The Vintners’ Hall
The Livery Companies of London are the successors to the medieval guilds, once responsible for regulating trade, wages and labour conditions of professions in the City. Whilst some still have professional connections, many are now primarily charitable organisations. Despite this, the Livery Companies still maintain an order or precedence – based on economic or political power in 1515!
The Worshipful Company of Vintners was granted a royal charter in 1363, and for many centuries regulated the wine trade in London and beyond. Their original livery hall was built in 1446, though was burnt down in the Great Fire of 1666. However, the Vintners had sufficient warning to remove most of their valuable from the hall – including tapestries, a hearse cloth, fancy silverware and their many royal charters. The hall was rebuilt between 1670 and 1675, with later redevelopment, giving the whole building a slightly disjointed feel when wandering from one room to another.
Despite being the wine merchants, one could be forgiven for thinking that the Vintners’ were mostly concerned with swans, given the number of statues, silverware and artwork bearing swan motifs (not to mention a large stuffed swan in the lobby). The reason for this is that the Vintners are one of two Livery Companies (the other being the Dyers) to still exercise a right to own swans on the Thames.