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a roman teenager, reburied with honour

Tomb of the Unknown London Girl

FreeHidden gem
City of London · Aldgate
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A quiet memorial beside the Gherkin marking where a young Roman woman was reburied with honour 1,600 years after her death.

Getting there. In the plaza beside 30 St Mary Axe, a short walk from Aldgate station.
Tomb of the Unknown London Girl

The lowdown

When the ground was cleared to build the Gherkin, archaeologists found the remains of a teenage Roman girl who had been buried here around 1,600 years ago. Rather than send her bones to a store, the City reburied her with ceremony on the spot in 2007, and marked the place with a simple memorial stone bearing words in Latin and English.

It sits in the shadow of one of London's most futuristic towers, a touching reminder that the modern City is built on the lives of ordinary Londoners going back two thousand years. It is free, gentle and very easy to miss among the lunchtime crowds.

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The insider tip

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Look for the low memorial stone in the landscaped plaza at the foot of the Gherkin, with its inscription to the unknown young Roman. It is a thoughtful pause in an otherwise glassy, corporate corner of the City.
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