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Hyde Park is one of the nine Royal Parks in London. Divided into two parts by the man-made Serpentine Lake, the park is contiguous to Kensington Gardens, which are commonly regarded as a part of Hyde Park, which are commonly regarded as a part of Hyde Park when Queen Caroline mandates its division.
Activity
In addition to strolling among the green paths, forgetting the city noises, in Hyde Park it is possible to do various activities, such as sunbathing, skating, cycling and other outdoor sports.
Chose who simply want to rest without lying on the grass can rent a deckchair in various areas of the park.
One of the favorite activities of both tourists and Londoners is to take a rowboat ride in the central lake called the Serpentine, a small oasis inhabited by a varied aquatic fauna.
In the summer, various events are celebrated in the park, mostly musical.
Entry
Entry is completely free.
History
The land of the park belonged, in the past, to Westminster Abbey until, in 1536, these lands were expropriated by Enrique VIII and in the seventeenth century and the area was opened to the public as a park.
The park was the site of the Great Exhibition of 1851, on the occasion of which a crystal palace was built which, once the event was over, was withdrawn due to the pressure exerted by the citizens.
Hyde Park is considered the oldest park in the city and, since its opening, has been the scene of numerous concerts and events. For years, the anniversaries of the Royal House have been celebrated and 41 cannon shots are fired at noon.
Features
Hyde Park is one of the largest city parks in the world. With an area of ​​142 hectares enclosing over 4,000 trees, a large lake, lawn and ornamental flower gardens it is easy to forget that you are in the heart of London.

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Westminister abbey is one of the most famous churches in the world. for over 1000 years it has been at the centre of the political and religious life of England and Great Britain. together with other cathedrals it forms a UNESCO site. The church's origins date back to the 10th century, when a community of Benedictine monks was founded, while construction of the present building began in the 13th century. Its nave has witnessed many important historical moments: since the time of William the Conqueror, all British kings have been crowned in Westminster Abbey and members of the royal family have celebrated several weddings here (including Prince William and Kate Middleton).A visit to Westminster Abbey will not only give you a real insight into British history, but you will also have the opportunity to admire a variety of Gothic architecture, ancient decorative glass, beautiful paintings, precious objects and furniture. In addition, more than 3,000 famous people are buried or commemorated here: one of the most famous parts of the church is the so-called Poets Corner, the place where Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kepling and others from British literature and culture rest here. Thomas Hardy, Alfred Tennyson and the actor Laurence Olivier.

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London Travel Guide for First-Time Visitors _ Kessler Ramirez Art & Travel

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Soho is a district in the west end of London unique in the world. Soho offers a wide variety of restaurants from the cheapest to the most expensive with even Michelin stars, theaters, pubs, stores, discos and gay friendly clubs (Soho is the favorite of the gay community). The quarter also offers a characteristic fruit and vegetable market, tea rooms, ethnic stores, small bookshops, repertory cinemas.  Speaking of cinema, in the district there are several film, television and record production companies (such as Paul McCartney). Soho is a borough with a thousand faces thanks to its multiculturalism and heterogeneity. In the past, it was the hunting ground during the reign of Henry VIII, then the residence of the London aristocracy until the arrival of immigrants from all over the world brought disorder to the district until the nobility decided to move elsewhere.  The area was soon populated by artists, actors and musicians who gave it the bohemian look that it still has today. But at the same time this district also has its downsides, such as shady prostitution rings, poor housing and indecent buildings, making it a bad area.

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Best Places in Soho, London - Restaurants, Bars, Pubs, Shops & More

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To the Warner Bros Studios you can get a close look at Hogwarts and the artistry of hundreds of artists, designers, technicians and all the production workers who worked hard to bring the world of Harry Potter to life.
They are among the largest film studios in the UK,is in England in Abbots Langley.

History

The Warner Bros. Studio London film studios in Leavesden opened to the public in 2012. This venue has hosted the filming of all Harry Potter films.
This official experience within the Studios received a royal inauguration with participation from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2013.
As the books were still being written at the time of filming the first few chapters, many of the props and sets have been preserved in perfect condition for use in subsequent films. These props, sets and costumes have been crafted with obsessive attention to detail by hundreds of artists, technicians, designers and production crews to bring the magic of the world of Hogwarts to life on the big screen.

