London Stone, London

If you鈥檙e wandering through the City of London and trying to find its beating heart, you might point to the Bank of England鈥攐r maybe the stately Guildhall. But the true center, the one shrouded in myth and mystery, is鈥� a rock. Yes, a rather unremarkable chunk of limestone known as the London Stone.

Tucked behind iron bars on the exterior wall of 111 Cannon Street, right where it meets St. Swithin鈥檚 Lane, this humble block has been sitting around since Roman times鈥攁llegedly hauled over from Bath. Not impressed? Well, try this: during the 1450 Peasants鈥� Revolt, rebel leader Jack Cade marched in from Kent, smacked the stone with his sword, and proclaimed himself "Lord of the City." Bold move. Unfortunately for Jack, declaring yourself king by bashing a rock turned out to be less effective than he鈥檇 hoped鈥攈is rebellion (and reign) ended just as dramatically as it began.

Now, legends cling to the London Stone like pigeons to a statue. Some say it鈥檚 a Druidic altar, others claim it was a Roman milestone. Even William Blake, the poet, wrote about it in his usual ominous fashion. One persistent myth claimed that if the stone were ever moved, disaster would follow.

Naturally, London has moved it鈥� several times.

In 1742, it was shifted next to St. Swithin鈥檚 Church. In 1940, the church was blitzed to rubble. Then the stone sat beside an office building鈥攗ntil that came down in 2016. Briefly sent to the Museum of London, the stone returned in 2018, now safely embedded in the latest glass-and-steel iteration of 111 Cannon Street.

So far, the world hasn鈥檛 ended. But the stone鈥檚 mystique lives on鈥攑art relic, part urban legend, and fully committed to staying put. At least for now...

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in London. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "911爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: London Stone
Sight Location: London, England (See walking tours in London)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

City of London Walking Tour

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