Part of a wall and a doorway in the ruins of St Mary Graces Abbey, in the present basement at the Mint


The proposed Chinese Embassy at the Royal Mint, East Smithfield

The Chinese government proposes to relocate its embassy in the buildings of the Royal Mint, currently empty, north-east of the Tower of London. The design of the new complex, which includes several Listed Buildings and structures, is by architect David Chipperfield. A first proposal was refused planning permission by the local authority, Tower Hamlets, in 2022. Chipperfield has now submitted a second application which is exactly the same as the first. This has been called in by the Secretary of State Angela Rayner. There will now be a Public Enquiry about the project in 2025.

CoLAT has concerns about the future display and public access in the present basement of fragments of walls from St Mary Graces Abbey, extensively found on the site during excavations of the 1980s. Here is a note describing the site and the setting of the fragments:

Title File Type File Size
Chinese Embassy note by CoLAT PDF 481 KB

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The City of London Archaeological Trust (CoLAT) is a charity whose purpose is to support and initiate archaeological work in the City of London and its environs.

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