{"id":32476,"date":"2023-05-08T14:41:03","date_gmt":"2023-05-08T13:41:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonducklings.co.uk\/?p=32476"},"modified":"2023-05-08T15:59:57","modified_gmt":"2023-05-08T14:59:57","slug":"guildhall-london","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/londonducklings.co.uk\/guildhall-london\/","title":{"rendered":"Discover the History and Magic of Guildhall with Your Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Guildhall in the City of London is a fascinating place to take your kids. Not only is it steeped in history, but it’s also a great way to help them learn about the workings of local government. Here are some ideas for things to do with your children while you’re there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Great Hall <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Guildhall is only open on the days when the Court of Common Council meets (once per month). These tours will provide an in-depth insight into how the City of London<\/a> operates, the history of its livery companies, and famous events that took place within its medieval walls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Great Hall – Guildhall, City of London<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

During the tour, you’ll also have the opportunity to admire the impressive memorials of some of Britain’s most important historic figures. The tours typically take about an hour in the morning, and you can even attend the Court of Common Council afterwards to see the City’s democracy in action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note that tickets for the tours must be booked in advance via City of London Guides<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Art Gallery <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Guildhall Art Gallery is a great way to introduce your children to the world of art, with a range of exhibits to suit all ages. The gallery boasts an impressive collection of paintings and sculptures, including works by renowned artists such as John Constable and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Your children will love exploring the different galleries, and there are plenty of interactive displays and activities to keep them engaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"guildhall<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To visit Guildhall Art Gallery and London’s Roman Amphitheatre, you don’t have to pay any admission fee. However, we suggest booking a general admission ticket through the provided external link before your visit to save time on arrival. Alternatively, you can also walk in on the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you arrive, there’s plenty to explore at Guildhall Art Gallery and London’s Roman Amphitheatre. You can opt to join one of the free guided tours or use Smartify to guide yourself around the gallery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every Second Saturday of the month, families can immerse themselves in exciting themed events at the Art Gallery. Get ready for an ever-changing roster of fun activities that could lead you into the depths of the Roman Amphitheatre, listening to epic tales of Roman conquests, or unleashing your creativity through crafts inspired by the Victorian paintings that surround you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Guildhall Yard<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Finally, why not take a break in the Guildhall Yard? This beautiful space is perfect for a picnic or just to let your kids run around and burn off some energy. There are plenty of benches and seating areas, as well as a charming fountain and a statue of Winston Churchill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Roman Amphitheatre in Guildhall: A Tale of Discovery and Survival<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 1988, a group of Museum of London archaeologists discovered something that would change the face of Roman London forever. During a dig for a new Art Gallery building, they unearthed the capital’s only Roman amphitheatre, concealed for centuries below the Guildhall Yard. Finally, in 2002, the doors to the amphitheatre were opened to the public for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The discovery was truly astonishing, and the surviving remains are a testament to the remarkable history of the site. Short stretches of the Roman wall were uncovered in Guildhall Yard, and the site became a protected monument. The City of London Corporation decided to incorporate the remains into its new Art Gallery building, which was under construction in 1992. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ongoing excavations revealed a stretch of the stone entrance tunnel, east gate, and arena walls. These were preserved in a controlled environment, 20 feet below the modern pavement, where they could slowly dry out without damaging the ancient stonework. The original extent of the outer wall is marked by a circle of black paving stones in Guildhall Yard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How London’s Roman Amphitheatre might have looked like – Illustration from the Museum of London Archaeology<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Roman London was a hub of international trade, managed by traders who handled the importing of luxury goods such as wine, oil, and cloth, as well as the exporting of raw materials and slaves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The settlement began in AD 47 on two small hills on the north side of the Thames, now occupied by St. Paul’s Cathedral and Leadenhall Market. With easy access to the sea and an advantageous position at the borders of existing tribal groups, Londinium quickly grew to become one of the largest towns in Roman Britain and among the Empire’s most significant settlements outside the Mediterranean. Tacitus, the Roman historian, famously described it as “famous for its wealth of traders and commercial traffic.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interested in the City of London’s history? Check out our Pudding Lane children’s walk<\/a>, perfect for children learning about the Great Fire.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Guildhall in the City of London is a fascinating place to take your kids. Not only is it steeped in history, but…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32477,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[192,203,220,193],"tags":[53,222],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/londonducklings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32476"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/londonducklings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/londonducklings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londonducklings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londonducklings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32476"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/londonducklings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32476\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32500,"href":"https:\/\/londonducklings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32476\/revisions\/32500"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londonducklings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/londonducklings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londonducklings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londonducklings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}