Holborn commemorates the River Fleet, also known as the Holbourne stream.
The road was once lined with coaching inns with the
Bull and Gate being particularly noted for being the terminus of stagecoaches from the north. These in turn attracted costermongers who would sell travellers fruit. The sixteenth-century
Staple Inn is one of London’s few surviving timber-faced buildings. Otherwise the inns of Holborn were swept away with the coming of the railways.
Two nineteenth century granite obelisks stand on both sides of Holborn at the junction with Gray’s Inn Road marking the entrance to the City.
City Temple The City Temple is a Nonconformist church on Holborn Viaduct. Fleet Market The Fleet Market was a market erected in 1736 on the newly culverted River Fleet. Hicks Hall Hicks Hall (1611 - 1778) was a building in St John Street, Clerkenwell, London. Lisle’s Tennis Court Lisle’s Tennis Court was a building off Portugal Street in Lincoln’s Inn Fields in London. Smithfield, London Smithfield is a locality in the ward of Farringdon Without situated at the City of London’s northwest in central London, England. St Andrew The Church of St Andrew, Holborn stands within the Ward of Farringdon Without. Staple Inn Staple Inn is London’s only surviving sixteenth-century domestic building, situated on the south side of High Holborn. Thavie’s Inn Thavie’s Inn was a former Inn of Chancery, associated with Lincoln’s Inn, established at Holborn, near the site of the present side street and office block still known as Thavies Inn Buildings. Amen Court, EC4M Many of the highways and byways around the precincts of St Paul’s Cathedral bear names which have ecclesiastical origins. Bear Alley, EC4A Bear Alley is one of the streets of London in the EC4A postal area. Bell Yard, EC4A Bell Yard is a small lane off the Strand where the Bell hostel once stood. Bolt Court, EC4A Bolt Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4A postal area. Broad Yard, EC1M Broad Yard is one of the streets of London in the EC1M postal area. Chancery Lane, WC2A Chancery Lane has formed the western boundary of the City of London since 1994, having previously been divided between the London boroughs of Westminster and Camden. Cock Lane, EC1A Cock Lane leads from Giltspur Street in the east to Snow Hill in the west. Ely Court, EC1N Ely Court is one of the streets of London in the EC1N postal area. Ely Place, EC1N Ely Place is a gated road at the southern tip of the London Borough of Camden. Farringdon Street, EC1A The building of Farringdon Street is considered one of the greatest urban engineering achievements of the 19th century. Fetter Lane, EC4A Fetter Lane is corrupted from ’Fautre’ which was the name for a spear rest - spears were made close by. Field Court, WC1R Field Court is one of the streets of London in the WC1R postal area. Fleet Place, EC4M Fleet Place is one of the streets of London in the EC4M postal area. Hand Court, WC1R Hand Court is one of the streets of London in the WC1V postal area. Hare Place, EC4Y Hare Place is one of the streets of London in the EC4Y postal area. Hatton Garden, EC1N Hatton Garden is a street and area noted as London’s jewellery quarter and centre of the UK diamond trade. Hatton Wall, EC1N Hatton Wall is one of the streets of London in the EC1N postal area. Hind Court, EC4Y Hind Court is one of the streets of London in the EC4A postal area. Holborn Circus, EC1N Holborn Circus is a junction of five highways in the City of London, on the boundary between Holborn, Hatton Garden and Smithfield. Holborn Viaduct, EC1A Holborn Viaduct is a road bridge in London and the name of the street which crosses it. Hosier Lane, EC1A Hosier Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC1A postal area. Kings Mews, WC1X Kings Mews is one of the streets of London in the WC1N postal area. Kirby Street, EC1N Kirby Street was named for Christopher Hatton’s Kirby House in Northamptonshire. Leather Lane, EC1N Leather Lane is a street one block west of Hatton Garden, in the Holborn area of London. Lincoln’s Inn Fields, WC2A Lincoln’s Inn Fields is the largest public square in London, laid out in the 1630s under the initiative of the speculative builder William Newton. Long Lane, EC1M Long Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC1M postal area. New Square, WC2A New Square is one of the streets of London in the WC2A postal area. Old Bailey, EC1A Old Bailey is one of the streets of London in the EC1A postal area. Old Bailey, EC4M Old Bailey is one of the streets of London in the EC4M postal area. Old Square, WC2A Old Square is one of the streets of London in the WC2A postal area. Pemberton Row, EC4A Sir James Pemberton was Lord Mayor of London in 1611, and a member of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. Peter’s Lane, EC1M Peter’s Lane is named after the church which once stood close to the Cross Keys tavern. Red Lion Court, EC4A Red Lion Court forms part of labyrinth of little passages behind the shops on the north side of Fleet Street. Saffron Hill, EC1N Saffron Hill’s name derives the time that it was part of an estate on which saffron grew. Shoe Lane, EC4A Shoe Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4A postal area. Snow Hill, EC1A Snow Hill is one of the streets of London in the EC1A postal area. Snowhill, EC4A Snowhill is one of the streets of London in the EC1A postal area. Southampton Buildings, WC2A Southampton Buildings marks the site of the house of the 4th Earl of Southampton, son of Shakespeare’s patron. St Brides Avenue, EC4Y St Brides Avenue is a narrow alley which leaves Fleet Street almost opposite Shoe Lane. Star Yard, WC2A Star Yard is one of the streets of London in the WC2A postal area.
The City of London constituted most of London from its settlement by the Romans in the 1st century AD to the Middle Ages, but the conurbation has since grown far beyond its borders.As the City's boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, it is now only a tiny part of the metropolis of Greater London, though it remains a notable part of central London. It holds city status in its own right and is also a separate ceremonial county.
It is widely referred to as 'The City' (often written on maps as
City and differentiated from the phrase 'the city of London') or 'the Square Mile' as it is 1.12 square miles in area. These terms are also often used as metonyms for the United Kingdom's financial services industry, which continues a notable history of being largely based in the City.
The local authority for the City, the City of London Corporation, is unique in the UK and has some unusual responsibilities for a local council, such as being the police authority. It also has responsibilities and ownerships beyond the City's boundaries. The Corporation is headed by the Lord Mayor of the City of London, an office separate from (and much older than) the Mayor of London.
The City is a major business and financial centre, ranking as the world's leading centre of global finance. Throughout the 19th century, the City was the world's primary business centre, and continues to be a major meeting point for businesses.
The City had a resident population of about 7000 in 2011 but over 300,000 people commute to it and work there, mainly in the financial services sector. The legal profession forms a major component of the northern and western sides of the City - especially in the Temple and
Chancery Lane areas where the Inns of Court are located, of which two—Inner Temple and Middle Temple - fall within the City of London boundary.
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