London
View of Westminster by Wenceslaus Hollar 1647. Parliament is housed in St Stephen's Chapel. Westminster Abbey is lacking its distinctive twin towers which were added by Hawksmoor in 1734 (completed in 1745 after his death).
Buckingham Palace, London, England. It is one of the capital's principal tourist attractions. Part of the palace is open to the public.
St Paul's Cathedral, London, England. Although immense damage was caused in the immediate vicinity, the building survived the second great fire of London in 1940, caused by a blitz of incendiary bombs during World War II.
St Paul's Cathedral survived German bombing raids during the Blitz of World War II, but its silhouette, which once dominated the London skyline, has become lost among towering high-rise office blocks of the late 1900s. The present building, designed by Christopher Wren, replaced an earlier Norman building, which was destroyed by fire in 1666.
The chancel of St Paul's Cathedral, London. The Cathedral has hosted many important national events, such as the funeral of the Duke of Wellington in 1852, Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee service in 1897, the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill in 1965, and the marriage of Charles, Prince of Wales, to Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. It celebrated its 300th anniversary in 1997.
Several English and British monarchs are buried in Westminster Abbey. Nowadays only ashes are allowed; permission has to be obtained from the Dean of Westminster for all burials and monuments. People who have served the Abbey in an official capacity, such as a dean, a canon, an organist, or a Surveyor of the Fabric may be buried here. Eminent Britons from various fields may also be considered. John Masefield was buried in the Abbey in l967 and the actor Laurence Olivier in l99l.
A view of the chancel ceiling in St Paul's Cathedral, London, England. Designed by Christopher Wren and built in the last quarter of the 17th century (finished 1711), this cathedral replaced an earlier one that burned down in 1666. The high altar and reredos of 1888 were severely damaged by bombing in 1940, and a new altar with a domed canopy (by S E Dykes Bower and Godfrey Allen, after existing drawings by Wren) was consecrated in 1958.
A view of London, England, from a manuscript of the poems of Charles, Duke of Orléans (1394–1465). The principal building is the White Tower in the Tower of London. Charles of Orléans was taken prisoner at the Battle of Agincourt and spent 25 years in England before being ransomed in 1440.
Visitors in a capsule on the London Eye look over the Houses of Parliament, London, England. The capsules take 30 minutes to rotate around the wheel, providing visitors with stunning views over the city. Opened in 1999, the London Eye has become one of London's main tourist attractions.
Derelict gasometers near St Pancras station, London, England. They are a clear indicator of the decline of industrial manufacturing in inner cities. In the background is the British Telecom (BT) tower (formerly the Post Office tower), a symbol of the service industries that now dominate the British economy.
Urban redevelopment at Canary Wharf in the Docklands, London, England. Docklands is a typical inner-city location. The traditional heavy industries, such as warehousing, storage, and distribution, were at their peak in the 19th century, but have been replaced by service-industry employers whose business is in sectors such as law and finance.
An urban river, the River Wandle, which flows through southwest London, England. In most developed countries natural rivers are now rare. Many lowland rivers have been significantly altered by engineering. Rivers have been straightened, widened, and deepened, and their banks have been built up. This is to protect urban residents and businesses from flooding. They do this by removing the water from the urban area as quickly as possible. Wider, deeper rivers can remove more water than small, narrow ones.
Trooping the Colour. This ceremonial parade dates back to around 1700, when the ‘colours’ or brightly coloured flags of a battalion had far more military significance. Nowadays, the Trooping the Colour ceremony is held every June on Horse Guards Parade, in London, to honour the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Oxo Wharf Tower on London's South Bank. Originally built in 1928, the tower had become derelict by the early 1970s, but was not demolished. Instead, it has been redeveloped and revitalized with a restaurant, bars, and shops.
The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. One of the great lyric theatres, during its accomplished history the Royal Opera House has played host to some of the finest ballet companies, opera companies, and orchestras in the world.
London's Guildhall art gallery. Although the original building was burned down in an air raid in 1941, the Guildhall still houses many famous works of art. The new gallery displays about two hundred and fifty works at a time, and places great emphasis on temporary collections and the presentation of rare pictures usually kept in storage.
Canary Wharf has for many centuries been a major London dock. Having fallen into neglect, it was regenerated in the 1980s and 1990s and is now one of the most expensive and exclusive business and residential sites in London.
The Tate Modern art gallery at Bankside, London. Housed in the former Bankside power station, the Tate Modern houses one of the most important collections of modern art in the world. A major tourist attraction, the gallery attracts millions of visitors each year.
