The history of Arbuthnot Latham’s new office and our place in the City

Arbuthnot Latham has had a home in the City of London for almost 200 years. Our latest move to an office on the historic Finsbury Circus represents an apt milestone in our journey as a bank. 

We have taken over a grand 19th century building and fitted it with a modern interior powered by the latest technology, with design details that respect the traditional architecture. 

Over the past two centuries we have had a handful of moves, all within a mile or two of each other. From early headquarters on Great St. Helen’s to our current location, we have always been situated where clients can easily visit us while staying close to the financial institutions we have relationships with, including the Bank of England. 

In our more recent history, we have also established a presence in Manchester, Bristol, and Exeter to meet the needs of clients across the country. 

But the move to our new Arbuthnot House office at 20 Finsbury Circus is a big step forward for the bank and we hope it will provide a contemporary space where our team can best support you. 

History of Finsbury Circus 

Our new London headquarters overlooks the elaborate facades and gardens of Finsbury Circus, which has a history going back centuries. 

The area is set in the Upper Walbrook Valley and there is evidence of prehistoric human activity here and an Iron Age burial site. 

The Romans drained some of the valley to reclaim land when they occupied Londinium from 43AD. Part of a Roman cemetery is believed to lie under the eastern side of Finsbury Circus. 

In the early 1600s the surrounding area was landscaped to become Moor Fields, London’s first public park, and the Bethlehem Hospital was built nearby between 1675-76. 

The Finsbury Estate was developed north of Moor Fields as a residential suburb by the City Surveyor, George Dance the Younger, between 1775 and 1800. His plan for the construction of Finsbury Circus began when Bethlehem Hospital was pulled down in 1814. 

Dance was involved in the design of several significant British buildings, including the front of the Guildhall in London, the Theatre Royal in Bath, and Coleorton Hall in Leicestershire.  

The gardens at the centre of Finsbury Circus, which are an oasis for City workers on their lunch breaks, were originally maintained by the leaseholders of the surrounding buildings, until the City obtained the land in 1900. 

If you visit our office throughout 2024 you may notice the gardens are currently closed to the public while they are being renovated. The City of London Corporation is implementing several improvements to the gardens – the largest open public space in the City of London – including new planting, seating, and improved access.

Welcoming clients 

We are proud to take our place in this illustrious location and are excited to welcome clients to join us here. 

Our client meeting rooms now have their own floor and we have designed a bespoke environment to provide you with utmost comfort and privacy. There are dedicated spaces for larger scale events, and we still have in-house catering. 

The relationships with our private and commercial clients are at the heart of everything we do, and we believe our new office is the perfect place to strengthen these bonds. 

If you would like to join us at Arbuthnot House, let your relationship manager know you are keen to meet us here. We look forward to welcoming  you to our new home.