The most interesting landmarks in London are often overlooked and hidden down side streets, and Cloth Fair is no exception.

This narrow road, close to Smithfield Market in the City of London, got its name due to its history as a place where merchants would gather in medieval times. Nowadays, you won’t find lively scenes of traders selling on the streets, it’s mostly residential and a peaceful oasis away from the bustling city. But there’s one building in particular that stands out thanks to its historic features.

41-42 Cloth Fair was built between the years of 1597 and 1614, which already makes it remarkable as London’s oldest surviving house. However, what’s really amazing about this four-bedroom town house is that it survived through many tumultuous periods of history, and even stayed standing after the Great Fire of London.

Over 70,000 homes were destroyed in the Great Fire of London, meaning this townhouse would have been surrounded by collapsed and wrecked properties, yet a high brick wall built around the property saved it from the flames.

However, it wasn’t the first time the house had a lucky escape. During the Second English Civil War, when many properties were destroyed in the city, the house survived. But the man who’d built it, Henry Rich, was not so lucky. A Royalist, Rich was captured and put on trial before being beheaded in the grounds of the Palace of Westminster. 

The house’s first tenant was William Chapman, who turned the downstairs into an ale house, and over the years the property had many different uses from a wool drapers to a tobacconist, then a cutlery factory until the 1920s when it was sold off. Since then, it has been a private residence and is still used as a home today.

The 1920s were another decade that almost saw the destruction of 41-42 Cloth Fair. In 1929, there were plans to tear the house down along with many other historic properties as part of a scheme to make housing in the city more sanitary. There were also questions over its structure and it was deemed as dangerous.

However, the home was not demolished, and miraculously, also managed to make it through the Blitz unscathed, when 1.7 million buildings across London were damaged and many historic landmarks gone forever.

In 1995, the home was snapped up by new owners, undergoing an extensive renovation and winning a City Heritage Award a few years later. One feature of particular historic note is a range of signatures etched into the lead windows using a diamond pen. These signatures include a number of high-profile people who’ve visited the house over the years including Winston Churchill, the Queen Mother, John Betjeman, and J.B. Priestley. 

The age of the house, plus its close proximity to a priory built in medieval times, has led to rumours that there are skeletons buried deep into its foundations. Whether true or not, at least these souls won’t be disturbed with the seemingly indestructible house guarding their final resting place. 

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