Where: 111 Cannon Street, EC4
What: The London Stone, a rough-hewn chunk of clipsham limestone, is one of the London's oldest but least known landmarks. The stone is believed to have been brought to London by the Roman's and used by them as their 'millarium' (or central point of the city), from which they measured the distances out of the City.
The unremarkable-looking stone has no marks except for two grooves on the top, yet by 1198 the stone was already a london landmark and referred to as 'Lonenstane'. It originally stood in the ground on the opposite side of the road, but was moved to the north side of the street in 1742. Then, in 1798, the stone was moved to its present position, when it was embedded in the wall of St Swithin's church (now demolished) which stood on this site.
Today the stone, set in the wall of an office building opposite Cannon Street Station, is just visible behind an iron grille and glass, but there are plans to move it once more. Plans have been approved to rebuild the office block in who's wall it sits. The stone will be relocated to the "retail frontage" of the new building
Over the years much has been written about the stone, perhaps the most famous by Shakespeare in Henry VI, Part 2 (Act IV, Scene vi): London, Cannon Street.
Enter Cade and the rest, and strikes his staff on London stone.
Cade: "Now is Mortimer lord of this city. And here, sitting upon London-stone, I charge and command that, of the city's cost, the pissing-conduit run nothing but claret wine this first year of our reign. And now henceforward it shall be treason for any that calls me other than Lord Mortimer."
The size of the stone has changed over hundreds of years. If it was a milliaria, it could have been as big as 2.5 metres high. It was still described as 'very tall' in 1598, but by 1671 the 'remayning parte' (being used by the Guild to smash shoddy spectacles with a hammer!) was nearer a tables height. Today it shows clear evidence of damage and is about the size of a television.
Nearest underground station: Cannon Street