The streets and structures of London are filled to the brim with almost 2000 years of history. And with something outrageously old to ogle at every turn, it’s tricky to know which of the city’s spots boast the lengthiest backstories of all. Especially as – well… as far as I’m aware, none of us were actually there when the foundations of the capital were being laid. But a house that puts forward a pretty convincing case for being the oldest in London can be found over in Farringdon in the form of 41-42 Cloth Fair. So, grab yourself a cuppa, folks – because it’s time for another highly not particularly anticipated Secret London history lesson.
41-42 Cloth Fair
Tucked away down a rather surreptitious side street near Smithfield is 41-42 Cloth Fair. This pair of houses is thought by many to be the oldest residential dwelling in the City of London, having survived the likes of blazes, blitzes, and bulldozing.
The house in question is located right by St Bartholomew the Great church (which just so happens to be the oldest church in London – but perhaps a bit more on that another day, hey?). A block of 11 buildings were constructed along Cloth Fair between 1597 and 1614 and 41-42 is the only building that has survived to tell the tale.
Since its construction, 41-42 Cloth Fair has had its fair share of career changes. It’s been a priory building, an alehouse, a wooldrapers, a tobacconists, and a cutters and electroplators. It is one of the very few buildings in the City of London to have gotten off scot-free after the Great Fire of London and it also closely evaded demolition in 1929 as it was saved from the city’s ‘slum clearance programme’ by two architects, Paul Paget and John Seely.
Partners, Seely and Paget, snapped up 41-42 Cloth Fair for just £3000 (can you even imagine?!) and used the space as both their office and their home. Various famous faces visited the building over the years and were encouraged to leave their mark on the timber-framed windows in diamond pen. The building’s leaded glass panes still – to this very day – bear etched signatures from the legendary likes of Winston Churchill and the Queen Mother.
In 1979 the property became an estate agent’s but was turned back into a home in 1995. Nowadays, 41-42 Cloth Fair is lived in by Matthew Bell, a psychotherapist and City of London councillor. It’s a Grade II* listed building and in the year 2000, it received a City Heritage Award. So, if you happen to find yourself in the Farringdon area anytime soon, we’d highly recommend you having a nosey at this impressively historic home and imagining just how may faces have done so before you.
