library, civic
John Croxton, 1440
71 Basinghall St, EC2V 7HH
The City's seat of municipal government since 12C. Grade I listed, rare example of medieval civic architecture.
Bank, Moorgate, St. Paul's, Mansion House
Cannon Street, Liverpool Street, City Thameslink
21, 141, 8, 76, 100, 25, 43
Staff are on hand to assist and support visitors with access needs.
As the home of the City of London, Guildhall has been the centre of City government since the Middle Ages.
The word 'guildhall' is said to derive from the Anglo-Saxon 'gild' meaning payment, so it was probably a place where citizens would pay their taxes. The present Guildhall was begun in 1411 and, having survived both the Great Fire of London and the Blitz, it is the only secular stone structure dating from before 1666 still standing in the City.
It is likely that at least one earlier guildhall existed on or near the current site. References to a London guildhall are made in a document dating back to 1128 and the current hall's west crypt is thought to be part of a late-13th century building. Remains of a long-lost Roman amphitheatre discovered in 1987 underneath what is now Guildhall Yard indicate that the site of Guildhall was significant as far back as Roman times.
The Great Hall is the third largest civic hall in England, where royalty and state visitors have been entertained down the centuries. It has been the setting for famous state trials, including that of Lady Jane Grey in 1553.
The imposing medieval hall has stained glass windows and several monuments to national heroes including Admiral Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill.
The Old Library building housed the Guildhall library and the Guildhall Museum from 1873 until 1974, when the collections moved to the newly constructed west wing and the Museum of London. Both the Old Library and the adjacent Print Room are now used as reception rooms. Beneath Guildhall lie the largest medieval crypts in London.
Today Guildhall still plays an important role in the City. It provides a venue for state and civic banquets, meetings of the City of London's elected assembly, the Court of Common Council and for the Honorary Freedom of the City ceremony.
Guildhall Yard is an outdoor space used for public and private events throughout the year.
It is where the Guildhall Great Hall and Guildhall Art Gallery are located.
In 1988, during excavations taking place in preparation for the new Art Gallery building project, it was found that the capital's only Roman amphitheatre was located in what is now Guildhall Yard. The black circle laid into the stone of the Yard now indicates where the amphitheatre stood.
