This neighbourhood stretches along Lombard Street, from the Bank junction to the west to Fenchurch Street in the east. The street has an enclosed character, with contrasting buildings unified by classical designs and historical properties – a testimony to both the street’s Roman origins and its Victorian glory days. Lombard Street’s buildings transition from interwar buildings on the north side to a mix of Victorian and Edwardian buildings to the south, with a few late 20th century structures. Alleyways and small yards branch out from the street, joining with Cornhill to the north or King William Street to the south and west. St. Edmund’s Church, designed by famed architect Christopher Wren, is the neighbourhood’s central landmark.

Lombard Street represents the original financial core of the City, as one of the earliest Roman roads and the site of London’s goldsmiths from the time of the Norman conquest. These early goldsmiths were Jewish, followed by Lombards from Italy; it is assumed that these early tenants are where the street derives its name from. By the mid-16th century, goldsmithing and banking made Lombard Street one of the finest in London, as argued by Pepys even after the Great Fire of London.

Alexander Pope was born on 32 Lombard Street in 1688. He was a central figure in the Neoclassical movement of the early 18th century, known for perfecting the rhymed couplet form and then twisting this form for satiric and philosophical purposes. He is also lauded as the first full-time professional English writer, earning his income mostly from subscription fees for translations of Homer, and his edition on William Shakespeare’s works. His works were greatly debated even during his lifetime, with some describing him as less a poet than a philosopher and rhetorician.

The businesses on Lombard street have adopted street signs to advertise their businesses from time immemorial. Given that the majority of the population was illiterate in the neighbourhood’s early days, these signs typically relied on visual images. This practice slowly died out in the lead-up to the Victorian era, in part due to the weight of the signs, which sometimes caused entire building frontages to collapse onto the street. These signs were later used on the cheques issues by London banks. In 1902, Hilton Price, who was researching these historical signs, came up with the idea to resuscitate some of them to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII. Some of Price’s early 20th-century signs can still be seen today.

The Bank junction is amongst the most congested and polluted intersections in London, which can be unpleasant on weekdays and particularly during rush hour. The Lombard Street area, however, is largely protected from the congestion of the junction by its narrow roads and Roman streetscape. Overall, the area is increasingly pedestrian-friendly; cars are encouraged to avoid the area.

The City Corporation is currently developing a strategy to enhance the area around the Bank junction, including the Bank Conservation Area, which Lombard Street is a part of. The aims of the strategy include rationalising street furniture, planting more trees, and preserving the historic character of the neighbourhood. Recent improvements have also been made to Bank and Monument 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. The eastern end of Lombard Street merges with Fenchurch Street on which planning has been approved for the redevelopment of the site at 50 Fenchurch street. 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.