London Stone
After spending a couple of years on holiday in the Museum of London, this chunk of limestone recently returned to its home on Cannon Street, where it has resided for…well, no one is entirely sure. What can be seen today is allegedly just a fragment of the original, which may have been put in place by the Romans to mark the start of a milestone system.
By medieval times the rock had gained its moniker of London Stone, and was an important landmark to the City of London. It became a place for making deals, passing laws, issuing proclamations, and swearing oaths. In 1450 the rebel Jack Code struck his sword against the stone to proclaim his sovereignty during his uprising against Henry VI. The stone was uprooted from the road in 1742, and eventually found its way into an alcove of St Swithin’s Church. Badly damaged in the Blitz, the church was demolished in the early 1960s, and London Stone was placed into a rather dull grilled and glazed alcove, where it was not easily visible – a situation that is thankfully remedied in the new 111 Cannon Street.
Beyond what is recorded, many theories have been offered over the years to explain the origin of London Stone. Was it the altar of a temple to Artemis, erected by the Trojan Brutus, son of Priam, after he defeated the giants lead by Gog and Magog? Perhaps it was a stone where Druids sacrificed victims, or had some other similar sacred significance – after all, it is apparently located on a ley line between St Pauls and the Tower of London. Or could it be the stone from which a young Arthur pulled a sword, revealing himself as the true King of Britain?
