London

Updated: 02.06.2019

London

London is the capital city of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is also the most populous city, with the population of 8,8 million, and more than 14 million people live within the London metropolitan area. One of the most important cities in the world, London is a cultural and financial center and one of the most visited cities with the busiest airport system by passenger traffic.
          London is located in south-eastern England, on the River Thames. It is divided into the City of London and 32 boroughs, Inner London has 12 boroughs and Outer London has 20, and it is governed by the Mayor and the Assembly. London can also be divided into four parts, the City is the economical centre and Westminster in the political centre, West End is the shopping and entertainment part and East End used to be a poor part with docks, but now it is rapidly developing. The city is almost two thousand years old and has a diverse range of people and cultures.
          Cockney English refers to the dialect traditionally spoken by working-class Londoners, residents of East End, or those born within the earshot of the bells of St Mary-le-Bow. My Fair Lady is a musical based on GB Shaw's Pygmalion and tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who wishes to speak like a lady. London is one of the most diverse cities in the world, and while Cockney is in decline, over 300 languages are spoken by todays Londoners.

the Gherkin                                                            Tower Bridge                                the Shard

History

London was founded by the Roman after the invasion in 43AD and named Londinium. It was burned to the ground around 61AD by the famous Queen Boudica of the Iceni tribe. The city was refounded several times, until it became successful in the 10th century, and by the 11th century, it was the largest town in England.
          In 1066, William of Normandy was crowned in the newly completed Westminster Abbey and the construction of the Tower of London began. The City of London became a principal commercial centre and the City of Westminster developed into the government capital, the future Palace of Westminster was founded in 1097.
          In the Middle Ages, it became a cultural centre. The city was still very compact and in the 17th century had the population of about 500 thousand people. The assassination attempt on James I in Westminster, on 5th November 1605, became known as the Gunpowder Plot and is celebrated until today as Guy Fawkes Night. The Great Plague of 1665 killed one fifth of London's population, more than 100 thousand people, and the Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed the City. Rebuilding took a decade and was supervised by Robert Hooke and one of the most highly acclaimed architects, Sir Christopher Wren.

the Great Fire of London

          London was the largest from about 1831 to 1925 and the heart of a modern empire. Many famous landmarks and buildings were built in the 19th century. The Victorian Era was a time of both great prosperity and poverty, with many social problems. In London, thousands of women worked as prostitutes and, in 1888, at least five of them became the victims of one of the most famous serial murderers of all times, Jack the Ripper.
          The city was severely damaged by the Luftwaffe in 1940, as part of the Blitz raids. Since the Middle Ages, and later the Industrial Revolution, London was famous for its pollution. In 1952, the Great Smog lasted for five days and killed thousands of people. This changed in the 1950s and 1960s, when new environmental laws were introduced. In 2012, London became the first city to stage the Olympic Games three times.

the Palace of Westminster in the Great Smog

Historical Landmarks

London is a city of culture and institutions, both in reality and in fiction. A lot of famous people, including many fictional characters like Sherlock Holmes, Mr Bean or James Bond, reside in London. Many blockbusters and series, such as Love Actually, Harry Potter, Thor: Dark World, are set there.
          There are four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in London, the Tower of London, Kew Gardens, Westminster Palace and Abbey and the Greenwich settlement. The city is also home to numerous museums, galleries, libraries, theatres and other cultural institutions. Is is also an important fashion centre, it hosts many famous festivals and sport events.

The City of London

Bastion 14

The City is the primary central business and financial district of London. The headquarters of many banks and financial institutions are situated here, including the Bank of England. The London Stock Exchange is the second most important in the world and it dated back to the 17th century. Today, 22 Bishopsgate, a prominent site in the financial district, comonly known as Twentytwo, is becoming the second tallest skyscraper in the European Union.
          The City is constituted from the ancient Roman settlement and bound by the old fortification walls. It is the smallest county in the United Kingdom, commonly known as the Square Mile (2,9km²). Only about 9400 people live in the City, but it employs about 300 thousand people.
          The Great Fire of London, 1666, devastated this part and the City was rebuilt, the Monument to the Great Fire can be found near the northern end of London Bridge. Many historical landmarks, including the famous church, St Mary-le-Bow, were rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren. The Bank of England and the Royal Exchange can be found in this part of London, as well as the Gherkin building on 30 St Many Axe.

London Wall is a defensive wall first built by the Romans around Londinium. A few sections still remain around the City, including forts and fortified walls.