Competitors taking part in the London Marathon. The London Marathon was founded in 1981 by Chris Brasher. The first event was entered by 7,747 runners, and since then 471,000 people have completed the course. In 2001, 30,000 people raced in the marathon. Over the years, the London Marathon has raised an estimated £125 million for charity.
The London Eye, also known as the Millennium Wheel, is one of the largest observational wheels in the world. With unparalleled views of London, the Eye has proved a major tourist attraction, but it was a controversial addition to the city's skyline.
The White Tower, the oldest part of the Tower of London, on the banks of the Thames River, London. This tower was constructed from 1078, by the followers of William the Conqueror, and the remainder of the fortress was built around it by succeeding monarchs.
Capital of England and the United Kingdom, on the River Thames. Since 1965 its metropolitan area has been known as Greater London (see London, Greater), consisting of the City of London and 32 boroughs; total area 1,580 sq km/610 sq mi; combined population (2001) 7,172,100. London is the biggest city in Western Europe at the heart of the most populous region – 15.5 million people live in London and the South East. The City of London, known as the ‘square mile’, is the financial and commercial centre of the UK; area 2.7 sq km/1 sq mi. Over 21 million people visited London in 2001. Popular tourist attractions include the Tower of London, St Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, and Westminster Abbey. The Millennium Dome at Greenwich was the centrepiece of Britain's millennium celebrations.
HistoryRoman Londinium was established soon after the Roman invasion in AD 43; in the 2nd century London became a walled city; by the 11th century it was the main city of England and gradually extended beyond the walls to link with the originally separate Westminster. Throughout the 19th century London had the largest city-based population in the world. (See London: history.)
FeaturesThe Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror on a Roman site, and now houses the crown jewels and the royal armouries; it is a World Heritage Site. Other features include the 15th-century Guildhall; the Monument, a column designed by Christopher Wren, which marks the site in Pudding Lane where the Fire of London began in 1666; Mansion House, the residence of the lord mayor; the Barbican arts and conference centre; the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben; the Old Bailey (Central Criminal Court); and the Inns of Court. Covent Garden, once a vegetable market, is now a tourist, shopping, and entertainment area.
Architecture
View of Westminster by Wenceslaus Hollar 1647. Parliament is housed in St Stephen's Chapel. Westminster Abbey is lacking its distinctive twin towers which were added by Hawksmoor in 1734 (completed in 1745 after his death).
Buckingham Palace, London, England. It is one of the capital's principal tourist attractions. Part of the palace is open to the public.
St Paul's Cathedral, London, England. Although immense damage was caused in the immediate vicinity, the building survived the second great fire of London in 1940, caused by a blitz of incendiary bombs during World War II.
St Paul's Cathedral survived German bombing raids during the Blitz of World War II, but its silhouette, which once dominated the London skyline, has become lost among towering high-rise office blocks of the late 1900s. The present building, designed by Christopher Wren, replaced an earlier Norman building, which was destroyed by fire in 1666.
The chancel of St Paul's Cathedral, London. The Cathedral has hosted many important national events, such as the funeral of the Duke of Wellington in 1852, Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee service in 1897, the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill in 1965, and the marriage of Charles, Prince of Wales, to Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. It celebrated its 300th anniversary in 1997.
Several English and British monarchs are buried in Westminster Abbey. Nowadays only ashes are allowed; permission has to be obtained from the Dean of Westminster for all burials and monuments. People who have served the Abbey in an official capacity, such as a dean, a canon, an organist, or a Surveyor of the Fabric may be buried here. Eminent Britons from various fields may also be considered. John Masefield was buried in the Abbey in l967 and the actor Laurence Olivier in l99l.
A view of the chancel ceiling in St Paul's Cathedral, London, England. Designed by Christopher Wren and built in the last quarter of the 17th century (finished 1711), this cathedral replaced an earlier one that burned down in 1666. The high altar and reredos of 1888 were severely damaged by bombing in 1940, and a new altar with a domed canopy (by S E Dykes Bower and Godfrey Allen, after existing drawings by Wren) was consecrated in 1958.
A view of London, England, from a manuscript of the poems of Charles, Duke of Orléans (1394–1465). The principal building is the White Tower in the Tower of London. Charles of Orléans was taken prisoner at the Battle of Agincourt and spent 25 years in England before being ransomed in 1440.
