Cordwainer (ward)

Ward of Cordwainer

Location within the City
Ward of Cordwainer
 Ward of Cordwainer shown within Greater London
OS grid referenceTQ323811
Sui generis City of London
Administrative area Greater London
RegionLondon
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town LONDON
Postcode district EC2
Dialling code 020
Police City of London
Fire London
Ambulance London
EU Parliament London
UK ParliamentCities of London and Westminster
London Assembly City and East
List of places
UK
England
London

Coordinates: 51°30′46″N 0°05′36″W / 51.51285°N 0.09324°W / 51.51285; -0.09324

Cordwainer is a small, almost rectangular-shaped ward in the City of London.[1] It is named after the cordwainers, the professional shoemakers who historically lived and worked in this particular area of London;[2] there is a Livery Company for the trade — the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers. The ward is sometimes referred to as the "Cordwainers' ward".

It is bounded to the north by Poultry and Cheapside (the boundary with Cheap ward); to the west by the eponymous Bread Street and the ward of the same name; to the south by Cannon Street (and Vintry and Dowgate wards); and to the east by Walbrook ward and a street of the same name.

Streets within Cordwainer's boundaries are, amongst others, Bow Lane, Pancras Lane and part of Watling Street. Queen Street runs north-south through the centre of the ward.[3]

Former precincts

In mediaeval times and long before the most recent boundary changes in 2003, Cordwainer was divided into eight precincts:[4]

Today

A statue of a cordwainer in the ward.

The contemporary ward is home to many large businesses and new initiatives such as Bow Bells House,[6] named after the bells of St Mary-le-Bow church—and not as sometimes thought the area of Bow. Cordwainer contains one other church, St Mary Aldermary, and the site of St Antholin, Budge Row, demolished in 1875.[7] Cordwainer ward is quite distinctive for its high number of licensed premises, but in addition has its own club[8] dedicated to promoting the area positively.[9]

Politics

Cordwainer is one of 25 ancient wards of the City of London, each electing an alderman to the Court of Aldermen and commoners (the City equivalent of a councillor) elected to the Court of Common Council of the City of London Corporation. Only electors who are Freemen of the City are eligible to stand for election.

References

  1. ↑ Ward Map
  2. ↑ Chambers Dictionary 9th Edition (2003) p335 ISBN 0-550-10105-5
  3. ↑ City of London Police Force description
  4. ↑ Book 2, Ch. 17: Cordwainer Ward , A New History of London: Including Westminster and Southwark (1773), pp. 597-600 25 September 2007
  5. ↑ Thomas Allen, The City of London and Parts Adjacent: Volume 3
  6. ↑ Details of Project
  7. ↑ Vanished Churches of the City of London Huelin,G: Guildhall Library Publishing, London, 1996 ISBN ISBN 0-900422-42-4
  8. ↑ Club Website
  9. ↑ Ward Newsletter
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