Merchant Taylors' Hall

The first Hall was built at some date between the years 1347 and 1392 when it was known as "Taillourshalle"; between then and the Great Fire of London in 1666, no records show structural alteration of any importance except the rebuilding of the roof between 1586 and 1588. On 16th July 1607, the Hall hosted a great banquet in honour of King James I. New furnishings were ordered, the garden walls raised to improve security, and a new window created into the hall from a private chamber where the King and Queen ate in state while observing the proceedings. The Prince of Wales dined in the main hall and made a speech. The Merchant Taylor's Hall was the venue for the Lord Mayor's masque, Thomas…

The Hall is open for housing public events through a dedicated events and catering company. It has been used for various purposes, ranging from entertainment industry photocalls such as for the Harry Potter film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on 25 October 2005 (with Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint), to hosting official government and administrative events such as the Mayor of London & Greater London Authority's Women in London’s Economy programme on 28 February 2008 (with Ken Livingstone, Harriet Harman MP, Diane Abbott MP, Elisabeth Kelan and Sandra Fredman).