tours of guildhall london

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Guildhall Great Hall

Home of the City of London Corporation , Guildhall Great Hall has been the centre of City government since the Middle Ages. This City's only surviving secular medieval building dates from 1411. With 27m high ceilings and a cathedral-like ambience, the historic building is situated on top of London's largest medieval crypts.

Visit the Great Hall

Take a guided tour and learn how the City operates, its livery companies, famous events that took place within its medieval walls and admire the impressive memorials to some of Britain’s most important historic figures. 

Monthly tours - Sold Out for all 2023 dates

City of London Tours run monthly guided tours of Guildhall on the days that the Court of Common Council meets. Tours take place in the morning and last about an hour. Why not go along to the Court of Common Council afterwards and see the City’s democracy in action?

Tickets must be booked in advance via City of London Guides. All dates are sold out for 2023, new dates for 2024 tours will be added to the City of London Guides website .

Private Tours

Private group bookings can still be made on selected dates in 2023, contact City of London Guides for details.

Inside Guildhall

The Great Hall has witnessed its share of drama. During the turmoil of the Reformation, peers, an archbishop and a queen were tried here for treason. It has been the setting for the pomp and circumstance of state and mayoral occasions since 1502.

Guildhall Great Hall is the third largest civic hall in England, where royalty and state visitors have been entertained throughout the centuries. It has been the setting for famous state trials, including that of Lady Jane Grey in 1553. The imposing medieval hall has stained glass windows and several monuments to national heroes including Admiral Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill.

Today, Guildhall still plays an important role in the City. It provides a venue for state and civic banquets, meetings of the City of London's elected assembly, the Court of Common Council, and for the Honorary Freedom of the City ceremony .

The word 'guildhall' is said to derive from the Anglo-Saxon 'gild' meaning payment, so it was probably a place where citizens would pay their taxes. The present Guildhall was built in 1411 and, having survived both the Great Fire of London and the Blitz, it is the only secular stone structure dating from before 1666 still standing in the City.

It is likely that at least one earlier guildhall existed on or near the current site. References to a London guildhall are made in a document dating back to 1128 and the current hall's west crypt is thought to be part of a late-13th century building.

Remains of a long-lost  Roman amphitheatre  discovered in 1987 underneath what is now Guildhall Yard indicate that the site of Guildhall was significant as far back as Roman times.

Hire of Guildhall for corporate events

With its distinctive and evocative features, Great Hall can be adapted to a variety of events, styles and numbers.

For more information call 020 7332 1313 or email the  Guildhall Events Team .

Visit Guildhall Art Gallery

Guildhall Yard

Guildhall School of Music and Drama

Ticketmaster Music concerts , comedy , theatre & festivals

Guildhall – Great Hall & Old Library Tour

Good for kids? ★ ★ ★ Value for money? ★ ★ ★ Worth a visit? ★ ★ ★

“Behind everything in London is something else, and, behind that, is something else still; and so on through the centuries, so that London as we see her is only the latest manifestation of other Londons.” Henry Morton, writer (1951)

Craig ’s review… Not many tourists bother visiting Guildhall because it’s tucked away in a side street off Cheapside. Not a lot of locals bother with it either, which is a shame, because it’s one of the most historic buildings in London. The Saxons are supposed to have built the original one on the stumps of the Roman amphitheatre but the one we see today is 15th-century. Ignore the white facade at the front, which was added in the 1780s, and forget the roof too, because that was rebuilt after the Luftwaffe dropped a bomb on top. What you need to look at is the dark brown stonework in the middle. That’s Henry V. That’s the Battle of Agincourt. That’s how old those brown walls are. That’s two centuries before the English Civil War.

Guildhall Art Gallery

The easiest way to get inside is on a guided tour but they only hold them once a month, and you have to email their website to get your name on the list. Then you meet your guide in the cloakroom of the Guildhall Art Gallery next-door. That’s where I’m standing right now, watching all the tourists hanging their hats and bags on the hooks, fifty feet from where the Roman gladiators would have been getting ready for their own bout. Check out my review of the Guildhall Art Gallery if you don’t believe me. (It’s worth turning up thirty minutes early just to have a quick look around the remains of the Roman amphitheatre.)

Our guide today is a nice elderly lady and she won’t mind be mentioning that she’s elderly because I mean it as a compliment. In my experience older guides are definitely better because the young ones tend to rush around and tell too many jokes, like they’re putting on a performance. Older guides just take their time and tell you the interesting history of it through a bit of friendly conversation.

The Great Hall, Gog and Magog

After a quick walk around the outside of St. Lawrence Jewry (one of Christopher Wren’s City churches) she takes us into the Great Hall itself. It’s been remodelled a lot since Dick Whittington’s day, but it’s still hanging with faded flags and banners of the City’s livery companies. You can see grand statues of Nelson , Wellington , Winston Churchill and William Pitt down the sides, but you need to look up on the balcony for the most famous ones: the golden statues of Gog and Magog. Legend says that Brutus slew and chained them to his palace gates, but over the years they’ve morphed into benevolent guardians, like the City’s human guard dogs, and they’ve supplanted Brutus as the good guys. Every time the statues got destroyed we rushed to rebuild them in case they brought bad luck upon the city.

