Bank of England Building London, John Soane Threadneedle St picture, Hisotric British architect image, UK property photo

Bank of England London Architecture

Threadneedle Street Building, City of London, England, United Kingdom – originally by John Soane architect

post updated 16 February 2024

Digital reconstruction of Soane’s Bank of England

Original Architect: John Soane

This historic British property is also known as ‘The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street’.

Bank of England Building Digital Reconstruction

20 Mar 2020 ; 26 Oct 2016

Crowdsourced project to resurrect one of architecture’s greatest losses

Destroyed in the 1920s, Soane’s Bank of England is considered one of modern architecture’s greatest losses.

Bank of England Building Digital Reconstruction
image : Andrii Rodych, 3DVisDesign, Ukraine

Bank of England Building Digital Reconstruction

Bank of England 325th Anniversary Exhibition

11 Jul 2013

Bank of England Tour

Bank of England Virtual Tour
Bank of England Tour
The Bank of England Virtual Tour – a free app – will invite people to tour the Threadneedle Street building through a series of captivating and previously unseen 360° panoramic images, including the very rarely-viewed gold vaults deep within the building. The tour begins with a 3D model of the building, which can be rotated to select a series of individual rooms – a captivating combination of historic parlours and working rooms – and unlock the facts and high-resolution images within.

BoE Building courtyard:
Bank of England Building courtyard London
photo © Bank of England

25 Jun 2013

Bank of England Building Tour

Behind The Scenes At The Bank Of England This Summer.

‘The Old Lady’ Opens The Doors To Threadneedle Street Building.

On two Saturdays this July and again over a weekend in September, the Bank of England will invite visitors behind the scenes for an illuminating tour through the working rooms and architectural treasures ordinarily hidden from public view within Sir Herbert Baker’s Threadneedle Street building. The free Open Door and Open House events are annual opportunities to explore the Bank’s architecture and visit the rooms in which some of the UK’s key monetary decisions are discussed and made.

Bank of England Building – aerial view from the south:
Bank of England Building aerial photo
photo © webbaviation

Among the highlights are a Roman mosaic in the Bank’s front hall; the Garden Court, whose mulberry trees are a nod to the earliest days of paper money which was issued in 10th-century China on the pulp of mulberry trees; and, past the Governor’s office and up on the first floor, the beautiful suite of Bank parlours, including the Committee Room, where the official interest rate is set, and the Court Room, which among many beautiful features includes a wind-dial, originally installed so that the Bank’s Directors could forecast the arrival of merchant shipping in the Port of London.

BoE building interior:
Bank of England building interior City of London
photo © Bank of England

The tour will also include an opportunity to visit the Bank of England Museum’s new exhibition Cartoons and Caricatures, which presents the finest examples of two centuries of satirical press coverage of the Bank. Among the key exhibits is the 1797 cartoon which gave the Bank of England its nickname. James Gillray’s cartoon, The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street in Danger, features among many original works showing how the Bank has been portrayed by newspaper and magazine artists since the 18th-century.

The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street building facade:
Bank of England building facade City of London
photo © Bank of England

Cartoons and Caricatures runs from 17 May – 31 December 2013.

Open Door – part of the City of London Festival

Thirty minute behind-the-scenes tours of the Bank and Museum, taking in the Front Hall, Garden Court, the Monetary Policy Committee’s meeting room and the Court Room. No booking required. Dates: Saturdays 6 & 13 July. Times: 9.30am–5pm. Last entry 4pm.

Bank of England Building Bank of England Building Bank of England Building Bank of England Building
photos © Bank of England

Open House London

Thirty minute guided tours, which will include the Front Hall, Garden Court, the Monetary Policy Committee’s meeting room and the Court Room. No booking required. Come early to avoid the queue.

Dates: Saturday 21 & Sunday 22 September. Times: 9.30am – 5pm. Last entry 4pm

Bank of England Building Bank of England Building Bank of England Building
photos © Bank of England

VISITOR INFORMATION

There is no charge for admission to the Bank of England Museum or for any event.

Entrance: Bartholomew Lane, just off Threadneedle Street, London EC2R 8AH and a two-minute walk from Bank Underground Station.

Opening hours: 10am-5pm, Monday to Friday. Last entry 4.45pm. Museum closed Public and Bank Holidays and weekends, except for special events. More information: www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum 020 7601 5545 or museum@bankofengland.co.uk or Twitter: http://twitter.com/bankofengland

New photo from 12 Nov 2012:
Bank of England Building Thewdneedle Street
photograph © Adrian Welch

17 Apr 2012

Bank of England Building City of London

Behind The Scenes At The Bank Of England

Bank Of England Museum Opens Doors To Threadneedle Street’s Working Rooms And Architectural Treasures

Four days of behind the scenes tours of the Threadneedle Street building

On two Saturdays in June and again over a weekend in September, the Bank of England will invite visitors into the famous Threadneedle Street building for a close look behind the scenes. The free Open Door and Open House events are annual opportunities to explore the architecture of the Bank of England and visit the rooms in which some of the UK’s key monetary and financial stability decisions are taken.

