Guildhall, City of London

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This virtual tour shows Guildhall Yard - home to the Guildhall and the Guildhall Art Gallery. Click on the link by the thumbnail below to view the full tour.

In Medieval London, the guilds (Worshipful Companies) controlled trade and were key in the running of the City. Each of the guilds ran its own hall (such as the Plasterer's Hall, or the Stationer's Hall) but the heads of the guilds would meet at the Guildhall to discuss overarching matters of commerce and Government.

Effigies of two creatures 'live' at the Guildhall. Gog and Magog appear in the Bible, the Qur'an, in Jewish tradition and various myths and folklore. According to one version of the myth, these two giants were defeated by Brutus (known in medieval British legend as the first King of Britain) and were then chained to his palace gates - on the site of Guildhall. They are now the mythical 'guardians of the City of London' and each year, the effigies are paraded in the annual Lord Mayor's Show, a tradition which has remained since the days of King Henry V.