“A memory of this city, preserved not in stone but in word, that those who come after may know what once was.” — John Stow More than four centuries ago, John Stow walked the streets of London, meticulously recording the landmarks, customs, and character of a city in transformation. The Survey of London is his enduring legacy—a vivid, first-hand portrait of Elizabethan London that remains one of the most important historical documents in British literature. Stow’s work is not just a list of places—it’s a living tapestry woven with the voices, trades, and tales of everyday Londoners. This modern edition makes his essential text accessible for today’s readers, history lovers, and urban explorers who seek to understand how London became the city it is today.