The Bank of England has been at its current home on Threadneedle Street in the City of London since 1734. Arguably, its most renowned building is that which was designed by architect Sir John Soane during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. It remained operational until the 1920s when it was mainly demolished. It was deemed by many to have been one of Soane's greatest works.
A snapshot of the Dividend Office as it was in 1894 with Bank staff serving customers. Many of the ledgers and dividend books that can be seen in the background are now held with the Bank Archive where they can be used for historic research. (Archive 15A13/1/1/6/4, 1894)
A messenger and gatekeeper can be seen standing at the entrance to the old Bullion Yard in Lothbury Court. (Archive 15A13/1/1/62/10, 1894)
The Court Room is one of the most important rooms in the Bank as it is where the Court of Directors’ convenes to hold their meetings. When it was rebuilt in the 1920s, many of the same interior architectural features were copied and it still looks very similar to the Court Room which stood in the old Bank. (Archive 15A13/1/1/67/6, c. 20th century)
Taken in 1894, this photograph looks through to the old Lothbury Courtyard, with the Residence Courtyard visible below in the foreground. (Archive 15A13/1/1/62/11, 1894)
A gatekeeper can be seen in the Bullion Yard guarding the entrance to Lothbury Courtyard. (Archive 15A13/1/1/63/1, 1894)
A rare glimpse into office life at the Bank in the nineteenth century. Here we can see visitors and staff in the north east corner of what was known as the Shutting Room. (Archive 15A13/1/1/16/1, 1894)
A busy Front Courtyard under the watchful eye of J. Hogan Gatekeeper (centre). Interestingly, the two triangular entrances to the Stock Offices and Pay Hall that are visible in this photograph were saved from demolition and incorporated into the current building. (Archive 15A13/1/1/61/4, 1894)
The bullion office at the turn of the century where gold bars were moved on carts. (Archive 15A13/1/1/8/4, c.1900)
A photograph showing the ‘old’ Garden Court and fountain before the demolition and rebuilding work took place. Taken in 1887, it shows the west of the luscious garden along the south side. (Archive 15A13/1/1/68/3, 1887)
A bright and spacious Governor’s Room furnished with an ornate chandelier. A painting of ‘Dividend Day at the Bank of England’ by Hicks can be seen on the wall. (Archive 15A13/1/1/66/3, 1922)
This page was last updated 17 February 2023