I can't believe nobody has reviewed this yet! Nestling in one of the modern arms of the Guildhall is a fairly extensive art gallery - normally around 250 paintings or pieces, with changing exhibitions around a central theme.
It costs £2.50 to get in (£1 with concessions); but if you're a genuine City worker, you can take along a piece of your company's headed paper, and they let you in free.
The gallery is open from 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday - although do check on their website for closures because if anyone important visits the UK they inevitably get taken for a slap-up meal at the Guildhall, and the whole place closes down and becomes impossible to get into unless you're prepared to dress up as an armed policeman. Which I do not recommend. I can't stress that enough. Don't do that. No.
The best thing about the gallery, though, is what's under it. When you walk across the main Guildhall plaza outside, look at the ground. You will see an enormous circle laid out in black slate - it disappears under the corner of the modern building, but most of it is visible. This circle marks out the perimeter of what was originally a Roman amphitheatre (yes, a proper one with gladiators and everything!), and before Roman times, the site was a meeting place for the citizens of London before it was even really London.
Once inside the gallery you have access to the archaeological findings of that amphitheatre, which are visible in a large display under the art gallery - there's not terribly much to see there, but there is a nice dug up bit with a glass cover that you can walk over, if you're feeling brave (or want to test whether it's time to go on a diet). The amphitheatre is underground and very dark and there is rarely anyone in there - literally - so if you go down there on your own, be prepared for the distant recorded sound of cheering Romans that your presence will trigger, because it nearly made me choke on my gum the first time I set it off. read more