In 1760, the medieval Bishop's Gate, one of the original entrances through the London Wall into the City, was demolished as part of broader urban modernization efforts. The gate, named for its historical association with the Bishop of London, had stood since at least the Roman era and had been rebuilt several times over the centuries. Its removal reflected a shift in London's urban priorities, from defense and to a freer movement and trade. As London's population grew and inevitably commerce expanded, old city gates were increasingly seen as impediments to traffic and development. The demolition of Bishop’s Gate, now known as Bishopsgate, was both practical and symbolic: it represented the city's evolution from medieval stronghold to a center of global commerce and enlightenment-era civic planning (Weinreb et al. 2008; Schofield 1994).

Porter, Roy. London: A Social History. Harvard University Press, 1995. Accessed April 23, 2025

Schofield, John. The Building of London: From the Conquest to the Great Fire. Sutton Publishing, 1994. Accessed April 23,2025

 Weinreb, Ben, et al. The London Encyclopaedia. 3rd ed., Macmillan, 2008. Accessed April 23, 2025