Ludgate and the Old Bailey are busy areas. Bounded by Farringdon Street to the west where Ludgate Hill merges with Fleet Street, and St. Paul’s Cathedral to the east, the area is one of the oldest in London. The Old Bailey cuts through the neighbourhood north to south, with the Central Criminal Court to the north of the street. Warwick Lane, another old street, also cuts north to south, with the Site of the Royal College of Physicians being based to the north of this street. The area consists largely of modern office buildings, with a lot of the old stock having been first destroyed during the Great Fire of London, and again during the Blitz. Still, many small lanes criss-cross the area, as well as a few courts. To the east is the Paternoster Square development; St. Paul’s underground station is to the far eastern edge of this area, and the London Stock Exchange faces St. Paul’s Cathedral to the other side of the square.

The Oxford Arms on Warwick Lane was one of the last surviving galleried coaching inns in the City of London, being built in the 1600s and demolished in 1876. Coaching inns were where travellers to places outside London boarded stage coaches; much like the trains of today, these stage coaches had termini based on where they were going – Oxford Arms acted as the terminus for stage coaches travelling west to Uxbridge, although there was a coach operator which went to Oxford as well. By the 1860s, trains had become a mainstream mode of transport and the coaching inns lost their customers.

Temple Bar is the last of the eight original city gateways, completed in 1672 by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London. Though not in its original location (it was the gateway where Fleet Street met the Strand), it is certainly closer than where it was prior to 2004, when it was in Theobalds Park, having been bought by Sir Henry Meux when it was slated for demolition, and transported there to his mansion. Sir Henry Bruce Meux was the 3rd Meux baronet, and re-opened his family’s country seat, which had closed as a result of his father’s insanity; he extended the house, as well as adding the Temple Bar to his estate. He would later pass away at Theobalds childless, leaving his wife Valerie to be one of the richest women in Britain. Lady Meux is another interesting figure, marrying Sir Henry in secret and causing a scandal. It was she who was said to have persuaded her husband to purchase the Temple Bar. She had many interests, including collecting Egyptian artefacts, and at one point had her carriage pulled by a team of zebras. She would later privately finance some ordinance for the Second Boer War after her offer was rejected by the War Office.

Paternoster (meaning our father in Latin) Square comes from the medieval street which was on the site – Paternoster Row. The Great Fire of London destroyed the shops in this area, and for a brief moment following the area became known as the heart of London’s publishing trade. This area would survive until 1940, when it was sacrificed to protect St. Paul’s Cathedral from the fires spreading across the City. Paternoster Square would be designed some years later in 1995, with a sculpture called Paternoster, showing a man herding sheep, a reference to Newgate Meat Market, which stood here until Smithfield Market took over, as well as a religious nod.

A much visited area, the neighbourhood lacks the hidden secluded spots of some areas of the City or the greenery of other parts of London. However, there are many eateries in the area, as well as (admittedly more well-trodden) public areas. Residents benefit from a picturesque area with good access to transport links (however, you are more likely to be able to walk to work, the local markets, or any other necessities, another key benefit).

The Paternoster Square development was the result of a long saga of development in the area, plans were originally conceived after the war, altering numerous times following alterations to the neighbourhood such as the construction of the Millennium Bridge. Given the pace these developments took, it is unlikely that any new project would rapidly alter the area soon. Most of the priority is preserving the historic character of the area, based on the Fleet Street Strategy. There are nonetheless plans for a new mixed-use development slightly north of this postcode. 81 Newgate Street is set for completion in 2025 and will provide 67,500m2 of flexible office space, retail and leisure spaces, publicly and privately accessible roof terraces and a rooftop restaurant.