the City of London was...

1,171 views0 comments

Monument to the slave trade: Gilt of Cain in Fen Court

London On The Ground

Nov 12, 20213 min read

Monument to the slave trade: Gilt of Cain in Fen Court

A poem and sculpture hidden away in the City of London commemorates the abolition of the slave trade. Sculpted by Michael Visocchi with...

2,101 views0 comments

Number 1 Poultry: Stirling work divides opinion

London On The Ground

Nov 5, 20216 min read

Number 1 Poultry: Stirling work divides opinion

A postmodern City of London building shows how the Establishment can assimilate outsiders. Number 1 Poultry was designed by the...

104 views2 comments

Walbrook Wharf: the river, rubbish and Romans

London On The Ground

Oct 28, 20216 min read

Walbrook Wharf: the river, rubbish and Romans

City of London's only working freight wharf has Roman origins. Walbrook Wharf is the only freight wharf still operating in the City of...

1,795 views0 comments

London On The Ground

Oct 4, 20216 min read

City of London: dragons' den

Dragons guard the City of London and are to be found on its streets and buildings. The City of London coat of arms The City of London's...

1,474 views0 comments

London On The Ground

Sep 18, 20216 min read

St Mary Axe: what's in a (street) name?

The City of London's blend of old and new is a defining feature. Ancient Roman origins, highly recognisable modern buildings. And strange...

755 views0 comments

Crutched Friars create frisson. A little known City of London carving

London On The Ground

Sep 10, 20214 min read

Crutched Friars create frisson. A little known City of London carving

A sculpture of two friars in the City of London casts light on the medieval City, the sculptor's sense of humour and the nature of...

532 views1 comment

London On The Ground

Sep 2, 20214 min read

Norman Foster vs the tree & Wren

A City building pays its respects to Christopher Wren and a London plane tree. The City of London contains some of the most expensive...

527 views0 comments

London's livery lampposts: The Great Twelve at the Royal Exchange

London On The Ground

Aug 26, 20214 min read

London's livery lampposts: The Great Twelve at the Royal Exchange

Look carefully at the forecourt in front of the Royal Exchange and you notice that it is watched over by 12 ornate iron lampposts. They...

767 views1 comment

London On The Ground

Jul 30, 20213 min read

Magnus, the Monument and me

The once prominent church of St Magnus the Martyr and the Monument to the Great Fire of London inspired me to become a City of London Guie

364 views2 comments

LONDON on the Ground

wandering London's wonders

Subscribe Form
To receive details of walks that are available for booking and new posts from the London blog

wandering London's wonders since 2021

LONDON on the Ground

wandering London's wonders

Subscribe Form To receive details of walks that are available for booking and new posts from the London blog

Subscribe Form
To receive details of walks that are available for booking and new posts from the London blog