It’s amazing to think that Henry V held a big banquet within these very walls, and Lady Jane Grey was put on trial for her life after her nine-day reign. Archbishop Thomas Cranmer and Thomas Culpeper ended up here as well after falling out with Henry VIII. These days it’s mainly used for meetings and formal dinners.

The Old Library

After we’ve seen the Great Hall she takes us down some stone stairs into the crypt and Old Library with its stained glass windows and huge, heavy tapestries on the walls. And that’s it.

…but not quite… because they always time their guided tours to coincide with the monthly Common Council meeting . If you don’t mind hanging around for a while then you can come back and see the Great Hall in use.

We also recommend… If you enjoy this then try Mansion House (you can walk it in 4 mins) and Royal Courts of Justice (walk it in 20 mins or travel from Bank to Temple by tube ) . If you’re visiting the Guildhall then try and time it with the Common Council meeting

The Guildhall appears in our London two day itinerary

Related articles and events

Guided tour of the historic Guildhall Until 5 Dec 2024 Look around the Guildhall's medieval Great Hall which dates all the way back to the Lord Mayor of London Dick Whittington

Guildhall Common Council with the Lord Mayor of London Until 6 Mar 2025 Attend a meeting inside the medieval Guildhall and see the Lord Mayor and Aldermen 6

Your comments and questions

Brian Can you get inside the Guildhall and have a look around without booking a tour?

Craig Hi Brian. You can do, yes - as long as they don't have a meeting on at the time. All you have to do is go through those glass doors in that pepperpot-shaped building to the left of the Guildhall. They'll search your bags and then you go down a corridor into the Great Hall. But if you go on a guided tour then you'll get to see some other impressive rooms as well, like the crypt and Old Library.

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A Look Inside The Magnificent Great Hall Of The City’s Guildhall

The City of London, or the ‘Square Mile’, is the ancient historic centre of London, where the Romans established Londinium in the years following the invasion in 43AD. At the heart of the City is Guildhall.

Parts, such as the Guildhall Art Gallery, are open to the public, however other areas are usually not, including the stunning Great Hall. The oldest secular building in the City, the Great Hall has had many uses over the centuries from grand ceremonies and state trials to governance.

They run monthly tours and so, naturally, I booked myself in.

A Quick Introduction to the City of London

The City of London is, today, a bit of a constitutional anomaly.

In some ways it has similar powers to the other 32 boroughs under the Greater London umbrella, but it also has special privileges, including its own Lord Mayor, police force and government.

No-one knows exactly how old the government of the City of London is, but it is thought to have at least Anglo-Saxon origins and certainly pre-dates the government of the country as a whole.

Successive monarchs and governments, over the centuries, have confirmed the rights to self-governance of the City of London, due to its wealth, power and influence. Kings and governments have preferred to keep the City on their side.

The History of Guildhall

Guildhall, essentially the city hall of the City of London, has been on its current site since at least the 13th century. Citizens of the City would come here to pay their taxes, or ‘geld’, which is where we get the word ‘guild’ from. 

I am always slightly astounded when I walk into the yard of the Guildhall. It is, to put it simply, an architectural and historical feast for the eyes.

You are stood above the remains of Roman London’s amphitheatre , you can see the beautiful 17th century St Lawrence Jewry church, designed by Wren, the 18th century ‘hindoostani gothic’ entranceway, the post-war brutalist Court of Alderman and library and, of course, the Great Hall.

Behind the amazing entranceway is the medieval Great Hall.  

The Great Hall

Dating predominantly from 1411, the Great Hall is the oldest surviving part of Guildhall. This makes it the oldest secular building in the City of London.

The Great Hall is the third largest civic hall in England and has a number of functions in the operations of the City. It is the venue for great ceremonial occasions such as the annual Lord Mayor’s Banquet, the Coronation banquet and meetings of the City’s elected assemblies.

The hall did suffer severe damage during the Blitz, including the destruction of the roof. Much of the interiors are therefore a post-war reconstruction, but the outer structure is largely medieval.

What To Spot

Statues of gog and magog.

In the Great Hall are two statues representing the mythological figures of Gog and Magog. These are legendary pre-Roman guardians of London. Two wicker representations of these giants, mascots of London, are paraded at the front of the annual Lord Mayor’s Show through the City. 

Stained Glass Windows

All around the hall are a series of incredible stained glass windows. They are post-war reconstructions of the windows that were here prior to being blown out during the Blitz.

Look closely and you will see a series of names in the glass. These are the names of all the nearly 700 Lord Mayors over the centuries (two of which were women) and the monarchs that were on the throne when they were in power. 

Monuments to famous figures

Dotted around the hall are statues and dramatic monuments to famous national figures. There is a statue of Churchill, as well as monuments to Nelson, Wellington and Pitt the Elder and Younger.

