City of London
:
For London as a whole, see the main article London.:
For wider coverage, visit the London Portal.{{ Infobox London Borough |
name = City of London |
short_name = City |
imagename = Image:LondonCity.png |
status =
sui generis,
City and
Ceremonial County |
area_rank = 354th |
area_km2 = 1.0 sq mi; 2.6 |
area_link = 1 E6 m² |
ons_code = 00AA |
ethnicity = 84.6% White
6.8%
South Asian2.6%
Afro-Caribbean2.0%
Chinese |
url = http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk |
leadership =
See text |
mayor = David Brewer CMG |
mps =
Mark Field |
gla_constituency = City and East London |
gla_member =
John BiggsThe
City of London is a small area in
Greater London. The modern
conurbation of
London developed from the City of London and the nearby
City of Westminster, which was the centre of the royal government. The City of London is now London's main financial district. It is often referred to as just
the City or as the
Square Mile, as it is approximately one
square mile (2.6
km²) in area; note that these terms are also often used as
metonyms for the UK
financial services industry, which is principally based there. In the
medieval period the City was the full extent of London (as distinct from the nearby but then-separate village of
Westminster), but the term London now refers to a much larger
conurbation containing both 'cities'. The City of London is still part of London's
city centre, but apart from financial services, most of London's metropolitan functions are centred on the
West End. The City of London has a resident population of under 9,000 but a daily working population of around 320,000.
The City itself has two independent
enclaves within it â€"
Inner Temple and
Middle Temple. These two areas form part of the City and Ceremonial county, but are not governed by the
City of London Corporation. The Corporation governs the rest of the City and also owns various open spaces (parks, forests and commons) in and around London.
Its
Latin motto is
"Domine dirige nos" which means
"Lord, direct us".
The size of the City was originally constrained by a defensive perimeter wall, known as '
London Wall', which was built by the Romans to protect their strategic port city. However, the boundaries of the City of London are no longer the old City Wall as the city expanded its jurisdiction to the so-called City Bars â€" such as
Temple Bar. The boundary froze in the medieval period, thus the City did not and does not control the whole of London.
The walls have long since disappeared although several sections remain visible above ground. A section near the
Museum of London was revealed after the devastation of an air-raid on
29 December 1940 at the height of the
Blitz. Other visible sections are at
St Alphage,
London Wall, and there are two sections near the
Tower of London.
The City of London borders the
City of Westminster to the west â€" the border cutting through
Victoria Embankment, passing to the west of
Middle Temple, going east along
Strand and
Fleet Street, north up
Chancery Lane, where it becomes instead the border with the
London Borough of Camden. It continues north to
Holborn, turns east, continues, and then goes northeast to
Charterhouse Lane. As it crosses
Farringdon Road it becomes the border with the
London Borough of Islington. It continues to
Aldersgate, goes north, and turns into some back streets soon after it becomes
Goswell Road. It ends up on Ropemakers Lane, which as it continues east past
Moorgate becomes South Place. It goes north, becomes the border with the
London Borough of Hackney, then east, north, east on backstreets, meeting
Norton Folgate at the border with the
London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It continues south into
Bishopsgate, and takes some backstreets to
Middlesex Street where it continues south-east then south. It makes a divergence to the west at the end of Middlesex Street to allow the
Tower of London to be in Tower Hamlets, and then reaches the river. The boundaries of the City are marked by black bollards bearing the City's emblem. (
boundary map). In some places the financial district extends slightly beyond the political boundaries of the City to the north and east, into the boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Islington, and informally these locations are seen as part of the "Square Mile". Since the 1990s the eastern fringe of the City, extending into Hackney and Tower Hamlets, has increasingly been a focus for large office developments due to the relatively easy availability of large sites there compared to within the City itself.
Since 1991
Canary Wharf a few miles east of the City Boundary within Tower Hamlets has become a second centre for London's financial services industry and now houses a number of banks and other institutions formerly located in the Square Mile. However, fears that the City would be damaged by this development appear to have been unfounded with growth predicted in both locations. Indeed Canary Wharf may have been of great service to the Square Mile by providing large floorplate office buildings at a time when this was difficult within the City boundary, and therefore preventing strategically important companies such as
HSBC from relocating abroad.
