Tudor London

In Tudor times the City was the centre of trade and commerce as well as the overcrowded home of thousands. Westminster housed both the king and parliament while Southwark was devoted to louche pleasures such as bear-baiting, prostitution and the theatre. These three distinct areas were surrounded by countryside.

Nonetheless it was the setting for many of the key events of this turbulent period - from the pageantry of royal coronations to the embarkation of the fleet against the Spanish Armada; from the uproar of civil revolts to the horror of executions for treason and `heresy`. This exhibition provides a selection of contemporary images and later reconstructions of the period from the Guildhall Collections.

If you would like to find out more about Tudor London try the following titles which can all be found in Guildhall Library:

Stowe, John `A survey of London... `, 1603 (and later eds)

Schofield, John `The building of London`, 1993