Leadenhall Street

Leadenhall Street is a road in the City of London, the historic and financial centre of London. It was formerly the start of the A11 road to Norwich, but that route now originates on Aldgate High Street, just east of Leadenhall Street.

Leadenhall Street runs for about 0.3 miles (0.5 km) two-ways between Cornhill at its western end (at a box junction with Bishopsgate and Gracechurch Street) and St. Botolph Street in the east. The Aldgate Pump is located at the east end of the street. During much of the 18th and 19th centuries its name was synonymous with the East India Company, which had its headquarters there. Today, it is perhaps most associated with the insurance market Lloyd's of London, whose 1928-1958 building fronted onto the street, and whose current building since 1986 also has an entrance on Leadenhall Street.

The nearest London Underground station is Aldgate (Circle and Metropolitan lines) and the closest mainline railway station is Fenchurch Street.

Notable buildings and companies

A picture of Leadenhall Street published in 1837.

The Leadenhall Press was established following a move of the publisher Field & Tuer to No. 50 Leadenhall Street in 1868.

In 1879 a telephone exchange was installed at No. 101 Leadenhall Street by the Telephone Company Ltd. (Bell's Patents) — one of the first in London.

The street was home to East India House from 1729 until its demolition in 1869; the site is now occupied by the global insurance market Lloyd's of London.

The London Metal Exchange is located at No. 56, opposite the church of St. Katharine Cree, which dates from 1631 and was made a Grade I listed building in 1950.

Several major companies are headquartered on Leadenhall Street, including Xchanging, Ace European Group, Verdasys's EMEA, and Allianz Global Risks. Due to the proximity of the Lloyd's market, a number of other insurance firms and brokers, such as Towers Watson, also have offices on Leadenhall Street.

Leadenhall Market is accessible via Whittington Avenue, a small side-road off Leadenhall Street. The Leadenhall Building, at No. 122 and opposite the Lloyd's building, is a 48-storey skyscraper currently under construction and due to open in 2014.

See also

• Fenchurch Street
• Lime Street
• St. Mary Axe

References

• Google Maps

External links

Media related to Leadenhall Street at Wikimedia Commons