There is also a monument to William Beckford, twice Lord Mayor in the 1760s. In 1770 Beckford broke protocol and admonished the King George III over the unconstitutional expulsion of the elected MP John Wilkes from government by the Kings ministers.

He was considered to be sticking up for the City’s right to speak out and was therefore considered a hero by the City. They erected this monument to him at that time.

He is however a controversial figure today as he was a very wealthy man, the vast majority of this wealth coming from plantations in Jamaica.

Banners of the livery companies

All around the hall are the crests of the 111 livery companies of the City of London. They are sorted into an order of precedence, based on their power and influence and the top twelve are known as the Great Twelve.

The Great Twelve, including the Mercers , Grocers, Drapers, Fishmongers, Goldsmiths etc, have large hanging banners around the hall instead. You can find out more about the livery companies here . 

A List Of Those Put On Trial

The Great Hall was the site of some very high-profile state trials over the centuries. In the hall is a list of those that took place here and their sentence.

Trials seem to have taken place here if the City’s authorities were involved in the trial. For example Lady Jane Grey, the famous nine days queen, was tried here in 1553, with the Lord Mayor of the City sitting on the panel.

She was sentenced to be executed and beheaded on Tower Green, inside the Tower of London, in 1554.

Standards of length

Under one of the windows are the old brass ‘standards of length’. These were the official measurements for one foot, two feet and a yard against which merchandise could be measured. 

Cow horn window

Above the standards of length you will see an unusual window.

It may not look like much, however, it is actually a very rare 15th century window made from cow horn. Very thinly shaved cow horn was a cheaper material often used in place of the more expensive glass.

An Ancient Crypt And A Decapitated Statue

On the tour we were also shown the incredible medieval crypts below the Guildhall. The East and West crypts are the largest medieval crypts in London.

The Western part is thought to date back to the 13th century and the Eastern possibly the 11th century! 

Amongst other artefacts, we were also shown a huge plaster royal coat of arms that once adorned Wren’s 17th century St Michael Bassishaw. The church was demolished in 1897 but the coat of arms were salvaged and now stored here. 

Finally, there is a statue of Margaret Thatcher, tucked away inside the Guildhall. The marble statue was commissioned in 1998 and sculpted by Neil Simmons.

It was originally intended for the Palace of Westminster, but ended up at the Guildhall Art Gallery from 2002.

On the 3rd July 2002 a theatre producer called Paul Kelleher smuggled a cricket bat into the gallery and attempted to decapitate the statue. The cricket bat was however not up to the job and he ended up completing the task with a nearby metal pole from a rope cordon. It was subsequently repaired and moved into the Guildhall itself. 

Kelleher waited a few minutes for the police to arrive and arrest him. When they arrived he alleged said ‘I think it looks better like that’!

How To Visit

As mentioned above, City of London guides run monthly tours of the Guildhall on Thursdays.

The ticket costs £10 and the tour last around an hour.

Click here to find out how to book.

Thank you for reading- more London history below!

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Share this:, 4 thoughts on “a look inside the magnificent great hall of the city’s guildhall”.

An excellent start to the day, many thanks!

Wonderful and so informative. Thank you

I’ve just signed up for your emails – this one today was absolutely fascinating! I’m just sad my late father never saw these, he would have been as enthralled as me!

Hi, thank you for a fascinating article. I do , however, have a query. I have read that when cattle horns were widely used to make opaque windows because glass was prohibitively expensive, it was obtained thus: 1) The interior marrow of the horn was removed by boiling the whole horn in a solution ofbicarbonate of soda. I’ve done this myself – it’s a long, stinky process, but strangely satisfying when the honeycomb of marrow slithers out. 2) It was then soaked in vinegar, the acid softening the horn until it could be painstakingly unrolled, rather like a paper lollipop stick. I haven’t done this part as my then better half had suffered enough with the smell of stage 1. Regards, Mark Elliott

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• Old Library & Print Room
• Livery Hall
• East & West Crypts
• Chief Commoner's Parlour
• Basinghall Suite
• Guildhall Art Gallery
• Roman Amphitheatre & Undercroft Gallery
• Sustainability

Guildhall’s largest space is meant to impress

The spectacular setting for the annual Lord Mayor’s Banquet since 1502, this vast, medieval hall is available for daytime, evening and all-day hire and naturally lends itself to large dinners and receptions.

With a soaring, high-arched ceiling and two huge, Gothic stained-glass windows emblazoned with the names of past Lord Mayors, Great Hall’s unique history is told through distinctive and evocative features that can be adapted to a variety of events, styles and numbers.

As the stage for state trials such as that of Lady Jane Grey, guests will never be short of talking points.

Max Capacities

Typical set ups, good to know.

Dan Chung @2021

The Great Hall is 153ft long, 85ft high, with 5ft thick walls

Taking place almost entirely in silence, a new Lord Mayor takes office each year at the centuries-old Silent Ceremony held in the Great Hall

There have been 695 Lord Mayors of London, the first being Henry Fitz Ailwin in 1189, during the reign of Richard I. The most famous is Richard ‘Dick’ Whittington, who was Mayor 4 times

The current and 695th Lord Mayor is Alderman Michael Mainelli

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Posted on 19th October 2023 Categories London History

By: Author Alastair Reid Schanche

The History of The Guildhall: The HQ of the World’s Oldest Democracy

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We explore the history and the sights at London’s Guildhall – perhaps one of the most important buildings in the city. 

