Bank of England - London

Daniel C. S. (. S.

If you have under £300 to change - use a post office.
But if you have more than that, you need to go to the bank or do it through your own UK bank account if you have one.
Firstly I was amazed at how friendly, helpful and accommodating everyone was who I met working there. I'm sure it's not an easy job, and they are going the extra mile with most people I saw in the building.
I got there at 8am and was told that usually they open at 9.30am but today they'll be open at 9am.
3 clerks were working.
I filled in the necessary papers and everything was processed smoothly.
Total time was 1.5hrs, but when I walked past the building later on, there was a large queue outside - so get there early if you're planning to go!
You need at least 2 ids with your photograph on them + documents with proof of address if you're going to get everything processed there without trouble.

Tim H.

Beautiful building on the inside and outside. Used to do work with them many years ago and been to a number of lectures, so lucky have to also seen inside.

Nice from the outside too, an iconic building.

Had a great free museum well. Worth a visit.

You can also go to change old bank notes and swap them over to new ones.

If only they would put interest rates back down, I wouldn't be so poor!

JAMIE A.

Awful bank. Prints far too much money and is fully aware of what doing so will do. Gave minimal warnings on the government creating a record setting amount of debt in such a short space of time and fully enabled them in lending the money to do so. Rather than increase the value of GBP they have been slowly devaluing it since their existence. They actively work against the overall populations interest and have terrible customer service.

Ivan M. P.

Came by to exchange the old paper notes. 💷You will have to enter from the main entrance, clear security and proceed to the counter to have it changed out. (Take note of the operating hours)

No queue, security was tight👮‍♂️, beautiful interior 🏦 (can’t take pictures) was an interesting experience to set into Bank Of England. The staff were also very friendly.

Catalin H.

I didn't go inside, I just walked around the building to admire the impressive architecture.

Sadly, the streets around it are super narrow and crowded, making it nearly impossible to find a good spot for decent pictures. But hey, that's just how it goes in London, right?

Valérie

It turns out that this was more fun and more interesting than expected. Congratulations for making the exhibition as current as possible with covering the particularities of the world of finance as of 2024.

I have long suspected that movies always made those Gold BARS much too light and easy to move. Thank you for the chance to handle one.

Zena T.

Useless security guard sent me off on a wild goose chase around the block and when i went back to complain he was patronising and sent me to NatWest across. I came here specically to exchange my new swiss notes fresh from Switzerland and he basically refused me entry bc he was unable to comprehend what i was telling him. Useless!!! Not returning ever again.

Tiff C.

We came here on an early Monday morning to exchange old bank notes, and the overall experience lasted approximately 40 minutes. We are thankful for the reviews so we had a sense of what to expect based on recent experiences (sounded it was a nightmare a few years back). The BoE website is also VERY clear and helpful with providing instructions on the required documentation, so my tip is to read their website before attempting your transaction at the Bank. Only one person is allowed in, so your companions will have to wait outside or sit in a nearby café. After passing through security at the Threadneedle entrance, I had to go through a security scan inside and show my old bank notes before I was allowed to sit on a bench with other customers. While waiting on the bench (thankfully there’s a place to sit), a very polite assistant came asking what kind of transaction I was making, how many old GBP I would be exchanging, and if I could show her the required identification. Following that, she asked me to fill out a form which asks for your personal information (name, address, and how I obtained the money for the GBP I wanted to exchange).
The customer service agents behind the counters were quick and efficient. I found what slowed things down were the other customers not reading the website or coming to the bank unprepared. My time with the agent was only about 5 minutes while other customers ahead of me took long as they either didn’t understand what the agent was asking, or did not have the required documentation.
After exchanging the old bank notes, we had a fun experience exploring the free BoE museum exhibits next door.