The grasshopper was the symbol of Thomas Gresham, the Tudor who founded the Royal Exchange in 1567, pictures of this building show several similar grasshoppers on the roof. This building was destroyed in the great fire of London in 1666, and rebuilt in 1669. Sources differ as to whether the grasshopper survived or was destroyed in the fire, so it is over 300 or 400 years old.
The Grasshopper is eleven feet long and 188 feet above the street.
It and the Dragon on St Mary le Bow which is 221 feet high were two of the highest points in the City until the late 20th century.
See Dragon at http://365project.org/oldjosh/additional/2015-12-15
Since they were erected after the fire of 1666 Londoners have imagined a relationship between the two creatures, often reflecting the uneasy tension between organised religion and commerce.
Follow link to the dragon for more information