London’s Guildhall is a pretty unique place. The Grade I Listed building sits on a site that’s been important to Londoners since this city was known as Londoninum, and as super ancient things go in London ranks as one of our favs. 

That’s in part due to the stunning Gothic architecture and the little fact that it’s over 800 years old…. Yes, we’re not kidding. It’s one of those ‘only in London’ type things. 

What happened to make this possible? Well, let’s find out. 

Why Visit Guildhall?

For London history in one of its finest examples and a good look at all the below…

The Guildhall Art Gallery 

One of the Guildhall’s biggest draws (and probably the best way to see around the inside of this rather impressive building) is the Guildhall Art Gallery . 

They don’t have anything modern so don’t come expecting to see a Banksy or a Basquiat. What you’ll find is an impressive collection of works from the Victorian, Pre-Raphaelite and early Impressionist eras. 

Their permanent collection boasts paintings by Tissot, Jan Griffier the Younger, Logsdail and many more, sketching a story of London’s past half millennia through artists that have chosen it as their subject. 

The Roman Amphitheatre

One of the most unusual things you’ll find at the Guildhall is a Roman Amphitheatre. Yep, no joke. In fact, as you’ll find out below, this may be the very reason the Guildhall is where it is. 

There’s not much left of it, but the foundations are bolstered with the help of some installations that visualise the scale as it would have been during the time of Roman London . 

For Private Events and Tours

The Guildhall has many other truly stunning rooms but most of them aren’t regularly open to the public. Annoying, yes, but they do have the excuse for using these rooms as centres of business, government and actual guild meetings.

If you want to see for example, the guildhall – an impressive dining hall that dates back to the 1400s – or the fascinating underground crypts, you’ll have to take a tour or book them out for a private event at a price we dare not even imagine. 

For more info on the tours, check here

The History of Guildhall 

Roman .

Back in the days when London was called Londinium, the site we find the Guildhall on today would have been one centre of town. It has a lot to do with that amphitheatre we mentioned above. 

2000 years ago it was the largest amphitheatre in the British Isles, the jewel of Roman London where savage barbarian celts would have been pitted against gladiators in deathmatches and blood sport. 

It was not, though, an important site for administration. The Forum, where this would have happened, was near to what is today Leadenhall Market .

Fast forward about 400 years and the Romans have gone and the Saxons are in charge. This is where things start to get interesting. It seems the Saxons picked up on the fact that this was an important site of the old city as they picked it as the location for their guildhall. 

We speculate that this was probably because of the scale of the Roman amphitheatre. This isn’t just based on our post-work pints chat though, excavations show that a later gatehouse from the 13th century used the same entrance as the amphitheatre, indicating much of the structure was probably still intact then. 

Either way, it’s with the Saxons, sometime between 400 AD and when the Normans show up that a guildhall was first built here in London. 

Mediaeval to the Present Day 

It’s in the mediaeval period that we start to see the Guildhall as we know it today, and yes, some of it really does date back to this long-ago date. The Great Hall for one was finished in 1440. 

Over the years extra bits have been added, and some changed. The roof, for one, was burnt off during the Great Fire of London, repaired and then destroyed again during WWII. 

In the many years between 1440 and the present day the Guildhall has played the stage for a handful of very historic events, not least the trial of Lady Jane Grey and Chopin’s last ever public performance. 

Today the Guildhall is the HQ of the City of London Corporation. They run the goings on in the world’s oldest continuous democracy from these halls. If you want to know more about that fascinating bit of history, follow the link below…

Read More: The Incredible History of the City of London: The World’s Longest Continuous Democracy

Guildhall: Practical Information

Address: 71 Basinghall St, London EC2V 7HH

• To visit the Guildhall, either go to the art gallery or book yourself in on a tour here. The art gallery is usually open to the public at regular hours but we suggest you check on their website first as they do have a tendency to close it for public events. 

Guildhall London: Map 

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Guildhall has been the City’s seat of government for more than 800 years. The Great Hall dates from the early 15th century and is positively Hogwartsian in its Gothic grandeur, with pointy arched windows and 27m-high ceilings. It's the only remaining secular structure to have survived the Great Fire of 1666, although it was severely damaged both then and during the Blitz of 1940.

Inside it's hung with the banners and shields of London’s 12 principal livery companies, or guilds, which used to wield immense power. The lord mayor and two sheriffs are still elected annually in the vast open hall. Statues and memorials of Winston Churchill, Admiral Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and both Prime Ministers William Pitt (the Elder and the Younger) line the walls.

In the upper gallery, at the western end, are statues of the biblical giants Gog and Magog, traditionally considered to be guardians of the City; today’s figures replaced similar 18th-century statues destroyed in the Blitz. Guildhall’s stained glass was also blown out during the bombing, and a modern window in the southwestern corner depicts the city’s history: look for London’s most famous lord mayor, Richard ‘Dick’ Whittington, with his famous cat, a scene of the Great Fire and even the Lloyd's of London building.

