Description
The Worshipful Company of Skinners were furriers whose first Charter was given in 1327. The site of Skinner's Hall in this location dates from 1409, although rebuilt after the Great Fire and with subsequent alterations. Entered through the Company's fine ceremonial gates on Dowgate Hill, the small Inner Courtyard was originally used for the formation of guild processions. The east elevation of the Banqueting or Great Hall, dating from 1670, faces onto the courtyard, its entrance flanked by embellished pilasters with carved rabbits, whose fur was used by the lower orders in medieval society. The paved courtyard has two C18th water containers planted with flowers, and the stone cloister was added between 1902-16. In 1984-6 a Roof Garden was created above new kitchens, and this is paved, with a fountain, planters and statuary. In addition a terrace at the rear of the Hall also provides outside space.
Practical Information
| Site location | 8 1/2, Dowgate Hill |
|---|---|
| Postcode | EC4R 2SP |
| What3Words | ///baking.tracks.vibe |
| Type of Site | Square |
| Borough | City of London |
| Open to Public | Occasionally |
| Opening Times | private. Open days four times a year (April, July, September, October) |
| Special Conditions | Ticketed tours take place (maximum 50 tickets each open day), organised through Corporation of London Information Centre. |
| Public Transport | Tube: Cannon Street (District, Circle) |
| Research Updated | 29 January 2021 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The Skinners Company were furriers whose first charter was given in 1327. The site of their hall in this location dates from 1409 onwards although the core of the present hall was built after the Great Fire of 1666, probably based on the medieval plan, with C18th and C20th additions. The frontage onto Dowgate Hill is the work of William Jupp Senior and dates from 1770-90. The east front faces the small inner courtyard, with a stone cloister added between 1902-16 by W. Campbell Jones. This is paved with limestone columns and two C18th water containers planted with flowers. There is also a rear courtyard or terrace, accessed from the Old Court Room.
Additional outdoor space includes the Roof Garden, which was created between 1984-1986 by J. Sampson Lloyd, located on the flat roof above new kitchens. This garden has sculptures, olive trees and a circular central fountain, and is accessed via a square brick pavilion with a glazed octagonal lantern roof, or via the large Venetian windows of the gallery. The planting of the roof garden, and the inner and rear courtyards, takes into account the Company’s commitment to sustainable improvement.
Many of the grand rooms of the Hall are let out for private functions, with the outdoor spaces included in the hire.
Additional outdoor space includes the Roof Garden, which was created between 1984-1986 by J. Sampson Lloyd, located on the flat roof above new kitchens. This garden has sculptures, olive trees and a circular central fountain, and is accessed via a square brick pavilion with a glazed octagonal lantern roof, or via the large Venetian windows of the gallery. The planting of the roof garden, and the inner and rear courtyards, takes into account the Company’s commitment to sustainable improvement.
Many of the grand rooms of the Hall are let out for private functions, with the outdoor spaces included in the hire.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ325808 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.0153 |
| Site Ownership | Skinners Company |
| Site Management | Skinners Company |
| Listed Structures | LBI and SAM: Skinners' Hall |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | City of London |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Queen Street |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Strategic Viewing Corridor |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
The Worshipful Company of Tallow Chandlers dates from the C14th and bought the site here in 1476. The present Tallow Chandlers' Hall was built in 1671-3 after an earlier building was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666. It has a small courtyard garden reached through ornamental iron gates on Dowgate Hill. A small external garden was created in 1978 on the corner of Dowgate Hill and Cannon Street by Past Master and Mrs Deverell Stone in memory of their son Mark.
The Whittington Garden is named after Lord Mayor Richard Whittington, who rebuilt the church of St Michael Paternoster Royal at his own expense in 1409, also founding a college and almshouses. Destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, the church was rebuilt by Wren by 1694. The site of the public garden was on the riverbank in Roman times and later had buildings connected with the fur trade. These were demolished after bomb damage in WWIII and the Corporation of London acquired the site in 1955. The garden was laid out in 1960 with a largely paved area in the west and grass, flower beds and trees in the east. A small fountain was erected in the west section in the late 1960s. The east section is now surrounded by hedge, and remains largely grass, shaded by trees.
The raised forecourt of Nos. 27 and 28 Queen Street, a pair of fine C18th private houses now used by Gresham Computing Personnel, is on part of the site of the former burial ground of the church of St Thomas-the-Apostle. The church was first recorded in 1170, rebuilt in 1371 but destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 and not rebuilt. The churchyard remained until 1851 when Queen Street was widened and remains were interred in a vault on the east side. The paved forecourt, accessed by a flight of steps each side, has a large plane tree and shrubbery; a stone plaque relating to the site is set into the front wall.
