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the dragon that guards the city gate

Temple Bar Memorial Dragon

FreeHidden gem
City of London · Temple
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A fierce silver dragon on a pedestal marking the spot where the City of London officially begins on the Strand.

Getting there. In the middle of the road where the Strand becomes Fleet Street, near the Royal Courts of Justice.
Temple Bar Memorial Dragon

The lowdown

Where the Strand becomes Fleet Street, a tall pedestal topped by a snarling silver-grey dragon marks the historic boundary of the City of London. This is the site of Temple Bar, the old western gateway into the City, and the dragon, the City's heraldic guardian, stands watch over the spot where the monarch traditionally must ask the Lord Mayor's permission to enter.

The actual gateway, designed by Wren, was removed in the 1870s and eventually re-erected near St Paul's, but the dramatic dragon memorial took its place. It is free, often unnoticed by the traffic streaming past, and a fine small piece of City pageantry frozen in bronze.

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The insider tip

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Look at the base for the statues of Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales and the reliefs of royal processions. The original Wren gateway it replaced now stands rebuilt beside St Paul's, a short walk east, if you want to see both.
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