To visit, enter through the reception of the City's modern administration block.

Guildhall Yard. EC2

Get In Touch

020-7332 1313

https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/guildhallgalleries

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Monthly tours of the City of London’s Guildhall

Xmonthly tours of the city of london’s guildhall.

I’m sorry folks, but the Guildhall Guides have asked me to remove this article.

They say they get enough visitors from other places, and it seems they don’t want you to visit if you got the information from ianVisits.

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What an outrageous response from them.

How bizarre. Feels like there’s an interesting story to be uncovered here. Why would they care from what source interested visitors got the info? Why would they want to reduce visitor numbers in this way? Why IanVisits in particular?

How odd…Are we too classy for them, those snobs? When I am in London again this June spreading my American money about I shall be sure to stop and steal something from the shop there.

I would posit that they don’t like the type (and volume) of attendees who are brought in from a popular website such as this. I specifically came back to this article to check the dates for booking. I’ll be giving it a miss.

Presumably they’re getting ‘backhanders’ from others. Sod ‘em. We’ll take our money elsewhere.

That’s the City of London for you! Elitist and exclusionary

Bizarre! You’d have thought the City of London would welcome the publicity,

A very strange reaction. I visited the Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman amphitheatre a couple of years ago. I remember that when I went in I was asked where I’d heard about the gallery and told them it was on Ian Visits. They said they’d never heard of the site but would take a look at it and seemed happy to have the free publicity. Maybe they didn’t like me and it’s all my fault…

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London’s Guildhall was originally built in 1411 but was destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the current Gothic building was rebuilt in 1673. It has historically been The City of London’s city hall and is now the home of the Corporation of London, although City Hall in Southwark is the administrative centre of Greater London.

Some of the more impressive parts of Guildhall include the medieval Great Hall, which is the third largest civic hall in England and has entertained royalty and state visitors for hundreds of years, and the Old Library, which is now used as reception rooms.

What to see at Guildhall

Access for tourists is often limited because Guildhall is a working council building that is used for council functions and it is also used for functions for the City of London livery companies and parts of the building are often booked for private events.

However there are monthly tours that give you the opportunity to see inside the City of London’s only surviving secular medieval building. Much of the Great Hall is the original building dating from 1411.

There is also a Roman amphitheatre located underneath Guildhall, but access to the amphitheatre is part of Guildhall Art Gallery , located next door.

Visiting Guildhall

Guildhall is located in Guildhall Yard, just off Gresham Street in the centre of the City of London. Bank is the closest tube station, although Moorgate and St Paul’s are also nearby.

It is located immediately next door to Guildhall Art Gallery and the City of London Police Museum . It is also less than a 10-minute walk to the Museum of London and St Paul’s Cathedral .

Access for tourists is often limited because it is a working council building that is used for council meetings and it is also used for functions for the City of London livery companies and parts are often booked for private events.

Once a month it is possible to take a 75-minute tour of Guildhall, which gives you access to the building and let you learn a lot more about how the City of London operates including the role of livery companies and famous events that have taken place in the City. However, these tours sell out quickly. Contact City of London Guides for more details about the monthly Guildhall tours.

Christiane Rahne

Cannot con nect to booking site; no other info provided

Sadly, the links to booking/ further info page are not working. It seems one cannot visit the guildhall.

13 July 2023

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Guide To The Guildhall Art Gallery, London Hidden Gem

The Guildhall Art Gallery houses the City of London’s art collection. Opened in 1886, it’s located in the Square Mile, the historic and financial district of the city.

The Guildhall aims to be a gallery “about London for London.” The collection consists of 4,00 artworks (oil paintings, drawings, sculptures). It’s particularly rich in Victorian era art, including some dreamy Pre-Raphaelites paintings.

In 1987, the ruins of a Roman amphitheater were discovered onsite during a building project. They were excavated and opened to the public in 2002.

This guide tells you everything to see at the Guildhall Art Gallery and gives you tips for visiting. It’s a hidden gem in London that’s well worth visiting for art lovers and fans of Roman ruins. Plus, it’s perfectly free!

Guildhall Art Gallery: What To See

Here are the highlights and things you can’t miss on a visit to the Guildhall:

1. Dante Gabriel Rossetti,  La Ghirlandata

This painting is perhaps the museum’s most renowned piece. But, be forewarned, it’s often on loan, so you might miss it during your visit.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s La Ghirlandata translates to “The Garlanded Lady” or “The Lady of the Wreath.” The artist called it “the greenest picture in the world.”

The artwork is often seen as a representation of love and beauty. It portrays a red headed woman playing a harp while surrounded by angels, flowers, and lush greenery. Her green dress blends seamlessly into the landscape.

Painted in 1873, La Ghirlandata belongs to the later phase of Rossetti’s career, which is characterized by a strong aesthetic and sensual style.

