Bank junction
| Bank | |
|---|---|
 Bank junction in 2012, view from Poultry | |
| Location | |
| London, United Kingdom | |
| Coordinates: | 51°30′48″N 0°05′21″W / 51.513433°N 0.089045°WCoordinates: 51°30′48″N 0°05′21″W / 51.513433°N 0.089045°W |
| Roads at junction: | Threadneedle Street, Cornhill, Lombard Street, King William Street, Mansion House Place, Walbrook, Mansion House Street, Queen Victoria Street, Poultry, Prince's Street |
| Construction | |
| Type: | Junction |
| Tolls | Within the London congestion charge zone |
Bank junction is a major road junction in the City of London, the historic and financial centre of London, at which nine streets converge on an area where traffic is controlled by traffic lights and give-way lines.
The streets which originate at Bank junction are:[1]
- Threadneedle Street (northeast, towards Bishopsgate)
- Cornhill (east, towards Leadenhall Street)
- Lombard Street (southeast, towards Gracechurch Street, leading to King William Street)
- Mansion House Place (south, runs to the east of Mansion House)
- Walbrook (south, towards Cannon Street)
- Mansion House Street (west, effectively part of the junction, leading to Poultry and Queen Victoria Street)
- Queen Victoria Street (southwest, towards Blackfriars)
- Poultry (west, towards Cheapside)
- Prince's Street (northwest, towards Moorgate)
King William Street, a major thoroughfare, begins just south of the junction, leading off Lombard Street.
Standing on the northeast corner of Bank junction is the Bank of England, headquartered on Threadneedle Street since 1734 and thus sometimes known by the metonym The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street, or simply The Old Lady. Across Threadneedle Street and nestled in the gap between Cornhill is the commercial centre the Royal Exchange, founded in 1565 by Thomas Gresham, after whom the nearby Gresham Street is named.
Outside the main entrance to the Royal Exchange is a statue of Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington, on horseback and overlooking Bank junction; it was inaugurated in June 1844. Also in front of the Royal Exchange is a memorial to those Londoners who served and died in World War I.
On the south side of the junction is Mansion House. This has been the official residence of the Lord Mayor of London since its completion in 1752. Other notable buildings close to Bank junction include the City of London Magistrates' Court on Walbrook, No 1 Poultry, the Worshipful Company of Grocers, off Prince's Street, and the Worshipful Company of Mercers, on Threadneedle Street.
Bank junction is also the location of one of London's busiest tube stations, Bank – named after the Bank of England. Built in 1900, the busy interchange station is served by the Central, Northern and Waterloo & City lines, as well as the Docklands Light Railway. The station is interconnected with Monument station, served by the Circle and District lines – together the two stations form one of the world's most complex underground train stations.[2]
The closest mainline railway stations to Bank junction are Cannon Street, Fenchurch Street and Liverpool Street.
Bank junction formed part of the marathon course of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The women's Olympic marathon took place on 5 August and the men's Olympic marathon on 12 August. The four Paralympic marathons were held on 9 September.[3][4]
References
- ↑ Ordnance Survey mapping
- ↑ "Bank | Transport for London". Tfl.gov.uk. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
- ↑ http://www.london2012.com/athletics/event/men-marathon/coursemap/
- ↑ http://www.london2012.com/athletics/event/women-marathon/coursemap/
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bank junction. |