Square Mile
The Square Mile is the City of London, the small historic core of London that is a separate local authority and the traditional home of British finance. It covers little more than one square mile around St Paul's Cathedral and the Bank of England, roughly the area inside the old Roman and medieval walls.
In practice
When people say "the City" with a capital C, they mean this district, not London as a whole; "working in the City" means working in finance or law there. The City is governed by the City of London Corporation, has its own police force and its own Lord Mayor, and keeps ceremonies older than Parliament. Its resident population is small, a few thousand people, while hundreds of thousands come in to work each weekday, so its streets are crowded at lunchtime and quiet at weekends.
Why it matters to newcomers
London is made up of 32 boroughs plus the City, so an address "in the City" belongs to a different council from one a street away in Islington or Tower Hamlets. Restaurants and pubs in the Square Mile often close early or at weekends. For a quiet Sunday walk past its churches and alleys, it is one of the best parts of London.
Related
- Lord Mayor - the City's own mayor, not the Mayor of London
- Livery company - the guilds that still help run the City
- Barbican Estate - the City's main residential quarter
Source: City of London Corporation.