2. Frederick Leighton, The Music Lesson

Frederic Leighton was a British artist and one of the leading figures of the Victorian Neo-classical art movement. He was known for his mastery of classical techniques and his ability to create highly detailed and visually stunning paintings.

One of his notable works is The Music Lesson , which is a rather exotic and highly romanticized painting. It depicts a young girl playing a a stringed instrument while an older girl sits beside her, listening intently.

The painting follows Leighton’s dictum that a painting should be “beauty of beauty’s sake.” It’s about the senses — sounds from the string instrument and touch from texture of the luxurious flowing costumes.

3. William Shakespeare Burton, The Wounded Cavalier

Burton was a genre painting and historical painter of the Victorian era. The Wounded Cavalier is his most famous painting.

In this visually arresting piece, Burton depicts a Royalist soldier, who has been wounded during the English Civil War in the mid-17th century.

The soldier is portrayed in a heroic and romanticized manner, symbolizing the loyalty and sacrifice of Royalist supporters.

Apart from the compelling narrative, the painting is simply visually arresting, with exquisite color and attention to detail.

4. James Tissot, Too Early

Tissot is a French painter of the Victorian era. He’s known for his portraits and genre scenes depicting fashionable Parisian society.

This Tissot painting is a detailed and perfect study of character and expression. It captures a witty moment in Victorian polite society.

The central group is particularly expressive. Look at the side eye of the woman in coral and white and the slight upward look of the elderly man.

Are they trying to escape from an embarrassing social situation, having arrived too early? Aside from the comedy in the painting, you can see Tissot’s painting virtuosity in the exquisite detail of the gowns.

5. Paul Delaroche, The Execution of Lady Jane Grey

You may recognize this painting. It’s a enormously popular image of the execution of Lady Jane Grey, the “nine days queen.”

The large scale original is in the National Gallery of Art . The Guildhall owns a smaller study.

Delaroche is known for his emotionally charged subject matter and theatricality. Here, he depicts the final moments of the would-be queen as she awaits her death.

6. John Singleton Copley, Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar

John Singleton Copley was an American painter of the 18th century known for his skillful and detailed portraits, historical paintings, and scenes of everyday life.

Defeat is a massive painting with a double height wall specifically designed for its display. In it, Copley depicts a key naval engagement during the Great Siege of Gibraltar, which took place from 1779 to 1783 during the American Revolutionary War.

Copley’s fully restored painting is celebrated for its meticulous attention to detail and its ability to convey the tension and action of the battle.

7. William Holman Hunt, Eve of St. Agnes

Hunt was a founding member of the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood. His paintings are know for their colorful hyperrealistic style.

This painting illustrates an episode from Keat’s poem of 1819, The Eve of St. Anges . It tells the tale of Madeleine’s escape with her lover Porphyry from her father’s house.

It’s strongly moralistic in detail. Two men are passed out while revellers party in the background. Porphyry’s hand on the sword suggests danger.

8. William Logsdail, The Ninth of November

William Logsdail was a British artist known for his urban landscapes, particularly his scenes of London.

He gained recognition for his detailed and realistic depictions of everyday life in the city, capturing the atmosphere, architecture, and people of late 19th and early 20th century London.

In this painting, the backdrop is a cold, wet, and gloomy November day in London on the Lord Mayor’s Day. The weather hasn’t put off the spectators.

In contrast to the drab weather, you see a gleaming stagecoach and splendidly dressed footmen.

9. Carl Laubin, 12.18 and 10 Seconds

Carl Laubin is a contemporary British artist known for his architectural paintings.

He was formerly an architect, and hist paintings reflect that. They are meticulously detailed and highly realistic representations of classical and neoclassical buildings and landscapes.

This painting depicts another Lord Mayor’s Show in 2009. The title refers to the military precision timing of the parade.

As in Logsdail’s painting above from a century earlier, the drab weather is offset by the glittering gold coach and colorful umbrellas.

10. John Everett Millais, My Second Sermon

The Guildhall has four beautiful paintings by Pre-Raphaelite artist John Everett Millais.

My Second Sermon is one of two paintings the artist created of a child listening to sermons.

In the fist one, she is sitting upright and listening. In this one, not as popular with the clergy, the child’s enthusiasm has waned and she’s napping. It serves as a warning to preacher’s to keep their sermons short.

I also loved Millais’ Lorenzo and Isabella painting in the museum. It’s based on a Keats’ poem and depicts the moment her brothers discover she has a secret love.

11. Roman Amphitheater

It was long suspected that ancient Londinium would have had an amphitheater. But the ruins were only discovered in 1988, while excavating to build the new Guildhall gallery.

The Romand built the amphitheater in about 70 A.D. It was elliptical shape, approximately 330 feet by 230 feet.

It was later expanded to seat 6,000 spectators, who came to see the gladiatorial games. At the time, Londinium was only about 20,000 people, so this was popular stuff.

Today the ruins are buried about 26 feet below ground in the museum’s basement. You can see remains of the original walls, the drainage system, and even sand used to soak up blood from wounded gladiators.

A digital projection fills in gaps of the ruins.

