Situated just south of Farringdon station, this densely-packed workplace neighbourhood is vibrant with activity day and night. Featuring a mosaic of buildings, ranging from the ancient St Sepulchre’s Church built over 500 years ago, to the shiny new Thameslink building refurbished in 2010, this area embodies the essence of modern London. Activity is concentrated around the City Thameslink train station and the A40, which runs through the centre of this area hosting many different kinds of shops, cafes, restaurants, and businesses. Notable among these are the London headquarters of Amazon and Just Eat.

Due to its positioning in the centre of London, this neighbourhood’s past is long, winding and storied. For example, the current St. Sepulchre’s Church was constructed in 1450, yet there has been a church-worshipping community in this area since the 12th century. Like many buildings in this area, the interior was destroyed in The Great Fire of London, and had to be completely rebuilt. Snow Hill itself was the site of one of the city of London’s key water conduits, which would sometimes be made to flow with wine on days of national celebration such as the coronation of George I in 1727.

This neighbourhood area was once home to the exiled Priest, John Rogers. Forced to leave the country under the rule of Henry VIII for translating the Bible, Rogers spent most of his life in Antwerp. After the death of Henry VIII, he was able to return, however, and became the vicar of St. Sepulchre’s from 1550-1553, where he played a central role in the English Reformation. This was tragically short-lived, as Mary I ascended to the throne in 1553 and imprisoned Rogers for over a year before having him burnt at the stake.

One interesting fact is that none of the roads in this neighbourhood feature the word ‘road’? This because the City of London did not have any for hundreds of years, instead consisting of a number of tightly-woven streets and courts.

The downside to this neighbourhood area is that, being part of the City of London, housing and rental prices are both incredibly expensive and subject to a lack of supply. The opening of the new Farringdon Elizabeth Line station just outside of this area, is likely to further increase demand meaning that prices could rise further in the future. However, extra supply is on the way in the form of a new student accommodation at 61-65 Holborn Viaduct which will provide 644 new rooms for those enrolled at the London School of Economics. Nearby the Kimberley House office development has recently had planning approved and will add an extra 36,000 square feet of commercial and retail space across 10 floors.