Crosswall is an extremely built-up neighbourhood to the east of the City of London. The northern part of the area is largely commercial, and is in reach of City hotspots such as the Gherkin and the Lloyd’s building. The southern part of the area is mostly residential buildings, serviced and student apartments, and hotels facing the nearby Tower of London. Street level tends to be populated by chain eateries from which the familiar neoclassical facades of the city extend upwards.. Unlike the surrounding areas, there are not that many high-rises in the area, with the exception of the buildings south of Fenchurch Street station.

This area of London is extremely old, being so close to the Tower of London. A portion of the Roman Wall lies to the south of the neighbourhood, and street names like Jewry Street, India Street, and Crutched Friars give hints to the area’s past. The latter’s name comes from the House of Crutched Friars, or the Friars of the Holy Cross. They were founded by Ralph Hosier and William Sabernes in 1298, were never more than 40 members at a time, and were later dissolved, having been caught red-handed in corruption during the dissolution of the monasteries under King Henry VIII.

Samuel Pepys lived on what is today Pepys Street. Born in London in 1633, he was sent to Huntingdon during the English Civil War, and later returned and attended St. Paul’s School, and later Cambridge University. He is most famous for his diary, which catalogued a turbulent time of English history, from Cromwell’s Puritan government to the Restoration of the Monarchy, to the Great Fire of London, which Pepys saw from the nearby Tower of London. He also did not detract from writing of his own experiences – many of which were of a rather racy nature.

The derivation of Fenchurch Street, the name of the London terminal as well as the street which runs near it, is unknown. Some believe it derives from the word ‘fen’, meaning marshy land, whereas others point to an old hay market which once existed in the area (the Latin word for hay is faenum). The church part of the name is likely associated with St. Gabriel Fenchurch, which burnt down in the Great Fire of London. Fenchurch Street station was the first to be constructed within the City – opening in 1841 and replacing a nearby terminus at Minories.

Crosswall is in the middle of the City, dominated by office blocks, which brings in congestion during the weekdays and almost complete desertion during the weekends. However, there are multiple attractions in the area, from pubs like the Hung, Drawn and Quartered, to the banks of the River Thames. At the same time the area has amazing transport links to other parts of London as well as southeast England. National Rail links from Fenchurch Street Station are only a short walk away, while Tower Hill Underground station and Tower Gateway DLR can take passengers across London.

The Crosswall area is set to benefit from an Area Enhancement Strategy, being part of the Fenchurch and Monument Strategy area, including preserving the medieval street pattern while increasing provisions for pedestrians and cyclists. Planning has also been approved for the redevelopment of the site at 50 Fenchurch street, a couple of minutes walk west of Crosswall. Plans detail a 35-storey mixed use commercial development with ground floor retail and a huge green wall extending up past a public terrace garden on the 10th floor.