London - Historical Background

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It was those trusty Italian conquistadors, the Romans, who established Londinium in 43AD. Building a wall around their settlement and a bridge over the river Thames, they set the city up as an important trade centre. But the locals weren't happy about it-Boudicca (or Boadicea) for one, the tribal queen of the Iceni Celts and a fearsome chariot-driver, struck a blow for the Britons in AD 60, burning much of the city to the ground. But the Romans were undeterred, and stayed around for another 350 years, and by the end of the first century AD, London was the capital of Roman Britain.

But the Romans' departure wasn't good news for London-it was deserted, sacked, burnt (again), occupied, captured and generally slapped-about by the Scandinavian Vikings and the Germanic Saxons for the next 550 years.

The first incarnation of St Paul's Cathedral was built in the 7th century. Then, two centuries after the Saxon King Alfred the Great occupied London, the Normans arrived. It was 1066 and William the Conqueror was in charge. Finding London to be the most impressive city of his newly acquired kingdom, he stayed and was the first English king crowned at Westminster Abbey. He also began to build the White Tower--the first part of what is now the Tower of London.

The Middle Ages saw London grow, despite fires sweeping through the place and a massive bout of Black Death in 1348 which wiped out nearly half of the city's 60,000 inhabitants.

Tudor London

The Tudors took over in 1485, and the infamous Henry VIII was a major player in the radical transformation of the country. He wanted a son, which meant getting a younger wife, which meant a divorce--which the Pope wouldn't allow. So he killed off Thomas More, his Chancellor, established the Church of England and outlawed Catholicism. In London this meant that all the land previously owned by the church was now his. He set about carving it up and giving large chunks to his friends (and more importantly to his potential enemies). Convent Garden became Covent Garden, and the land previously owned by Westminster Abbey, covering much of what is now the West End, was released for private development. In short, a new-look London was born.

The Globe Theatre was built in 1598, entertaining bawdy crowds with the classic plays that Shakespeare was knocking out. Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605 and by this time there were about 220,000 people in London-it was expanding rapidly.

The Great Plague in 1665 and the Fire of London in 1666 were something of a blow, wiping out much of the population along with most of medieval and Tudor London, but it meant that there was an opportunity to start afresh architecturally. Christopher Wren took full advantage of this-designing and building 51 London churches including St Paul's Cathedral.

The Industrial Revolution

The City's population expansion continued to snowball-to 750,000 people in 1720--the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century saw it explode to 2.5 million. The author Charles Dickens (born in 1812) graphically depicts the London of this time--portraying a grimy, smoggy, poor and crime-ridden city.

Post-1945

During World War II much of London was destroyed. Rebuilding began in 1945 and one result was the South Bank Centre. Designed as a centrepiece for the arts, its functional rather than beautiful buildings provided a backdrop for the blockbuster hit Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Meanwhile, back in the 'Swinging Sixties' London gained a reputation for being at fashion's forefront. It was an era epitomised by Twiggy, the very first supermodel, and Carnaby Street, with its Mary Quant boutique and Quadrophenia vibe. London has gone from strength to strength since then and is now recognised as one of the top international centres for fashion. Also, since the cow-splitting endeavours of Damien Hirst and the 1997 'Sensation' art exhibition, London has become world-renowned for its cutting-edge art.

London's double-decker buses have long remained a symbol of the city--used by Cliff Richard in the sixties and the Spice Girls in the nineties. Jump on board and find out why London will be driving, thriving and positively bursting into countless millennia to come.







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Covent Garden Piazza


Mimers, market and a mechanical museum
 The Market
Covent Garden
London, London WC2E 8RF
+44 870 780 5002
http://www.coventgardenmarket.co.uk/
Covent Garden Piazza
South Bank Centre


Post-war culture boom
 Belvedere Road
Near Waterloo Station
London, London SE1 8XX
+44 8703 800 400
http://www.southbankcentre.org.uk/
South Bank Centre
Westminster Abbey


Britain's national shrine
 20 Dean's Yard
The Chapter Office
London, London SW1P 3PA
+44 20 7222 5152
http://www.westminster-abbey.org/
Westminster Abbey
St. Paul's Cathedral


Christopher Wren's masterpiece
 St. Paul's Churchyard
The Chapter House
London, London EC4M 8AD
+44 20 7236 4128 / +44 20 7246 8350
http://www.stpauls.co.uk/
St. Paul's Cathedral
Tower of London


Beefeaters and Crown Jewels
 Tower Hill
London, London EC3N 4AB
+44 (0)20 7709 0765
http://www.toweroflondontour.com
Tower of London
Shakespeare's Globe


The world's a stage - theatrical tourist favourite
 21 New Globe Walk
Bankside
London, London SE1 9DT
+44 20 7902 1400
http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/
Shakespeare's Globe
Houses of Parliament


Seat of Power
 Parliament Street
London SW1A 2AN
+44 20 7219 4272
http://www.parliament.uk
Houses of Parliament
London
London - Art & Entertainment
London - Where to Stay
London - Neighborhood Guide
London - Dining & Drinking
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