London has sat on the banks of the River Thames for about 2,000 years...
The Romans first called it Londinium but it has been anything but a straight road ever since
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The Tower of London
The City
The Tower has the dubious distinction of being both a castle and a prison, and its mere mention is enough to send a shiver down any Englishman’s spine. Since being built in 1078 by the Normans, if you were sent to The Tower, you probably weren’t going to be home for tea. Or in fact ever. Just ask Anne Boleyn, Sir Walter Raleigh or the Little Princes. Monarchs have used it as a castle, as the royal mint, a zoo, a torture chamber, and as the place where the Crown Jewels are kept (to this day). Great views of Tower Bridge too. It’s a must see. (Tower Tube station is best).
Houses of Parliament
Westminster
The parliament buildings are also very old, built in 1016 at the time of Edward the Confessor (though the ‘new’ building dates to 1834, after a fire). Since then these buildings - making up the House of Commons, House of Lords and Elizabeth Tower (in which is the Big Ben clock) - have seen some action, from Guy Fawkes’s attempt to blow it up in 1605, Charles 1st’s famous refusal of entry in 1642, Cromwell’s subsequent coup, and the best efforts of the Luftwaffe. But remain they do, and are a triumph. You can take in Westminster Abbey next door at the same time. (Westminster Tube is the place to head for).
Cabinet War Rooms
Whitehall
During World War II, some basement offices in Whitehall (Civil Service) served as the centre of Britain’s war effort. The complex, known as the Cabinet War Rooms, was occupied by leading government ministers, military strategists and Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The basement was adapted as a meeting place for the War Cabinet during air raids and housed a now famous ‘Map Room' where vital information for King George VI and the armed forces was collated. Get up close and personal with Churchill’s political journey through the war in the interactive museum there.
St Paul’s Cathedral
St Paul’s
Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece sits resplendent at the top of Fleet Street, it’s not the original, that was sacked by the Vikings in about 905AD, another version burned down, the Great Fire of London in 1666 got the third, and so this is the fourth incarnation, whose giant dome famously stood resolute amidst the smoke and rubble of WW2. Many notables are buried in the crypt including Admiral Lord Nelson, Wren himself and the Duke of Wellington. It was the scene of Prince Charles and Diana’s wedding. And also Winston Churchill’s funeral. Get there via St Paul’s Tube station.
HMS Belfast
Tower Bridge
The grand old dame of battleships is resting up in retirement by Tower Bridge, and a well earned rest it is too after firing the opening salvoes of D-Day in WW2, protecting the Arctic Convoys and then serving in the Korean War. I remember being taken by my parents when I was six years old and being utterly fascinated by the cramped conditions the sailors lived in below decks, and the rabbit warren of galleys and decks threading through this amazing old Cruiser. And if old battleships are your thing, you could also nip down to Portsmouth Harbour to see Lord Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory.
Hampton Court Palace
East Molesey
This vast sprawling palace on the banks of the River Thames, a little way out of town in Surrey, was originally founded by the Knights Templar in the 11th Century, but it will forever be remembered as the seat of Cardinal Wolsey, right hand man to the fearsome King Henry VIII. Wolsey expanded the palace massively as befitting his position as the second most powerful man in the land. Unfortunately he ultimately fell out with the first most powerful man in the land (over the split with the Roman church, and the king’s new wife Anne Boleyn) and paid the price with his head. Go there for the full gruesome story.
Somerset House
The Strand
The original Somerset House (1775) was designed to be the world’s first bespoke office block. This Neoclassical masterpiece then became HQ for the Navy, it was the Tax Office for a while, and then the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. But it was decided in the 21st century that things slightly less prosaic could be done with this architectural gem; today it is an art gallery hub (the Courtauld), and is a centre for excellence in architecture and design. Oh yes, and you can also watch outdoor movies on a 60 foot high screen in summer, ice-scate around the courtyard in winter, and there are orchestrated fountains for kids of all ages to go wild in.
Trafalgar Square
West End
The square features a statue of Lord Nelson sitting atop a 170 foot-high column to celebrate his naval victories in the Napoleonic Wars. But since then it has become a place of protest; the Poll Tax Riots, anti-Bloody Sunday protests and dozens of anti-nuclear marches occur here all the time. There used to be hundreds of pigeons and children have been taken to feed them since time immemorial, until Harry the Hawk was introduced to scare them away as their droppings were doing terrible things to Lord Nelson’s head. The National Gallery is to the north, and there is a lovely straight walk along the Mall to the splendid Buckingham Palace ….
Buckingham Palace
Westminster
Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of Britain’s sovereigns since 1837. But it is also very much a family home for His Majesty (although, whisper it quietly, he prefers Windsor Castle). The Palace has also served as a focal point for people to meet during national crises, during the Wars crowds would gather to catch a reassuring glimpse of the monarch on the famous balcony. When Princess Diana died, the floral tributes that accumulated outside the gates highlighted the national grief. Esteemed persons get invited to the King’s garden parties, but actually any old Tom, Dick and Harry can also pay a visit (well maybe not Harry come to think of it)…