Billingsgate Fish Market stood near here during the 16th and 17th centuries but did not become formally established until 1699 when an Act of Parliament made it to be "a free and open market for all sorts of fish whatsoever".

The market was on the streets, and it "consisted only of shed buildings... The open space on the north of the well-remembered Billingsgate Dock was dotted with low booths and sheds, with a range of wooden houses with a piazza in front on the west, which served the salesmen and fishmongers as shelter, and for the purposes of carrying on their trade."

In 1850 the first Billingsgate Market building was constructed on Lower Thames Street by the builder John Jay, and the fish market was moved off the streets into its new building. An Italian-revival building uncomfortably close, as Nicholas Bentley points out, to Osborne House, Queen Victoria's home on the Isle of Wight.

Bunning's buildings was soon found to be insufficient for the increased trade, and in 1872 the Corporation obtained an Act to rebuild and enlarge the market, which was done to plans by Bunning's successor as City architect Sir Horace Jones. The new site covered almost twice the area of the old, incorporating Billingsgate Stairs and Wharf and Darkhouse Lane. Work began in 1874, and the new market was opened by the Lord Mayor on 20 July 1877. 

In 1982, the fish market itself was relocated to a new site on the Isle of Dogs in east London, and in 1875 building was refurbished to provide office accommodation. However, it is now used as an events venue, it remains a major London landmark and a notable Grade II listed building.

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Coordinates: 51.508934    -0.084018856

The Roman house at Billingsgate is the modern name for a Roman house in Londinium (Roman London). The remains of the Billingsgate Roman bath house date from the 2nd - 3rd century AD and were first discovered in 1848 during construction of the London Coal Exchange. They remained preserved in the buildings basement, until further redevelopment at the site in the late 1960’s gave archaeologists the opportunity to further explore the ruin.

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Pottery has shown that the house was erected in the late 2nd century, comprising of a north wing and east wing, with a hypocaust system, underfloor heating, around a central courtyard, at this time, the building was situated on the waterfront of the River Thames.

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By the 3rd century, a bath house was added in the courtyard that contained a frigidarium, cold room, tepidarium, warm room, and a caldarium. 

The whole complex was in use till the beginning of the 5th century. Several hundred coins of the late 4th century were found at the excavations. This is of special importance as there is little known about the end of the Roman rule in Britain, and this house attests a large-scale building in use until the beginning of the 5th century. 
However, the house was most likely already in ruins by the year 500. An Anglo-Saxon brooch was found within fallen material from the roof.

The site was to become the first designated protected heritage site in London, 
forming part of the first Ancient Monuments Act of 1882.

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Coordinates: 51°30'33.41"N 0°04'58.95"W

In 1585 a school for thieves was discovered at Billingsgate, where people, mainly children, were taught how to pickpocket. The pocket was guarded by a bell, and if the pupil wasn't light-fingered enough, the bell would sound. In the 16th century pickpockets were called foysters or nyppers. (nippers).

St. Dunstan-in-the-East is situated between London Bridge and the Tower of London.
It was built in 1100 and is a Grade I listed building. It was severely damaged in 1666 by the Great Fire, and rather than being completely built it was 'patched up'. A steeple and tower was added in 1695-1701 to the design of Sir Christopher Wren.

In 1817 it was found that the weight of the nave roof had thrust the walls seven inches out of the perpendicular. Therefore, it was decided to rebuild the church from the level of the arches, but the state of the structure proved so bad that the whole building was taken down. The foundation stone was laid in November 1817 and the church re-opened for worship in January 1821. 

The Church was again badly damaged in the 1941 Blitz. Wren's tower and steeple survived the bombing. Of the rest of the church only the north and south walls remained.

During the re-organisation of the Anglican Church after World war II it was decided not to rebuild St Dunstan’s.

In 1967 the City of London decided to turn the remains into a public garden, which opened in 1970.

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Coordinates: 51°30'34.90"N 0°04'57.11"W

Image: Elisa.rolle - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0