The Bank of England is the central bank of the England and the model on which most central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the English Government's banker. The Bank's headquarters have been in London's main financial district, the City of [[London]], on Threadneedle Street, since 1734. It is sometimes known as The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street, a name taken from the satirical cartoon by James Gillray in 1797.