Paul Pinders house

This house of a rich merchant stood on Bishopsgate since it was built around 1599 to its destruction for the expansion of Liverpool Street Station. It was built for the merchant Paul Pinder as a mansion outside the city walls on Bishopsgate due to its proximity to the city and his commercial interests but also due to its space which allowed him to have a large garden to the rear. What was built in 1599 was a new bay between two older properties to the left and right (Buildings to the left and right in the picture left made up the complex of the mansion). The building survived the Great fire of London but afterwards (after the death of Paul Pindar in 1650) was sub-divided and given over to the London work house. The house was demolished in 1890 for the eastern extension of Liverpool street station. There were many similar houses with impressive projecting jetties in medieval London but even then this house would have been striking. Its elaborate work carvings were meant to show off the wealth of the merchant. 

Its former location is now taken up by a large modern office building, (it would have been where the large arch is on the Bank of Scotland building on Bishopsgate). When it was demolished the facade was acquired by Victoria and Albert Museum in the interest of saving some of the vanishing medieval heritage of the city. The bottom of the facade was not retained due to the various alterations.