Mansion House
Mansion House is a famous Georgian town palace that is the official residence of the Lord Mayor of the City of London. Mansion House was built by the renowned 18th century architect George Dance The Elder, with the building being completed in 1752.
Mansion House was first home to Sir Crispin Gascoigne in 1758 and has served every Lord Mayor since. Mansion House was, for many years, used as the Lord Mayor's Court, and the house's holding cells have held such notable prisoners as the famous suffragette and left-wing icon Emmeline Pankhurst.
Mansion House is open to London tourists each Tuesday at 2:00pm (except August) when visitors can complete a one-hour tour of this impressive Georgian palace. The tour guide will provide an overview of Mansion House's long history and its role in supporting the City of London's Lord Mayors over the centuries. One of the highlights of the tour is the opportunity to see the Harold Samuel Collection, a glorious collection of eighty-four 17th century Dutch and Flemish paintings, donated to the City of London by Lord Harold Samuel of Wych Cross.