London Stone

An illustration of the London Stone from 'London: a Pilgrimage' by Blanchard Jerrold and Gustave Doré, 1872. The London Stone is a block of limestone which is set behind a grille built into the wall of 111 Cannon Street. The subject of myth and speculation (including some sort of prehistoric fetish stone) the earliest recorded reference to the stone is in a document dated between 1098-1108 which lists properties belonging to Canterbury Cathedral in London. The stone was originally much larger, as depicted on the Copperplate map of the late 1550s where it is shown opposite the main door of St Swithin's church.