City of London Dragons

The Dragon Boundary Marks are striking cast iron statues of dragons, often mistaken for griffins, that delineate the borders of the City of London. These dragons, painted in gleaming silver with red accents on their wings and tongues, are poised on metal or stone plinths. Each dragon stands on its left hind leg, with the right hind leg slightly lifted to brace a shield. The right foreleg is raised in a gesture of defiance, while the left foreleg grips the top of the shield. The shield itself bears the coat of arms of the City of London, prominently displaying Saint George's red cross on a white background, accompanied by a red sword in the first quarter—an emblem of Saint Paul. These two saints, Saint George and Saint Paul, are revered as the patron saints of England and London, respectively. The dragon’s stance mirrors the rampant heraldic attitude of the City’s supporters, perhaps evoking the legendary tale of Saint George and the Dragon.

The design of these boundary dragons traces its origins to two grand dragon sculptures, each standing 7 feet (210 cm) tall, which once adorned the entrance to the Coal Exchange on Lower Thames Street. These sculptures, conceived by City Architect J. B. Bunning and crafted by the London founder Dewer in 1849, were initially painted in a stone hue to blend with the building’s façade. When the Coal Exchange was demolished in 1962–63, the dragons were preserved and reinstalled on 6-foot (180 cm) tall Portland stone plinths at the City's western boundary, near Temple Gardens on Victoria Embankment, in October 1963.

In 1964, the Corporation of London’s Streets Committee selected these statues as the model for the city’s boundary markers, favouring them over the more menacing dragon sculpted by C. B. Birch at Temple Bar on Fleet Street. Smaller replicas, about half the size of the original Coal Exchange dragons, were produced by Birmingham Guild Limited and installed at key entrances to the City of London during the late 1960s.

Today, fourteen of these dragons stand sentry around the City of London. In addition to the Birch dragon at Temple Bar and the two original Coal Exchange statues on Victoria Embankment, replicas can be found at the southern end of London Bridge, on High Holborn near Gray's Inn Road, and at various other locations, including Aldgate High Street, Norton Folgate, Byward Street, Moorgate, Goswell Road, Farringdon Street, and the southern end of Blackfriars Bridge.

The original Coal Exchange dragons and their stone plinths on Victoria Embankment were designated as Grade II listed buildings in 1972, recognizing their historical significance. The dragons on High Holborn are mounted on granite obelisks, which initially served as supports for lanterns; these 19th-century obelisks were also listed in 1972.

Beyond London, a replica of these iconic dragons can be found in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, where the 19th-century London Bridge was reconstructed in 1971.