Langbourn is one of the 25 ancient wards

Wards of the City of London

The City of London , in the United Kingdom, is constituted of 25 wards. The City is the historic core of the much wider metropolis of London, with an ancient and sui generis form of local government, which avoided the many reforms enacted to local government elsewhere in the country in the 19th and...

 in the City of London

City of London

The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...

. It reputably is named after a supposed buried stream in the vicinity.

It is a small ward; a long thin area, in shape similar to a left pointing arrow. Starting at its western boundary with Walbrook

Walbrook

Walbrook is the name of a ward, a street and a subterranean river in the City of London.-Underground river:The river played a key role in the Roman settlement of Londinium, the city now known as London. It is thought that the river was named because it ran through or under the London Wall; another...

 at Bank junction, where Cornhill meets King William Street

King William Street (London)

King William Street is the name of a street in the City of London, England. It runs from a junction at the Bank of England, meeting Poultry, Lombard Street and Threadneedle Street, south-east, where it meets a junction with Gracechurch and Cannon Street. It continues south after this junction, and...

, it travels around a spur by Abchurch Street and then eastwards along Lombard Street

Lombard Street, London

Lombard Street is a street in the City of London.It runs from the corner of the Bank of England at its north-west end, where it meets a major junction including Poultry, King William Street, and Threadneedle Street, south-east to Gracechurch Street....

, the division with Candlewick

Candlewick

Candlewick is a small ward, one of the 25 ancient wards in the City of London.Its northern boundary runs along Lombard Street the boundary with Langbourn Ward, then east down Gracechurch Street the division with Bridge Ward to the Monument, erected to commemorate the place where the Great Fire abated...

. This merges into Fenchurch Street

Fenchurch Street

Fenchurch Street is a street in the City of London home to a number of shops, pubs and offices. It links Aldgate at its eastern end with Lombard Street and Gracechurch Street to the west. To the south of Fenchurch Street and towards its eastern end is Fenchurch Street railway station...

: the north/south boundary with, successively Bridge

Bridge (ward)

Bridge is a small ward of the City of London and is named from its propinquity to London Bridge. Bridge ward is found within the boundary formed by the River Thames, Swan Lane, Arthur Street, Fish Street Hill, Gracechurch Street, Fenchurch Street, Rood Lane, Lovat Lane and Lower Thames Street.The...

, Billingsgate

Billingsgate

Billingsgate is a small ward in the south-east of the City of London, lying on the north bank of the River Thames between London Bridge and Tower Bridge...

 and Tower

Tower (ward)

Tower is a ward of the City of London and is named from its propinquity to the Tower of London. The ward covers the area of the City that is closest to the Tower....

 wards. Here the eastern boundary with Aldgate

Aldgate

Aldgate was the eastern most gateway through London Wall leading from the City of London to Whitechapel and the east end of London. Aldgate gives its name to a ward of the City...

 turns northwards up Billiter Street. The ward then snakes westwards along Fenchurch Avenue with firstly,the Lloyds building (in Lime Street Ward

Lime Street (ward)

Lime Street is one of the 25 ancient wards in the City of London.It is divided into four precincts; and it is worthy a remark that, though the ward includes parts of several parishes, there is not even a whole street in it. John Noorthhouck...

) to the north and then the maze of courtyards behind Cornhill’s southern facade. No other ward borders so many neighbours.

The Ward encompasses a large area of Leadenhall Market

Leadenhall Market

Leadenhall Market is a covered market in the City of London, located at Gracechurch Street but with vehicular access also available via Whittington Avenue to the north and Lime Street to the south and east and additional pedestrian access via a number of narrow passageways.-History:The market dates...

 and two historic churches: St Mary Woolnoth

St Mary Woolnoth

St. Mary Woolnoth is an Anglican church in the City of London, designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor, located on the corner of Lombard Street and King William Street near the Bank of England.- Early history :...

 and St Edmund the King and Martyr

St Edmund the King and Martyr

St Edmund, King and Martyr is an Anglican church in Lombard Street, in the City of London dedicated to St Edmund the Martyr.-History:In 1292, the church is first recorded as 'Saint Edmund towards Garcherche', and it reappears in 1348 as 'Saint Edmund in Lombardestrete'...

, now a centre for spirituality. Historically, the ward also contained these three churches: All Hallows Staining

All Hallows Staining

All Hallows Staining was a Church of England church located at the junction of Fenchurch Avenue and Billiter Street in the north-eastern corner of Langbourn ward in the City of London, close to Fenchurch Street railway station. All that remains of the church is the tower, built around 1320 AD as...

 (demolished 1870),St. Dionis Backchurch (1878) and All Hallows Lombard Street (1939). It has its own Club for Ward officials, City workers and residents and newsletter.

Politics

Langbourn is one of 25 ward

Wards of the United Kingdom

A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...

s in the City of London, each electing an Alderman

Alderman

An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...

, to the Court of Aldermen

Court of Aldermen

The Court of Aldermen is an elected body forming part of the City of London Corporation. The Court of Aldermen is made up of the twenty five Aldermen of the City of London, presided over by the Lord Mayor...

 and Commoners (the City equivalent of a Councillor

Councillor

A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...

) to the Court of Common Council of the City of London Corporation. Only electors who are Freeman of the City of London are eligible to stand.

External links

• Map of Early Modern London: Langbourn Ward - Historical Map and Encyclopedia of Shakespeare's London (Scholarly)