The City of London is England's smallest
ceremonial county by both population and area covered and is the second smallest
British city in both population and size, after
St David's in Wales.
At its maximum extent the City included areas now not part of it, including
Southwark (as the 'ward of bridge without'). The City today controls the full spans of
London Bridge and
Blackfriars Bridge, but only half of the river underneath them.
The City of London also owns and looks after a number of open spaces well outside its own boundaries. These are:
Ashtead Common,
Burnham Beeches,
Epping Forest,
Hampstead Heath (including
Parliament Hill),
Highgate Wood,
Queen's Park,
West Ham Park, and
West Wickham and Coulsdon Common.
Main article: History of London.
The area of the City of London has been administered separately since 886, when
Alfred the Great appointed his son-in-law
Earl Ætheldred of Mercia as Governor of London. Alfred made sure that there was suitable accommodation for merchants from north west Europe, which were then extended to traders from the
Baltic and
Italy.
The City developed its own code of law for the mercantile classes, developing such autonomy that Sir
Laurence Gomme regarded the City as a separate Kingdom making its own laws. The City was composed of wards governed by
Aldermen, who chaired the Wardmotes. There was a folkmoot for the whole of the city held in the shadows of
St Paul's Cathedral. In the
tenth century,
Athelstan permitted eight
mints to be established, compared to six in his capital,
Winchester, indicating the wealth of the city.
Following the
Battle of Hastings,
William the Conqueror marched on London, to
Southwark and failed to get across London Bridge or to defeat the Londoners. He eventually crossed the River Thames at
Wallingford, pillaging the land as he went. Rather than continuing the war
Edgar Ætheling,
Edwin of Mercia and
Morcar of Northumbria surrendered at
Berkhamsted. William rewarded London in granting the citizens a charter in 1075; the City of London was one of the few institutions where the English retained some authority.
However, William insured against attack by building 3 Castles nearby so as to keep the Londoners subdued:
*
Tower of London*
Baynard's Castle*
Montfichet's CastleIn 1132,
Henry I recognised full
County status for the City, and by 1141 the whole body of the
citizenry was considered to constitute a single community. This was the origin of the
City of London Corporation.
The City burned nearly to the ground twice, first in 1212 and then again (and more famously) in the
Great Fire of London in 1666. Both of these fires were referred to as
the Great Fire.
The City elected four members to the
unreformed House of Commons, which it retained after the
Reform Act 1832 and into the 20th century. Today it is included wholly in the
Cities of London and Westminster constituency, and statute requires that it not be divided between two neighbouring areas.
The City's population fell rapidly in the 19th century and through most of 20th century as many houses were demolished to make way for office blocks. This trend has now been reversed as the Corporation is encouraging residential use, although the resident population is not expected to go much above ten thousand people. Some of the extra accommodation is in small pre
World War II commercial buildings which are not suitable for occupation by the large companies which now provide much of the City's employment. The largest residential section of the City is the
Barbican Estate.
| Year | Population |
|---|
| 1700 | 208,000 (of which 139,000 within the walls) |
| 1750 | 144,000 (of which 87,000 within the walls) |
| 1801 | 128,129 |
| 1841 | 123,563 |
| 1881 | 50,569 |
| 1901 | 26,846 |
| 1911 | 19,657 |
| 1921 | 13,709 |
| 1931 | 10,999 |
| 1951 | 5,324 |
| 1961 | 4,767 |
| 1971 | 4,234 |
| 1981 | 5,300 |
| 1991 | 5,385 |
| 2001 | 7,185 |
Since the 1990s, the City has diversified away from near exclusive office use in some other ways as well. For example, several hotels have opened and also the City's first
department store. However, large sections of it remain very quiet at weekends, and it is quite common to find pubs and cafes closed on these days.
see also City of London CorporationThe City of London has a unique political status, a legacy of its uninterrupted integrity as a corporate city since the Anglo Saxon period and its singular relationship with the crown. Historically its system government was not unusual, but it was not reformed by the
Municipal Reform Act 1835.
