The Hall and Garden
In 1431 Andrew Hunt bequeathed the Company buildings and land which are substantially
the site of the present Hall. Hunt’s buildings became the Company’s Hall, which
was developed and improved over the years. In common with many other livery halls,
this building was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666. The replacement, built
in 1681 at a cost of some £1,500, was destroyed by enemy action in 1940, and rebuilt
in 1961.
In 2006, the Company decided to refurbish the Hall and to add a further floor. Work on this project started straight after Election Day 2007 and was completed in May 2008. Click here to see the Hall in its surroundings.
The Hall contains a number of items precious to the Company, including the Bell Carpet, commissioned by Past Master Robert Bell (a prominent member of the East India Company) in 1630, woven in Lahore and presented in 1634.
The Company is also extremely proud of its garden, which regularly wins prizes in the City of London garden competitions, the latest being the Best Livery Hall Hall Garden 2010 awarded by the Gardeners' Company.