Mansion House
Bank
London
EC4N 8BH
T: 020 7397 9316
E: mansion.house@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Visitor Information
Mansion House is open for guided tours every Tuesday at 2pm
Mansion House is unique as the only purpose-built home of the Lord Mayor of the City of London, providing living and working space for him and his household as well as room for large ceremonial events and banquets. The building of Mansion House was first considered after the Great Fire in 1666, but the first stone was not laid until 1739.
A fashionable Palladian style with a large classical portico was chosen by the City's Clerk of Works, George Dance the Elder. Built around a central courtyard it contained a cellar, a ground floor for the servants and a kitchen; a grand first floor of offices, dining and reception rooms, including the Egyptian Hall where banquets were held; a second floor with a gallery for dancing and chambers for the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress; and a third floor of bedchambers.
Mansion House was originally intended to enable the Lord Mayor to represent the City's contribution to London in appropriate style, and it continues to fulfil this function more than two centuries later.
Accessibility
Mansion House is accessible to wheelchair users – there is a ramp into the building and a lift for access to the first floor. However, much of the art collection is on the stairs and it is difficult to see all of the collection from the top and bottom of the staircase.