City of London Police

The Thin Red Line: Why the City of London Has Its Own Police Force

When people think of policing in London, they almost always picture Scotland Yard and the Metropolitan Police. But if you step inside the famous "Square Mile", the historic financial heart of London, you are entering the jurisdiction of a completely different, fiercely independent force: The City of London Police.

Despite patrolling an area of just over one square mile, this tiny force has a massive history. From medieval night watches to the hunt for Jack the Ripper, this is how they came to be, and why they remain one of the most unique police forces in the world.

Keeping the Watch: The Origins

Before organised police forces existed, medieval London relied on the "Ward Watch." Created in the 1200s, this was a system of day constables and night watchmen who patrolled the city walls and gated entries.

Temple Bar Gate

The only surviving gateway to the City of London.

It was a particularly cold Saturday morning, with a persistent drizzle, as I wandered around the City of London.

The streets were emptier than normal, even for a weekend, as I made my way down past Barbican to Postman's Park and onward towards St. Paul's Cathedral. 

As I entered Paternoster Square, which was deserted, I found this stone gateway. The rain and diffused light seemed against me getting a decent photograph, but I persevered and ended up with the image above.

 It is a remarkable gateway with an intriguing past. I will endeavour to visit the area, again, in the hopes of getting some better shots.

St Dunstan-in-the-East Church & Garden

A panoramic of the Nave.

Friday March 22, 2019.

It was a cool spring Friday morning, as I took to the streets of the Unfinished City, in search of new areas to discover. Pretty soon I found myself on Lower Thames Street, heading eastward.

Since it had been pouring with rain on my last visit to St Dunstan-in-the-East Church Garden, I decided to pop in for a look around. It was perfect timing, because as I arrived a tour guide and his Spanish entourage were leaving, heading off in the direction of the Tower of London, leaving me alone among the ruins.

Obviously, as it was still early spring, many of the flowers had yet to bloom, which gave the ruined church an even more sombre mood, especially with the overcast skies.

Considering where the ruins are located it was remarkably peaceful, even with the traffic zooming past.

Gallery

Bunhill Fields Burial Ground

The grave of Daniel Defoe.

I had long wished to visit Bunhill Fields Burial Ground and Gardens, as, sometimes, these are often overlooked places that many find macabre. 

However, places like this offer a wonderfully peaceful place to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. 

Plus, there are always the graves of important people, mixed in with the ordinary, everyday tombstone. 

Gravestones.

Bunhill Fields contains many graves, but some of the more famous are those of Daniel Defoe and William Blake, the latter of which is just a marker stating that he is buried close by. This is set to change, as his actual burial site has now been found, and a new gravestone will be unveiled, soon.