This neighbourhood encompasses the area around Mansion House underground station, stretching from Queen Victoria Street to the north, down to Upper Thames Street in the south. A large modern office block, bounded by Little Trinity Lane, Great Trinity Lane and Garlick Hill, represents the centre of the area. Around this centre are smaller office blocks, with a mixture of Victorian and post- war styles. A 17th-century church stands on the south-eastern corner of the neighbourhood area, standing out distinctively from its surroundings, and taller than the other buildings in the neighbourhood (though only the tower, and not substantially so). The area exists in between two major thoroughfares, and thus sees a lot of traffic, in addition to several underground stations a short walk away, alongside London Cannon Street railway station. The narrow lanes, along with an absence of any ground-level shops, make the area seem a little desolate – indeed, most of the activity in the area exists in the offices above, rather than the streets below.

Garlick Hill and the St. James Garlickhythe Church refer to a hythe, the Saxon word for a landing place or jetty, which existed in this area. Garlic (a preservative and medicine in medieval times), was unloaded and likely traded on Garlick Hill. The area’s streets, today far quieter, would have been flanked with small commercial and warehouse buildings in the 19th century – an example of which are the rebuilt fur trade warehouses on 21-26 Garlick Hill, built with red brick and classical columns. Other examples are less vibrant, with more muted white colours.

Johan Knoppell installed the organ at St. James Garlickhythe, although some point it to Father Smith (or Bernhard Schmidt). Both men were likely immigrants, with many organ builders coming from abroad, with England having banned organ building during the Puritan years. It is likely that Johan worked for Father Smith originally. The organ was restored again by Noel Mander, another Londoner – today working from Bethnal Green. St. James Garlickhythe Church, on Garlick Hill, stands on a site which has hosted a church since 1100. The church has gone through much iteration, with the present one having started work a year after the Great Fire of London of 1666; re-opening in 1682 and the tower completed in 1717.

The steeple is one of the City’s most ornate and was designed by Sir Christopher Wren himself. The spire is made from Portland stone, brought via sea from Weymouth. An organ, installed in 1718 by Johann Knoppell, is accommodated in the gallery. The church, all in all, was left relatively unscathed by the Blitz, with the only damage being a 500-pound bomb which buried itself in the south-east corner without exploding. The church is today used by 12 livery companies.

This neighbourhood has several major thoroughfares running just within or outside its boundaries, and as such suffers from congestion in the area, particularly during the rush hour. Currently the largest issue is that a large part of the neighbourhood is undergoing some form of construction – however, the new developments are poised to make the area more open and attractive, tying it to the fabric of the City, instead of being a traffic island in between Upper Thames Street and Queen Victoria Street.
One recent development in the area was the construction of the Vintry & Mercer Hotel. The hotel takes its name from London’s wine merchants and textile sellers – and the rooms will reflect this heritage. It was listed on the Telegraph’s 9 hotel openings to watch out for. 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.