It is administered by the
City of London Corporation, headed by the
Lord Mayor of London (not the same post as the more recent
London Mayor, who presides over Greater London). The City is a
ceremonial county too, although instead of having its own
Lord-Lieutenant, the City of London has a Commission, headed by the Lord Mayor, exercising this function.
Elections
The City has a unique electoral system, which does not follow the usual rules of
democracy, allowing businessmen a vote and arranging voters in wards with very unequal numbers of voters. This is sometimes a cause of controversy. The
business vote had been abolished in other local elections in 1969, but retained in the City.
The
City of London (Ward Elections) Act 2002 (2002 Chapter vi) which reformed the voting system for electing Members to the Corporation of London, received the
Royal Assent on
7 November 2002.
Under the new system, the business vote increased by 16,000 to 32,000. Previously disenfranchised firms will be entitled to nominate voters, in addition to those already included in the business vote, and will be required to choose these voters in a representative fashion. The Bill will also remove other anomalies that have developed over time within the current system, which has been unchanged since the 1850s.
This system is usually seen as undemocratic, but adopting a more conventional system would place the 9,000 residents of the City in charge of local planning for a major financial capital. Proposals to annex the City to one of the neighbouring
London boroughs, possibly the
City of Westminster, have never been taken seriously. In May
2006 the
Lord Chancellor stated to Parliament that the government is minded to examine the issue of its elections at a later date, probably after the next set in
2009 in order to assess how the new system has bedded down
[http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm060525/wmstext/60525m0050.htm]. One proposal floated as a likely reform is allowing those who work in the City to each have a direct vote rather than through their employer.
Other functions
The City has its own independent police force, the
City of London Police. The rest of Greater London is policed by the
Metropolitan Police Service, based at
New Scotland Yard.
The City of London houses one hospital -
St Bartholomew's Hospital. Founded in 1123 and fondly known as 'Barts', the hospital is situated at
Smithfield, London, and is about to undergo a much publicised, controversial but long awaited regeneration.
The City is a major patron of the arts. It oversees the
Barbican Centre and subsidizes several important performing arts companies. It also takes an interest in open spaces outside its boundaries: see
Corporation of London open spaces.
The City of London has only one directly-maintained primary school [
1]. The school is called the Sir John Cass's Foundation Primary School [
2] (ages 4 through 11). The school is the only voluntary-aided
Church of England primary school in the City of London.
City of London residents may send their children to schools in neighboring
Local Education Authorities (LEAs).
For secondary schools children enroll in schools in neighboring LEAs, such as
Islington,
Tower Hamlets,
Westminster and
Southwark. Children who have permanent residence in the city of London are eligible for transfer to the
City of London Academy, an independent secondary school sponsored by the City of London that is located in Southwark.
The City of London controls three other
independent schools â€"
City of London School (all male),
City of London School for Girls (all female) and
City of London Freemen's School (co-educational).
The City's position as the United Kingdom's financial centre and a critical part of the country's economy, contributing about 2.5% of the UK's
gross national product[http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/media_centre/keyfacts.htm], has resulted in it becoming a terrorist target. The
Provisional IRA exploded several
bombs in the City in the early 1990s.
The area is also spoken of as a possible target for
al-Qaeda. For instance, when in May 2004 the BBC's
Panorama programme examined the preparedness of Britain's emergency services for a terrorist attack on the scale of
September 11, 2001 attacks, they simulated a chemical explosion on
Bishopsgate in the east of the City.
See also
City of London's "Ring of Steel" for measures that have been taken against these threats.
Official websites:*
Corporation of London, the City of London government website:*
Museum of London;General city information:*
CityMayors.com profile of Corporation:*
London, VisitTown.com:*
Knowledge of LondonMaps, photos, and other images:*City of London Corporation:
Ward boundaries map:*
Street map â€" the boundary is shown in mauve-grey, and is easiest to pick up in the river. Click the arrow on the left for the western and northern most parts of the City of London.
