Greater London’s 32 boroughs are spread over a huge area and you need plenty of time to see everything. Inner London alone consists of 12 boroughs plus a ceremonial county known as ‘City of London’. This central business district should be top of your list of places to check out if you love history and architecture. Until my most recent UK trip, it had been years since I’d been sightseeing in City, so I decided to revisit and photograph a few of my favourite spots.
City of London is the oldest and least populated London district, aka the “Square Mile”. As a ceremonial county, the City of London has special status as a sort of city within a city. It has its own government, Lord Mayor and police force. Major financial institutions; The Bank of England, London Stock Exchange and Lloyd’s of London are all located there. Prominent historical landmarks include St Paul’s Cathedral and the Monument to the Great Fire of London. Modern skyscrapers like The Gherkin and The Walkie-Talkie stand in stark contrast to more ancient structures.
ST DUNSTAN-IN-THE-EAST CHURCH GARDEN
This ruined Gothic church can be found halfway between Tower Hill and Monument stations. St Dunstan’s dates back to the 12th century and was a casualty of both London’s 1666 Great Fire and the 1941 Blitz. If you want to photograph the Tower of London or Tower Bridge first, perhaps start walking from Tower Hill station. As the Tower of London sits just outside the Square Mile I won’t feature it in this post, but you can read my tips for visiting that attraction here.
St Dunstan’s steeple (added 1695–1701) was designed by Sir Christopher Wren, of St Paul’s Cathedral fame. Somehow Wren’s tower and steeple survived the World War II bombing along with the north and south church walls. There’s no charge to enter this tranquil public space, but if you’re planning to take a film crew you’ll need a special permit from the local government.
MONUMENT TO THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON
Constructed between 1671 and 1677, the 62-metre-high monument stands on the site of the first church to burn during the 1666 Great Fire. It’s situated at the junction of Monument Street and Fish Street Hill, 62 metres west of the infamous Pudding Lane bakery where the fire started.
Designed by the legend Sir Christopher Wren and Dr Robert Hooke, this fluted Doric column has 311 steps up its spiral staircase. When you reach the top there’s a panoramic viewing platform underneath the gilded urn of fire. Opening times and ticket pricing can be found here.
BARBICAN CONSERVATORY
I’ve seen a lot of influencers posing in Sky Garden at the top of The Walkie-Talkie, which does look great and has an incredible view. However, I find the Barbican Estate’s ugly Brutalist architecture a bit more visually interesting for some reason. Maybe it’s the nostalgic 80s kid in me 😄 The Barbican Centre Conservatory is also much bigger than Sky Garden – the second largest in London, after Kew Gardens’ Princess of Wales Conservatory. Their collection houses over 1,500 species of plants, as well as a variety of fish, terrapins, and some bees.
If you’re looking for an aesthetically-pleasing location for a drink, the conservatory has a bar in the middle. For gardening enthusiasts, tours are also available on certain days. Barbican Centre is about a 5 mins walk from Barbican underground station. Admission to the conservatory is free, but you’ll need to book a timed entry slot in advance.
CITY WALL + ST ALPHAGE RUINS
Next door to Barbican Estate are partial ruins of the Roman and medieval city wall, alongside ruins of a medieval church. The lower portion of the wall is Roman (2000 years old!). The patterned brick parapet was added in 1477. This is the last remaining section of the ancient city wall with decorative brickwork. The wall fragment now forms part of a public garden.
Believed to be founded before 1000, St Alphage church fell into disrepair and was renovated several times until 1913. It was then damaged during WWI and finally gutted by a fire in 1940. In 2018 a new highwalk was unveiled giving an excellent overview of the ruins. Moorgate and Barbican are the closest tube stations to this site.
ST BARTHOLOMEW THE GREAT
Great St Bart’s is London’s oldest church that’s still in use today. Miraculously it wasn’t completely destroyed in either the Great Fire, WWI Zeppelin raids, or the WWII Blitz. Established as a Catholic priory in 1123, it fell victim to King Henry VIII’s 1500s dissolution of monasteries and the nave was demolished. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, St. Bartholomew’s became an Anglican parish church. Later, part of the premises was used as a printer’s shop by young Benjamin Franklin (before he became a US Founding Father).
The medieval church was fully restored in the late 1800s so there are a few Victorian fixtures and additions. The original 12th-century Norman chancel and apse can be seen at the east end. The west end is a post-Reformation rebuild since the original nave was torn down during the dissolution. Currently, there’s a Damien Hirst statue on display in the south transept. Farringdon and Barbican are the nearest underground stations to Great St Bart’s. There’s no entry fee, but donations for building upkeep are encouraged. Visiting hours can be found here.
ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL
Want to know where to take this epic shot of the London skyline? From St Paul’s underground station head to the One New Change shopping mall opposite the cathedral. Get the glass lift/elevator up to level 6 and head onto the rooftop terrace. Other sights you can see from the rooftop include the London Eye, Oxo Tower, and The Shard. Accessing the terrace is free unless you fancy a sundowner at Madison restaurant and bar.
St Paul’s is the seat of London’s Anglican bishop. The history of this site goes back to the 7th century but the current Baroque building with it’s famous dome was completed in the 18th century. The cathedral’s construction was part of a major city rebuilding programme after the Great Fire of London. In additon to St Paul’s, Sir Christopher Wren was commissioned to design a further 51 replacement churches as well as around 20 secular buildings. Cathedral opening times and ticket pricing can be found here.
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