Practical Guide & Tips For The Guildhall Art Gallery

Address : Basinghall St, London EC2V 5AE, UK

Hours : Open daily 10:30 am to 4:00 pm

Ticket : Free. You can scan a QR code to get the free audio guide.

Tours : There are free introductory tours at 12:15 pm and 1:15 pm on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. They last about 45 minutes and you don’t need to book in advance.

How Long To Spend?

The Guildhall is a small museum. I would plan to spend about an hour to see the highlights, longer if you are an art lover.

Is the Guildhall Art Gallery Worth It?

I think the Guildhall Art Gallery is worth visiting, especially if you’re a repeat visitor to London looking for some hidden gems. It advertises itself as the “city’s best kept secret.”

It’s also a must do if you love the Pre-Raphaelites or want to see some rare Roman ruins in London.

Plus, it’s hard to beat free.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide to the Guildhall Art Gallery. You may enjoy these other London travel guides and resources:

• 3 Day Itinerary for London
• 5 Day Itinerary for London
• Hidden Gems in London
• Tourist Traps To Avoid in London
• Free Museums in London
• Harry Potter Places in London
• Guide to the Tower of London
• Guide to the Churchill War Rooms
• Guide To the National Gallery of Art

If you’d like to visit the Guildhall Art Gallery, pin it for later.

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Last Updated on November 17, 2023 by Leslie Livingston

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Guildhall art gallery & roman amphitheatre: tues, thur, fri, sat & sun.

The Guildhall Art Gallery contains a wonderful collection of paintings dating from the 1600s to the present day, including historic scenes of the City of London, Pre-Raphaelite gems and modern masterpieces. 

The Gallery houses such world-famous works such as Dante Gabriel Rossetti's ‘La Ghirlandata' and John Everett Millais' ‘My First Sermon’ and ‘My Second Sermon’.  Dominating the Gallery is John Singleton Copley's mammoth ‘The Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar’.

Below the Gallery you’ll view the Roman Amphitheatre, discovered when the building was rebuilt by Richard Gilbert Scott. Alongside this unique London survival you can see highlights from the Corporation’s collection of historic artefacts.

Learn about Guildhall Art Gallery’s collection on a free tour led by a qualified City of London Guide. They take place every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 12:15 and 13:15hrs. There's no need to book - just turn up on the day. The Gallery is also free and there's often a special exhibition on - check the Guildhall Art Gallery website for details. 

Please note that the Guildhall Art Gallery may occasionally be closed to the public. Guiding does not occur on these dates. For dates of upcoming closures, please double check the Guildhall Art Gallery website.

Photos: courtesy of Niki Gorick

Please note: children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

We offer daily, weekly and monthly walks around the City of London 

Our daily walks run from the City Information Centre, just south of St Paul's. You need to book via Eventbrite to secure you place.  Note : the cut-off time for booking our daily walks is 21:00hrs the night before. If we don't have any bookings then the walk will not take place.

Our weekly walks have individual booking pages and earlier cut-off times, please see the individual listing.  

We've adde d 3 new walks for this season:

Secrets and Symbols, News from Fleet Street, and From Shakespeare to Oscar Wilde

Billingsgate Roman House and Baths opens in April 

This unique site will open for this year's season for tours starting on Saturday 13 April.  Find out more.

Leadenhall Market- Beer, Bread and Beans!

This is a limited-edition, evening tour exploring the history of food and drink in and around the market in May and June.  Find out more

Private tours

If you'd like to organise your own walk , lecture or a virtual tour, then please use our  Find a Guide  section. If you're a member of an Arts Society or a U3A or other group we'd love to take you on a tour of the City. And if you're a company based in the City who'd like to organise a social event for your work colleagues, why not book a walk with us? 

If you've been on a walk recently we'd love to hear from you. Why not leave a review on our TripAdvisor  page? We've been awarded TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice for 2023!

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Guildhall Art Gallery, Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE

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Anne Desmet: Kaleidoscope/London Exhibition

Guildhall Art Gallery

Location: Guildhall Yard, EC2V 5AE

'Pay What You Can'

Celebrate the work of artist and specialist wood engraver Anne Desmet, at this new exhibition inspired by "c limate crisis, escape, and possible new worlds".

From 12 April to 8 September 2024, discover a fresh perspective on London, its architecture and geography at this forthcoming major exhibition that celebrates the work of multi-award-winning wood engraver Anne Desmet RA.

Explore 150 artworks, including 41 London-themed prints created exclusively for this new exhibition a nd a selection of tools and engraved wood blocks, spanning over three decades of Desmet’s documentation of London through the mediums of wood engraving and mixed-media printed collage.

Desmet’s prints create a unique dialogue between time and change, depicting the evolution of urban landscapes - from ancient Rome and Pompeii to London. One of the stand-out art works not to be missed will be a complex collage, ‘Fires of London’, created using 18 razor-clam shells to present a theme of the many historic fires of London over the last 1,500 years.