Among the highlights of the visit is the Garden Court at the heart of the Bank, where mulberry trees reflect the origins of paper money. The tour also includes the Court Room, which houses a wind-dial, originally installed so that the Bank’s Directors could forecast the arrival of merchant shipping in the Port of London; and the Committee Room, where the Monetary Policy Committee meets to make its decisions.

Open Door – part of Celebrate the City and the City of London Festival

The Bank of England and Museum are open to visitors for thirty-minute behind-the-scenes tours, taking in the Front Hall, Garden Court, the Monetary Policy Committee’s meeting room and the Court Room. No booking required.

Dates: Saturdays 23 & 30 June. Times: 9.30am-5pm. Last entry 4pm

Bank of England Building – view from the south:
Bank of England Building London UK
photograph © Adrian Welch

Open House London Weekend

The Bank of England is open to visitors for thirty-minute guided tours, which will include the Front Hall, Garden Court, the Monetary Policy Committee’s meeting room and the Court Room. No booking required. Come early to avoid the queue.

Dates: Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 September.
Times: 9.30am – 5pm. Last entry 4pm

The Bank of England has occupied a building in Threadneedle Street since 1734. In 1788, Sir John Soane was appointed as ‘Architect and Surveyor’ to the Bank. Soane extended the Bank’s original building until 1828, when it finally covered the whole 3.5 acres of the present site and was enclosed with the windowless wall that still stands today.

The Bank was Soane’s main pre-occupation for 45 years until his retirement in 1833, when he described it as ‘…a situation which has long been the pride and boast of my life’. Soane’s structure remained more or less untouched until it was demolished and a new building, rising seven storeys above ground (and three below), erected between 1925 and 1939 by the architect Sir Herbert Baker.

The Museum’s new exhibition, Gold and the Bank of England, which begins its run on 22 June and examines the part gold has played in the Bank’s long history, will be open on each of the Open Door and Open House dates.

Bank of England Building Visitor Information

There is no charge for admission to the Museum or for any event.
Entrance: Bartholomew Lane, just off Threadneedle Street, London EC2R 8AH and a two-minute walk from Bank Underground Station.

Bank of England Museum regular opening hours: 10am-5pm, Monday to Friday. Last entry at 4.45pm. Museum closed Public and Bank Holidays except for certain special events.

More information: www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum 020 7601 5545 or museum@bankofengland.co.uk or Twitter: http://twitter.com/bankofengland

Groups: The Museum offers a variety of free talks and presentations on the Bank’s history and its current role to visiting groups of all ages and interests. To arrange a presentation please telephone 020 7601 5455 or email education@bankofengland.co.uk

View from the southwest:
Bank of England City of London Building
photograph © Adrian Welch

Bank of England Building – Background Information

The Bank of England has occupied a building in Threadneedle Street since 1734. In 1788, Sir John Soane was appointed as ‘Architect and Surveyor’ to the Bank. Soane extended the Bank’s original building until 1828, when it finally covered the whole 3.5 acres of the present site and was enclosed with the windowless wall that still stands today. The Bank was Soane’s main pre-occupation for 45 years until his retirement in 1833, when he described it as ‘…a situation which has long been the pride and boast of my life’. Soane’s structure remained more or less untouched until it was demolished and a new building, rising seven storeys above ground (and three below), erected between 1925 and 1939 by the architect Sir Herbert Baker.

Square adjacent to Mansion House & Bank of England (on left), Royal Exchange portico in centre:
Royal Exchange London square and buildings
photographs © Adrian Welch

The Bank of England Museum tells the story of the Bank, from its foundation in 1694 to its role today as the United Kingdom’s central bank. Its galleries feature Roman and modern gold bars, the country’s oldest paper money and many star objects from the Bank’s collections of silver, banknotes, paintings, coins, photographs and historic documents.

Interactive displays explain the Bank’s roles of keeping inflation low, issuing banknotes and working to keep the financial system stable, and explore the intricate designs and security features contained within banknotes. The Museum also features a full-size reconstruction of Sir John Soane’s 1793 Bank Stock Office on its original site. Issued by The Press Office.

Bank of England Building images / information received 170412

Bank of England (Former) – demolished
Architect: John Soane

Royal Exchange building:
Royal Exchange building City of London
photographs © Adrian Welch

Location: Bank of England, London, England, UK

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As noted by history essay writer, this bank was constructed by the incredible architect John Soane.

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