Temple Bar, City of London

These little guys guard the entrances to the City of London. There is a dragon at each road entrance, marking the boundary of the city limits. This monument marks the entrance once known as Temple Bar (because of its proximity to the Inns of Court, Inner Temple and Middle Temple).

The modern-day City of London is built on the same site as the ancient city of Londinium, which was once bounded by the London Wall. Various gates in the wall have given their name to streets and regions in the City, such as Aldgate, Bishopsgate, and Moorgate. The ancient wall is still visible around the City, with the largest segment revealed by a Blitz bomb near the Museum of London.

These days the City is the financial heart of the city, and still one of the world's leading financial centres. It's nicknamed The Square Mile because of its approximate size, which is less of a mouthful than The Square 2.6 Kilometres.

I have more photos of the City in the set page.