St Paul's Cathedral belongs to the Church of England and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The original church  at the top of Ludgate Hill dated back to AD604 and the present cathedral is a late 17th century English Baroque building designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Its construction started after the Great Fire and it remains one of the second largest church in the UK, the dome is one of the largest in the world. The crypt is the largest in Europe and many famous people are buried here, including Sir Christopher Wren and Admiral Horatio Nelson. Prince Charles and Lady Diana had their wedding there in 1981, which was very unusual. Stone pineapples are on top of the two western towers, because Wren saw them as symbols of peace, prosperity and hospitality.
          The Whispering Gallery runs around the inside of the dome. It is located at the top of 259 steps, 99 feet (30m) above the floor and it is 32 metres wide. Whispers can be heard clearly in other parts of the gallery because of the unique acoustics.

The Millennium Bridge is a steel suspension bridge for pedestrian crossing. The northern end is just below St Paul's Cathedral. The bridge is featured in the Half-Blood Prince, where it collapses after an attack by the Death Eaters.

The City of Westminster

Whitehall from Trafalgar Square

Westminster is an Inner London borough, to the west of the City. Historically, it was much smaller and the city now includes parts of what was now considered the West End. The area includes many parks, the ancient political district of Westminster, and is famous for shopping places, like Covent Garden or Oxford Street, and night-time entertainment in Soho and the Chinatown next to it. There are many famous bars, theatres, restaurants, hotels, cinemas and clubs in the area.
          One of the most popular museums is Madame Tussauds wax museum, founded in 1835. Tate Britain, opened in 1897, houses a collection of the art of the United Kingdom since Tudor times.
          St James's Palace is the most senior royal palace, built by King Henry VIII, is still used for ceremonies. The Supreme Court, housed in Middlesex Guildhall, hears cases of the greatest public or constitutional importance. On the other hand, the Royal Courts of Justice house the High Court and Court of Appeal.

Buckingham Palace is the London residence of the monarch of the UK. When the Queen is present, the Royal Standard is flying from the flagpole. The house was built in 1703 by Lord Buckingham and King George III bought the house for his wife, Queen Charlotte, in 1761. In the 19th century, it was enlarged and reconstructed and became the residence of Queen Victoria in 1837. The palace has 775 rooms and the largest private garden in London.
          The Queen's Guard is a contingent of infantry and cavalry soldiers charged with guarding the official royal residences, they are fully operational soldiers. In London, they are detached at Buckingham Palace and St James's Palace and change at 11AM every day in the summer and four times a week in winter. This ceremory is called the Changing of the Guard and it is a major tourist attraction which includes the Horse Guards Parade.
          The Victoria Memorial is a monument to Queen Victoria, located at the Mall, right in front of Buckingham Palace. It was built from 1906 to 1924, at the top, there is the statue of Winged Victory and under it, the statue of Queen Victoria sitting on a throne. There are also eagles representing the Empire and personifications of Courage, Truth, Justice, Motherhood and Constancy.
          The Mall is a road between Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square which goes through the Admiralty Arch. It is closed to public on Saturadays and Sundays, public holidays and ceremonial occasions. It is frequently decorated by the Union flag and the royal family travels down the Mall on state occasions in a royal coach.
          The Marble Arch is a 19th century white marble faced triumphal arch designed by John Nash in 1827 to be the state entrance of Buckingham Palace. It was relocated to a traffic island at the junction of Oxford Street, Park Lane and Edgware Road. Only members of the Royal Family are allowed to pass through it on ceremonial occasions.

The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the houses of the Parliament of the UK, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The first royal palace was built in the 11th century and served as a royal residence for centuries. The Old Palace was destroyed by fire in 1834 and the new one was built in Gothic Revival style. There are over 1100 rooms and 100 staircases in the Palace. It has three towers, the most famous is Elizabeth Tower, originally the Clock Tower, renamed in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The main bell of the clock, the Great Bell, is commonly called Big Ben. The Victoria Tower is the highest Gothic tower in the world, which is not part of a church. The Central Tower is much slender and octagonal and it stands above the Central Lobby.
          The Palace, finished in 1860, is in urgent need of extensive restoration. It is estimated that the repairs will cost at least 3.5 billion £ and it was decided that the Parliament will vacate the Palace for six years in 2025. The Elizabeth Tower is under maintenance for four years, which started in 2017.
          There are two bridges near the Palace, one on each side. Westminster Bridge is painted predominantly green and is located on the left of the Palace, nearer to the House of Commons and the Elizabeth Tower. The Lambeth Bridge a little further on the right is red and closer to the House of Lords and the Victoria Tower.

