The Castle

The Castle was a large stone house in Cornhill ward, located on the north side of Cornhill at the western side of the Royal Exchange. Part of it was removed for the expansion of the Royal Exchange in 1566, and is mentioned by Stow as being named for the Castle Tavern sign. It is unmarked on the Agas map, but is said to have an alley passing through it, also named for the tavern sign (Castle Alley).
Stow says that despite rumours of the site having once been a small church or a Jewish dwelling, the Castle was likely to have been built in the first year of King Richard I, when it was decreed that only stone houses could be constructed within London in a preventative measure against fires (Stow 151).
The site has since been removed for further expansion of the Royal Exchange (Harben 127).

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