The Cities Within London

Now that we are living in London I figure I ought to know more about where we are exactly. And it’s all the more interesting because within Greater London there are two cities.

Greater London stretches thirty-six miles from east to west, and the cities I am talking about occupy just a small part of Greater London. They are the City of Westminster and the City of London. They adjoin and their southern boundaries are half way across the width of the Thames, on the northern side of the river.

Both the City of Westminster and the city of London are subject to UK parliamentary legislation and national governance. So it is not like they are a law unto themselves at the national level. But there are some unique aspects.

The City Of London

The City of London was established in medieval times. No one knows the exact date or how it came to be because there is no record of a charter.

It is governed by the City of London Corporation and the leader is the Lord Mayor of London, which is a distinct and separate office from the Mayor of London who is the leader of the Greater London Authority.

And it has its own police force – The City of London Police, founded in 1839, which makes it one of the oldest police forces in the UK and is separate from the Metropolitan Police Service that covers Greater London.

Its jurisdiction includes the area known as Square Mile, which is the financial district of London. So naturally the City of London Police focuses on fraud, cybercrime, and money laundering.

It is headquartered in Guildhall Yard East located within the City of London and my next task is to go to photograph Guildhall Yard East. Watch this space.

The City of Westminster

The City of Westminster has been a city since 1540.

It is one of the 33 local government districts that make up Greater London.

Within its boundaries are Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, 10 Downing Street, and Westminster Abbey.

And it is governed by Westminster City Council, which is a local authority responsible for providing services and making decisions within its jurisdiction. So Westminster is a typical modern administrative area like any other in the UK. Except that it is a city inside a city.