Westminster Abbey is a Gothic abbey church just west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of weddings, coronations and burials of English monarchs. The first records of the abbey come from the 10th century and the construction of the current church began in 1245.
          The most famous couples married there are King Richard II and Anne of Bohemia, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Prince William and Kate Middleton. There are also many famous people buried in the abbey, for example Anne of Cleves, Elizabeth I, Charles Darwin, Stephen Hawking and Isaac Newton. The Poets' Corner is a section with many buried artists, including Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles Dickens, John Dryden, George Frideric Handel, Rudyard Kipling and Alfred Tennyson.

Whitehall is the road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea, it is recognized as the centre of the Government and lined with many departments and ministries, including the Ministry of Defence and the Cabinet office. It was named after the former Palace of Whitehall, which used to be the biggest palace in Europe and it was destroyed by fire.
          Downing Street branches to the west, 10 Downing Street is the official residence of the Prime Minister of the UK since 1732, when King George II  offered it to Sir Robert Walpole, the first Prime Minister. Great Scotland Yard branches to the west, the original headquarters of the Metropolitan Police service is located there and is commonly called Scotland Yard because of it. The Horse Guards is an important military headquarters and also the location of the Household Cavalry Museum. Next to it is the Horse Guards Parade, the site of the annual Trooping the Colour.

Trafalgar Square commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, a British naval victory against France and Spain. Nelson's Column is a monument to Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died in the battle. Before the statue was erected on the column in 1842, fourteen stone masons had a dinner party on the top. The National Gallery, founded in 1824, is located there. It is a very popular place for meetings and demonstrations and it is illegal to feed pigeons in the Square since 2003.

Piccadilly Circus is a very busy road junction connecting Regent Street and Piccadilly, built in 1819. Five major roads converge at this hub. It is best known for its neon signs and advertisement screens on the corner building. Also, most of the theatres are within a few hundred yards of it. The Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain stands at the south-eastern side, with the statue of the Greek God Anteros, the brother of Eros.

Tower Hamlets

site of the Scaffold

The Tower Hamlets is a London borough which includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region, including the West India Docks and Canary Wharf, one of the main financial centres. Many of the tallest buildings in London are located here, as well as part of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The Tower of London, officially Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, is a historic Norman castle and the oldest standing building. It was founded in 1066, the White Tower was built by William the Conqueror in 1078. It served as a royal residence, a prison, an armoury, a treasury and it is still the home of the Crown Jewels of England. Only a few people were executed inside the Tower, including Anne Boleyn.

Queen Elizabeth II coronation portrait

          The Crown Jewels of the UK are 140 royal ceremonial objects kept in the Tower. They contain 23 578 stones, for example Cullinan I, the largest clear cut diamond in the world, set in the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross. The coronation regalia are still in use as the only set in Europe
          The Yeomen Warders, commonly called Beefeaters, are ceremonial guardians of the Tower. They conduct guided tours and are in principle responsible for any prisoners and safeguarding the Crown Jewels. They are all retired from Armed Forces of Commonwealth realms and must be former warrant officers with at least 22 years of service. They wear a traditional Tudor uniform and share the symbol of the Tudor rose, because they were formed in 1485 under the first Tudor king.
          At least six ravens are kept at the Tower at all times, in accordance with the belief that if they are absent, the kingdom will fall. They are under the care of the Ravenmaster.

Tower Hill is a garden square between the Tower of London and the City of London, but still inside the City walls. It hosted public executions of 112 people from 1381 to 1747, including Sir Thomas More who wrote Utopia.

Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge built between 1886 and 1894 which connects Tower Hamlets with Southwark. The bridge consists of two bridge towers tied together at the upper level by two horizontal walkways and the central part is split equally and can be raised to allow river traffic to pass. It is built in Victorian Gothic style and 240m long, the towers are 65m high and it is raised about 17 times a day.

Canary Wharf is a commercial estate on the Isle of Dogs. This area used to be the West India Dock and it is now called after the fruit trade with Canary Islands. It is one of the main financial centres in the UK and contains many skyscrapers. One Canada Square is the third tallest skyscraper in the UK and has 50 stories.

Greenwich

the prime meridian

This London borough is named after the historic town of Greenwich, where hundreds of prehistoric artefacts have been found. Remains of a Roman temple were discovered in 1902 and coins and pottery prove the presence of the Vikings. In 1997, Maritime Greenwich was added to the World Heritage Sites, for the concentration and quality of buildings of historic and architectural interest.
          Greenwich Park is a former hunting park, the Queen's House and Greenwich Hospital are located at the border. The National Maritime Museum may be the largest museum of its kind in the world and it includes the Royal Observatory.

The Royal Observatory played a major role in the history of astronomy and navigation. It is best known for the fact that the Prime Meridian passes through it, which was chosen as the defining point in Washington on 1884. It was commissioned in 1675 by King Charles II and the site was chosen by Sir Christopher Wren. In is now a museum, although the AMAT telescope became operational for astronomical research in 2018.

