Place    From 1320  To 1853

Steelyard, Stilliarde or Stalhof

Categories: Commerce

Countries: Germany

The Hanseatic League was a commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and their market towns dominated trade along the coasts of Northern Europe, from the 13th to the 17th century. Their trading posts were known as kontors and could become substantial sites. The London kontor was established in 1320 and grew into a separate walled community with its own warehouses, weighing house, chapel, offices and houses. It became known as the Steelyard or Stahlhof. The chapel was not large so they used nearby All Hallows the Great.

Wikipedia has a 1667 plan clearly showing the extent of the site. Most of the buildings were lost in the Great Fire so perhaps this plan was drawn up as part of the rebuilding exercise.

A steelyard balance was erected here to weigh the goods. We’ve read that the Steelyard acquired its name from this weighing device and also that the device got its name from its use at this site. They can’t both be true. The Hansas imported steel along with everything else so that is an alternative derivation of the name of their London base.

The Hanseatic League lost its power and influence from the late 16th century on but the Steelyard was not sold until 3 years before Cannon Street Station was built on the site in 1866.

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Steelyard, Stilliarde or Stalhof

Commemorated ati

Cannon Street Station

The Sir John Hawkshaw Cannon Street Station was officially opened by South Ea...

Read More

Hanseatic merchants and 60 years of peace

Let's cover the easy bit first: The German at the end translates as “The old ...

Read More

Other Subjects

Williams Deacon's Bank

Williams Deacon's Bank

The first record of this bank is in 1771 as Raymond, Williams, Vere, Lowe and Fletcher. Its name changed a number of times due to the comings and goings of partners. It was reconstituted in 1825 wi...

Group, Commerce

1 memorial
C.&C. Fruit Co Ltd

C.&C. Fruit Co Ltd

Trader at Covent Garden Market at its original site.

Group, Commerce

1 memorial
Devil Tavern

Devil Tavern

2, Fleet Street. Demolished 1787. Full title was the Devil and St Dunstan, the sign being the Devil's nose being tweaked by pincers wielded by the saint. It appears in a Hogarth illustration. T...

Building, Commerce, Community / Clubs, Food & Drink

1 memorial
Edward Charles Grenfell

Edward Charles Grenfell

1st Baron St Just. At Harrow, West Acre House, 1884-8. Banker and politician. Governor of Harrow School 1922-41. Director of the Bank of England 1905-40.

Person, Benefactor, Commerce, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
The Establishment Club

The Establishment Club

Peter Cook said this was modelled on "those wonderful Berlin cabarets which did so much to stop the rise of Hitler and prevent the outbreak of the Second World War". Lenny Bruce, Barry Humphries, ...

Group, Commerce, Community / Clubs, Humour

1 memorial