The neighbourhood around Cannon Street Station is formed from Upper Thames Street, College Street and Cloak Lane cutting through it east to west and Queen Street north to south. The area is bounded by Cannon Street to the north, and largely blends into the riverside City of London to the west, east and south. Queen Street leads on to Southwark Bridge to the south, and up to Cheapside to the north, where it continues on to King Street. Queen Street, in particular, is an important thoroughfare, connecting Guildhall all the way to Southwark Bridge, with some parts now being pedestrianised for ease of use by the City’s many commuters and cyclists. There are many offices and institutions on the street, including the State of New York Department of Economic Development as well as the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The history of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry dates back to 1782 when plans were drawn for a Chamber of Commerce in Cornhill, incorporating an information office for business and trade enterprises. However, it would not emerge until 1881, when the London Chamber was established at Mansion House with 130 members, growing to 3000 by 1892. It aimed to develop international trade and resolve day-to-day trading problems for London as a whole (not just the City), and would later (in the late 20th century to early 21st century) merge with other chambers in Westminster, Hammersmith and Fulham, East London and so on.

Edward Rae Davson was the Chairman of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire (as the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry was known back then), as well as a member of the Imperial Economic Committee and the Colonial Development Advisory Committee. The Davson Baronetcy, a baronetage, was created for him in 1927; the baronetcy was dormant between 2004 to 2014, but as of 2016, Sir George Davson was able to prove his succession and therefore is active once again.

Cloak Lane first appears in the late 17th century and is less related to garments than to the Latin word ‘cloaca’, or sewer. There is another, less plausible but more palatable, explanation that it refers to the cloak Lady Elizabeth Hatton dropped as she was carried away from a party (and the nearby Shoe Lane is where she dropped her shoe). The first General Post Office of the City of London was also likely on Cloak Lane, opening in 1643, 8 years after King Charles I made Royal Mail available to his subjects, though the Post Office would only be established by Oliver Cromwell in 1657.

Skinners Lane, branching out of Queen Street, used to be known as Maiden Lane, and eventually took on its modern name when a furs market emerged in the area sometime in the late-1700s.

While some may initially find the large Upper Thames Street to be too hectic, the area’s vehicular links are only confined to there. It is far easier to walk (be it across the river via Southwark Bridge or up to Bank), take the tube (via Mansion House or Cannon Street underground stations) or via National Rail (via London Cannon Street, connecting the area to the southeast of England).

The area is largely governed by the Queen Street Conservation Area Management Strategy SPD, which focuses on reducing the level of traffic-related air pollution, mitigating flood risk using trees and green roofs, and providing habitats for the Black Redstarts that are known to nest along the River Thames. Nonetheless, four Cannon Street is a new development that was recently completed in this neighbourhood area. Its modern façade, designed by PLP Architecture, embodies the classical proportions and rich materials of its neighbours while setting best practices in sustainability. Recent improvements have also been made to Bank Station including a new entrance on Cannon Street, and an expanded Northern Line platform with step free access via a new concourse. Above this new Cannon Street entrance will also sit a new office block. Taller than originally planned, planners recently gave permission for TFL to add an eighth floor to their plans, with work scheduled to start by the end of 2022.