Visitors in a capsule on the London Eye look over the Houses of Parliament, London, England. The capsules take 30 minutes to rotate around the wheel, providing visitors with stunning views over the city. Opened in 1999, the London Eye has become one of London's main tourist attractions.
Derelict gasometers near St Pancras station, London, England. They are a clear indicator of the decline of industrial manufacturing in inner cities. In the background is the British Telecom (BT) tower (formerly the Post Office tower), a symbol of the service industries that now dominate the British economy.
Urban redevelopment at Canary Wharf in the Docklands, London, England. Docklands is a typical inner-city location. The traditional heavy industries, such as warehousing, storage, and distribution, were at their peak in the 19th century, but have been replaced by service-industry employers whose business is in sectors such as law and finance.
An urban river, the River Wandle, which flows through southwest London, England. In most developed countries natural rivers are now rare. Many lowland rivers have been significantly altered by engineering. Rivers have been straightened, widened, and deepened, and their banks have been built up. This is to protect urban residents and businesses from flooding. They do this by removing the water from the urban area as quickly as possible. Wider, deeper rivers can remove more water than small, narrow ones.
Trooping the Colour. This ceremonial parade dates back to around 1700, when the ‘colours’ or brightly coloured flags of a battalion had far more military significance. Nowadays, the Trooping the Colour ceremony is held every June on Horse Guards Parade, in London, to honour the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Oxo Wharf Tower on London's South Bank. Originally built in 1928, the tower had become derelict by the early 1970s, but was not demolished. Instead, it has been redeveloped and revitalized with a restaurant, bars, and shops.
The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. One of the great lyric theatres, during its accomplished history the Royal Opera House has played host to some of the finest ballet companies, opera companies, and orchestras in the world.
London's Guildhall art gallery. Although the original building was burned down in an air raid in 1941, the Guildhall still houses many famous works of art. The new gallery displays about two hundred and fifty works at a time, and places great emphasis on temporary collections and the presentation of rare pictures usually kept in storage.
Canary Wharf has for many centuries been a major London dock. Having fallen into neglect, it was regenerated in the 1980s and 1990s and is now one of the most expensive and exclusive business and residential sites in London.
The Tate Modern art gallery at Bankside, London. Housed in the former Bankside power station, the Tate Modern houses one of the most important collections of modern art in the world. A major tourist attraction, the gallery attracts millions of visitors each year.
Competitors taking part in the London Marathon. The London Marathon was founded in 1981 by Chris Brasher. The first event was entered by 7,747 runners, and since then 471,000 people have completed the course. In 2001, 30,000 people raced in the marathon. Over the years, the London Marathon has raised an estimated £125 million for charity.
The London Eye, also known as the Millennium Wheel, is one of the largest observational wheels in the world. With unparalleled views of London, the Eye has proved a major tourist attraction, but it was a controversial addition to the city's skyline.
The White Tower, the oldest part of the Tower of London, on the banks of the Thames River, London. This tower was constructed from 1078, by the followers of William the Conqueror, and the remainder of the fortress was built around it by succeeding monarchs.
Capital of England and the United Kingdom, on the River Thames. Since 1965 its metropolitan area has been known as Greater London (see London, Greater), consisting of the City of London and 32 boroughs; total area 1,580 sq km/610 sq mi; combined population (2001) 7,172,100. London is the biggest city in Western Europe at the heart of the most populous region – 15.5 million people live in London and the South East. The City of London, known as the ‘square mile’, is the financial and commercial centre of the UK; area 2.7 sq km/1 sq mi. Over 21 million people visited London in 2001. Popular tourist attractions include the Tower of London, St Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, and Westminster Abbey. The Millennium Dome at Greenwich was the centrepiece of Britain's millennium celebrations.
HistoryRoman Londinium was established soon after the Roman invasion in AD 43; in the 2nd century London became a walled city; by the 11th century it was the main city of England and gradually extended beyond the walls to link with the originally separate Westminster. Throughout the 19th century London had the largest city-based population in the world. (See London: history.)
FeaturesThe Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror on a Roman site, and now houses the crown jewels and the royal armouries; it is a World Heritage Site. Other features include the 15th-century Guildhall; the Monument, a column designed by Christopher Wren, which marks the site in Pudding Lane where the Fire of London began in 1666; Mansion House, the residence of the lord mayor; the Barbican arts and conference centre; the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben; the Old Bailey (Central Criminal Court); and the Inns of Court. Covent Garden, once a vegetable market, is now a tourist, shopping, and entertainment area.
Architecture
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