A deeply personal and endlessly imaginative show, Desmet has spoken candidly about her inspiration for the new work, pointing to “wild scattergun thoughts running through my mind” while undergoing treatment for cancer two years ago and looking at a fragmented view of the world through a toy kaleidoscope.

The exhibition has been curated by Anne Desmet and Head of Guildhall Art Gallery, Elizabeth Scott. 'Anne Desmet: Kaleidoscope/London' is the first solo exhibition led by a female artist at Guildhall Art Gallery and will be one of two solely female exhibitions in 2024, with Evelyn De Morgan: Pioneering Artist in Victorian London opening in November . 

Admission to 'Anne Desmet: Kaleidoscope/London' exhibition is on a "Pay What You Can" basis. You can pay as much or as little as you like for your ticket or visit for free.

Income from this exhibition will help the Gallery to put on new public exhibitions and support their education and conservation programmes.

Artist Led Exhibition Tours

Immerse yourself in the world of 'Anne Desmet: Kaleidoscope/London' with an extended tour led by exhibition artist and co-curator Anne Desmet RA. Discover the diverse themes of construction and metamorphosis that inform Desmet's work and learn more about her hand-crafted print techniques.

• Find out more and book an exhibition tour with Anne Desmet RA

Wood Engraving Workshop

Please note that this event has now sold out. Keep an eye on this page for additional dates coming soon.

Join artist and co-curator Anne Desmet RA for an interactive introduction to wood engraving workshop on 18 May. During this one-day masterclass you will learn the basics of wood engraving, create two engraved woodblocks and go home with several prints of your own design.

• Find out more and book a wood engraving workshop with Anne Desmet RA

About Anne Desmet RA

Printmaker Anne Desmet RA is only the third artist to be elected to the Royal Academy for the wood engraving medium in the RA’s 256-year history. To date, Desmet has exhibited her work in over 40 solo shows, including five major museum exhibitions in the UK and overseas. Her work has won over 40 national and international awards over her 35-year career to date.

‘...By seeing the city anew and with a sense of its unexpected possibilities, I hope that my work will inspire optimism and constructive thinking in our uncertain times.’ (Anne Desmet RA)

Watch the video below where she takes us through each step in creating a wood engraving.

Footage courtesy of the Royal Academy of Arts © Royal Academy of Arts 2024

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Related events, heritage gallery exhibition: billingsgate market, anne desmet: kaleidoscope/london exhibition tours, anne desmet: kaleidoscope/london wood engraving workshop.

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The Cult announce 40th anniversary UK tour for winter 2024

The dates conclude with a stop at London’s Royal Albert Hall

The Cult have announced details of a UK tour, which will celebrate their 40th year as a band. Find upcoming dates and ticket details below.

Announced today (April 16), the shows are set for later this year and will see the iconic ‘80s rock group perform in 10 cities across the country. The dates come in celebration of a huge milestone for Ian Astbury and co., as this year marks four decades since the band formed as we recognise them today – swapping their name from the original title ‘Death Cult’ into ‘The Cult’.

“Following up from the great energy of Death Cult 8323 shows, I’m looking forward to bringing that sense of celebration of the band’s music, and the communion with our fans, to Cult 8424,” guitarist Billy Duffy said of the new announcement. “CFFC. Let the ceremony commence!”

The shows all take place this winter, and kick off on October 21 with an opening night at the De Montfort Hall in Leicester. This is followed the next night with a gig at Swansea Arena (22), followed by stops in Edinburgh (24), Manchester (25), Bristol (27), York (29) and Newcastle (30).

The final run of the new tour dates will take place in the first week of November; including a slot at Guildhall in Portsmouth on the 1st, and a show at Civic Hall in Wolverhampton the following night. The dates wrap up with a closing show at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London on November 4.

Tickets go on sale this Friday (April 19) at 10am BST. Visit here to get tickets and find a full list of tour dates below.

The Cult 2024 tour dates are:

Recommended.

OCTOBER 21 – Leicester, De Montfort Hall 22– Swansea, Swansea Arena    24 – Edinburgh, Usher Hall  25 – Manchester, O2 Apollo  27 – Bristol, Beacon     29 – York, Barbican 30 – Newcastle, O2 City Hall      

NOVEMBER: 1 – Portsmouth, Guildhall 2 – Wolverhampton, Civic Hall 4 – London, Royal Albert Hall

The dates for 2024 come following a tour the band embarked on last year, celebrating 40 years since their first formation under the name ‘Death Cult’ .

Taking place around the UK, Ireland and the US, the tour was called ‘Death Cult 8323’ and saw Duffy and Astbury return to play iconic venues they previously performed in at the start of their career.

The live shows focused on Death Cult and their eponymous EPs, and also boasted a setlist that spanned “the three phases of the band, from Southern Death Cult, to Death Cult, and The Cult’s first two albums: ‘Dreamtime’ (1984) and ‘Love’ (1985).”

More recently, Billy Duffy joined Johnny Marr on stage in Frome last summer to play tracks by The Smiths and Depeche Mode .

The on-stage appearance was the latest of the multiple times the two musicians have joined forces, as they both have a long history of playing music together – stemming back to their adolescent years.

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