This drawing by reconstruction artist Terry Ball depicts London’s Guildhall as it would have appeared in the 15th century. The Guildhall acted as the seat of civic power in London during the medieval period. In the 15th century, there was a campaign of civic improvements led by London’s mayor Richard Whittington (c. 1354-1423), of which the Guildhall was the centerpiece. The campaign lasted from 1411 to 1450 and saw the expansion of the Guildhall to become the largest secular hall in London. The impressive building contained two courts, one for the Mayor and one for the meeting of the city’s Aldermen, a chapel, and the Guildhall library. The Guildhall acted as a sort of palace for the Mayor, an indicator of his immense power in the city. Second to the king, the Mayor was the most important man in London. The Guildhall acted as a focal point of civic proceedings. During special city holidays, the Mayor, Aldermen, and Sheriffs conducted processions from the Guildhall to St. Paul’s cathedral, then back to the Guildhall. Through public displays such as these, London officials cemented the Guildhall as a place of civic power for the inhabitants of London. In addition to civic proceedings, the Guildhall served an important economic function. One of the halls in the precinct was used as a market for wool, England’s main export at the time. London’s merchants were keenly aware that centers of trade in cities acted as cultural symbols for foreign merchants. Trading centers on the continent such as Flanders and Bruges had spectacular civic halls, which London merchants would have seen during their travels. Not only did they act as commercial hubs, these halls also demonstrated the wealth and prestige of the entire city. The enormous great hall designed by stone mason John Croxtone was based on the great hall of Westminster palace, built in 1097 by William Rufus and redesigned by Richard II in the late 14th century. The palace was famed for its large, ornate great hall, which boasted a beautiful hammerbeam roof and gothic style windows. The Guildhall’s own gothic architecture reflected the desire of London’s civic leaders to establish the city as a center of European influence.

This drawing of London Bridge by Peter Jackson depicts a busy street scene on London Bridge. The river crossing occupied by London Bridge had been utilized by London’s inhabitants since Roman times. The use of stone in bridge construction first occurred during the reconstruction of the bridge in 1176 and was overseen by Peter, chaplain of the nearby Colechurch parish. Houses and shops were built on the bridge early on, but, living on the bridge was not without its dangers. In 1212 a major fire swept across the bridge destroying many of the homes and part of the Chapel of St. Thomas and there were also several instances of the arches of the bridge collapsing. Rents from properties on the bridge and elsewhere in the city, as well as tolls on ships and carts passing under and over the bridge, paid for the near constant upkeep of the bridge structure. The income was recorded in the accounts of the Bridge House estate, whose accounts also show payments to a group of workers known as ‘tidemen,’ who were responsible for the upkeep of the bridge, as well as for materials such as the frequent shipments of stone they received to make repairs. Bridges in medieval cities served as important commercial and residential thoroughfares; the first floors of the buildings served as shops, while the upper levels were homes. The buildings situated on the bridge were some of the most expensive real estate in the city. London’s inhabitants recognized that the funneling of pedestrians through the bridge created the perfect location for commerce. Those crossing the bridge, whether on foot or by horse, had to pay a toll, while those moving goods paid an additional fee. A survey of rents from 1358 reveals that there were sixty-two shops located on the east side and sixty-nine shops located on the west side of the bridge. The structure of these buildings was so compact, the bridge was described as appearing like a continuation of the street rather than a bridge. The commercial congestion of the bridge is clear in Jackson’s work, the crowds of shoppers and condensed buildings appear like any other street in London, but the sliver of blue water beyond the bridge’s railing at the back of the drawing reminds the viewer that they are looking at London Bridge.