Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE CITY LIVERY COMPANIES
The hundred or so
City Livery Companies
in the Square Mile are descended from the craft
guilds of the Middle Ages, whose purpose was to administer apprenticeships and take charge
of quality control, in return for which they were granted monopolies. Over time, the guilds
grew prodigiously wealthy, built themselves ever more opulent halls and staged lavish
banquets at which they would wear elaborate “livery” (or uniforms). Most - though not all - of
the old guilds now have very little to do with their original trade, though this is not the case
with the guilds that have been formed in the last hundred years. It's fair to say the livery
companies remain deeply undemocratic and anomalous, but their prodigious wealth and
charitable works have helped pacify the critics. As with the Freemasons, the elaborate
ceremonies serve to hide the very real power that these companies still hold. Liverymen
dominate the Court of Common Council, the City's ruling body, and as Aldermen, they take it
in turns to be first a Sheriff, and eventually Lord Mayor - a knighthood is virtually guaranteed.
The City boasts numerous Livery Company halls, many with enticing names such as the Tallow
Chandlers and Cordwainers. Few survived the Great Fire, fewer still the Blitz, but a handful are
worth visiting for their ornate interiors. The problem is gaining
admission
. The City tourist o
ce
(
T
020 7332 1456) has tickets to some halls; other halls will allow you to join a pre-booked group
tour for around £5-10 per person. It's not something you can do on the spur of the moment,
though some Livery halls are used during the City of London Festival and others are open on
Open House weekend (see p.26). Below is a selection of the most interesting Livery halls:
Apothecaries' Hall
Blackfriars Lane
T
020 7236
1189,
W
apothecaries.org;
!
Blackfriars.
The
seventeenth-century courtyard is open to the public,
but entry to the magnificent staircase and the Great
Hall - with its musicians' gallery, portrait by Reynolds
and collection of leech pots - is by appointment only.
Fishmongers' Hall
London Bridge
T
020 7626
3531,
W
fishhall.org.uk;
!
Monument.
A prominent
Greek Revival building on the riverfront, with a grand
staircase hall, and the very dagger with which Mayor
Walworth stabbed Wat Tyler (see p.448).
Goldsmiths' Hall
Foster Lane
T
020 7606 7010,
W
thegoldsmiths.co.uk;
!
St Paul's.
One of the easiest
to visit as there are regular exhibitions allowing you to see
the sumptuous central staircase built in the 1830s.
11
Skinners' Hall
8 Dowgate Hill
T
020 7236 5629,
W
skinnershall.co.uk;
!
Cannon Street.
The
seventeenth-century staircase and courtroom survive,
while the wood-panelled hall contains a wonderful
series of Frank Brangwyn murals from 1902.
Tallow Chandlers' Hall
4 Dowgate Hill
T
020 7248
4726,
W
tallowchandlers.org;
!
Cannon Street.
Set
back from the street around an attractive courtyard, the
Tallow Chandlers Hall retains its seventeenth-century
courtroom, complete with original seating.
Vintners' Hall
68 Upper Thames St
T
020 7236
1863,
W
vintnershall.co.uk;
!
Mansion House.
The oldest hall in the City, dating from 1671, with a
period-piece staircase with “fabulously elaborate
balusters”.
Mansion House
Guided tours Tues 2pm; closed Aug • £7 •
T
020 7937 9307,
W
cityoflondon.gov.uk •
!
Bank
Mansion House
, the Lord Mayor's sumptuous Neoclassical lodgings during his or - on
the odd, rare occasion - her term of of
ce, is open to the public once a week. Designed
in 1753 by George Dance the Elder, the building's grandest room is the columned
Egyptian Hall
, with its high, barrel-vaulted, coffered ceiling. Also impressive is the vast
collection of gold and silver tableware, the mayor's 36-pound gold mace and the pearl
sword given by Elizabeth I and held out to the sovereign on visits to the City. Scattered
about the rooms are an impressive array of Dutch and Flemish paintings by the likes of
Hals, Ruisdael, Cuyp, Hobbema and de Hooch. Places are allocated on a first-come,
first-served basis, so turn up at the Walbrook entrance in good time.
Bank of England
Threadneedle St • Mon-Fri 10am-5pm • Free •
T
020 7601 5545,
W
bankofengland.co.uk •
!
Bank
Established by William III in 1694 to raise funds for his costly war against France, the
Bank of England
- the so-called “Grand Old Lady of Threadneedle Street” - wasn't
erected on its present site until 1734. The bank was attacked during the 1780 Gordon
