Tourists who are visiting London think that they are seeing one city. But the true is very different. What we believe is London, is actually Greater London. This area, conceived in 1965, is formed by the City of London and 32 boroughs surrounding it. But we can’t confuse this two terms.
The City of London, with 2.90 km² and a population of 7000, has a city status in its own and is the smallest ceremonial county of England because of the population and expansion. In addition, it is the richest square mile in the world. However, Greater London has 1,572 km2 and more than 8 millions inhabitants. This structure holds two cities: the City of London and the City of Westminster.
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| Small Dragon at High Holborn |
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| Small Dragon at High Holborn |
It’s easy to know when you are in the City of London and when you are in Westminster but, if you are lost, the dragon boundary marks will help you. These statues, for hundreds of years, have protected the main entrances to the City. The silver dragons have wings and a red tongue and they are holding the City of London’s shield, that it's bearing the red cross of St George and the sword of St Paul.
The fierce dragon in Temple Bar Memorial on Fleet Street, nowadays restored and installed by St Paul's Cathedral, served in 1964 as a model to create the two originals boundary marks, established in Victoria Embankment. There are a couple of replicas in London Bridge and High Holborn and single replicas in Bishopsgate, Aldgate High Street, Aldersgate, Moorgate, Farringdom Street and Blackfriars Bridge.
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