The Royal Naval College was a training establishment between 1873 and 1998, providing courses for naval officers. The buildings were designed by Sir Christopher Wren. The site became the setting of the end battle in Thor: The Dark World.

Other Interesting Sights and Landmarks in London

In the borough of Kensington, you can find the Harrods department store and the Victoria and Albert Museum, the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design.
          In Lambeth, the London Eye is a cantilevered observation wheel. With its 135m, it is the tallest in Europe and it was the world's tallest Ferris wheel until 2006.
          Southwark is one of the oldest parts of London and the City Hall is located there. Shakespeare's Globe is the reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, the playhouse associated with William Shakespeare. A modern art gallery, called Tate Modern, is located just across the street. The tallest building in the UK and the EU is the skyscraper Shard, with its 95 storeys and 309,7m.
           In Camden, the British Library is the largest national library in the world by number of items catalogued. The King's Cross railway station is one of the busiest in the UK and is perhaps best known for its Platform 9 ³/₄ from the Harry Potter franchise. Bloomsbury is a famous London district and the home of numerous cultural, intellectual and educational institutions. The most famous is definitely the British Museum, established in 1753. Its collection of 8 million works is one of the largest in the world, some of the most famous objects, including the Rosetta Stone and many Egyptian mummies.

the Rosetta Stone

          In Newham, the ArcelorMittal Orbit is an observation tower and Britain's largest piece of public art, located in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The Olympic Park, located across several boroughs, was built in 2012 for the Summer Olympic Games and was later renamed to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of the Queen.
          London is also known for its urban foxes, which are believed to hunt the rats and pigeons in the city. These animals can survive in almost any habitat and live all across the UK. I tis estimated that around 150 thousand urban foxes live around big cities. Fox hunting was banned in 2004 in England and Wales, but they are still hunted illegally.
          London has three iconic public transport archetypes. The London Underground, nicknamed the Tube, was opened in 1863. It is one of the busiest metro systems and more than half of it runs above ground. A black cab, also called hackney carriage, provides the London taxi service. All cabbies have to pass the Knowledge, a very difficult test of London geography, including 25 thousand streets, it usually takes at least two years to study for the test. The cabs have a long history, the system of licensing dates back to 1639 and first motorizes cabs appeared in 1904. A red double decker is a traditional bus with two storeys. All busses became red in 1907, before that, different routes had different colours.
          The London metropolitan area is served by six international and several smaller airports. Together, they make the busiest airport system by passenger numbers and second busiest by aircraft movements. London City Airport is located in the Royal Docks in Newham. Heathrow Airport is a major international airport, the second busiest in the world by international passenger traffic. Gatwick is the second busiest airport by total passenger traffic in the UK.

London Parks

Royal Parks of London are part of the hereditary possessions of the Crown. There are eight parks today that are open space public parks, these are Bushy Park, Green Park, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens Regent's Park, Richmond Park and St James's Park.
          Hyde Park was established in 1536 by Henry VII as a hunting ground. Free speech and demonstrations are a key feature since the 19th century and the Speaker's Corner was established as a point of debate since 1872. Here, anybody can proclaim anything except any offence to the Queen and the Royal Family.
          Kensington Gardens are immediately west to Hyde Park and used to be its part until 1728. The Serpentine Lake and Bridge mark the boundary between the two parks. The Albert Memorial is situated here, it is a monument in Gothic Revival style commissioned by Queen Victoria in memory of her beloved husband.
          Regent's Park was a Tudor hunting ground and it was commissioned as a park by Prince Regent in 1811. It contains Regent's University and the London Zoo, which is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in 1828 and the animals from the Tower menagerie were transferred there. There are also playing fields, boating and sailing lakes and an open air theatre.
          St James's Park is the oldest of the royal parks, its construction began in 1603. It is very close to Buckingham Palace and it is bounded by the Mall and the Horse Guards Road. There is a lake and small islands where many birds live, especially ducks and pelicans.

In the 19th and 20th century, a large number of council-owned parks were developed. Victoria Park was opened in 1845 and Alexandra Park is a diverse-landscape park.
          Crystal Palace Park is a Victorian pleasure ground named after the Crystal Palace Exhibition building. The Great Exhibition of 1851 was the first of the World's Fair exhibitions of culture and industry and it was opened by Queen Victoria in Hyde Park for six months. After the exhibition, the Palace was relocated and later destroyed by fire in 1936.
          In Richmond upon Thames, Kew Gardens, founded in 1840, house the largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world and an UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are more then 30 thousand different kinds of plants and the herbarium preserves 7 million plant specimen.