Travelers have half a day to explore on their own - plenty of time to see and do what they like best.
The tour offers:
-Warner Bros Studio Tour of London with Behind the Scenes of Harry Potter
-Stroll through Diagon Alley, the Great Hall and other sets used in the films
-See the original Hogwarts Express steam locomotive and pose for a photo at platform nine and three-quarters
-Discover the props, costumes and special effects that made the film so magical
-Sit back and relax during round-trip transport from central London on a double-decker coach with themed designs
-Live the experience of your favorite Harry Potter scenes and its characters independently
The ticket includes:
-Return transportation from the Warner Bros. Studio in a double-decker bus from the same company
-Warner Bros Studio London Admission Ticket
The ticket does not include
-Food and beverages
-Pick up service
-Digital Guide (available to rent from the Studio for £ 4.95)
Start point
Bus Stop 3, Bulleid Way, Victoria, London, SW1W 9SH
Return details
This activity will end where it started

The ticket costs £100 per person for one day

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Building

What really makes the Tate Modern unique is its building, the refurbished Bankside Electronics Plant. The museum was inaugurated, after four years of work, on 11 May 2000 with a renovation of the original building perfectly in line with the general style of the museum. Thanks to the extension works of the exhibition spaces, an adjoining area was created, to give greater breathing space to photographic and audiovisual exhibitions, as well as to temporary exhibitions.

Exhibition itinerary

The permanent collection of the Tate Modern, located between the third and fifth floors of the building, is one of the most complete in the world, with the works of the greatest artists of the twentieth century, such as Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Salvador Dalí or Mark Rothko.
Temporary exhibitions are displayed between the fourth floor and the main atrium of the museum, a huge space formerly occupied by the turbines of the power plant.

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Piccadilly Circus is a place of London. It was built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with Piccadilly.
Its status as a major traffic junction has made Piccadilly Circus a busy meeting place and a tourist attraction in its own right.
The Circus is particularly known for its video display and neon signs mounted on the corner building on the northern side, as well as the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain and statue of Anteros.

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Southern Railways to reach London from Gatwick. Show up at the restaurant entrance with train tickets, and ask to access the special menu. Only one of the two patrons will pay for the main course.

For those wishing to try the cuisine of a famous chef, Jamie Oliver has a diner right here, just behind the building with the advertising signs.

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St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican church in the City of London. The original version was built by Mellitus in 604 AD. He was Bishop of the East Saxons.
In 962 and 1087, the cathedral burnt down and was built again. Before today's version of the cathedral, there were four others. The earlier ones burnt down.
Today's cathedral is made of limestone. It was built after the Great Fire of London in 1666 had destroyed the "Old St Paul's". Its architect was Sir Christopher Wren, who designed a further 50 churches. Wren designed it in the Renaissance style. St Paul's is a popular tourist attraction and is still used as a church today. It is the cathedral of the Church of England Diocese of London. It is 365 feet (111 meters) high to the cross on top.

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<pre>The London Eye, also known as the Millennium Wheel, is a Ferris wheel located on the south bank of the River Thames between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge in London.

Its official name was originally British Airways London Eye, later Merlin Entertainments London Eye, EDF Energy London Eye, Coca-Cola London Eye and, as of February 2020, London Eye.
<br><pre>Its construction, which began in 1998, was completed on March 9, 2000. At 135 meters, it was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world and was later surpassed with the construction of the Star of Nanchang (China), opened in May 2006. and 160 m high, then from the Singapore Flyer of 2008, 165 m high and finally from the High Roller Observation Wheel in Las Vegas, 167.6 m high<br></pre>The London Eye was the highest observation point in the city of London until it was overtaken by the observation post located on the 72nd floor of the Shard (245m high), which was open to the public since February 1, 2000. This wheel is supported by bars connections that make it look like a large bicycle wheel: it is in fact represented in an advertising poster of a charity bicycle race.

The London Eye has become the most popular paid attraction in the UK, with around 3.5 million visitors per year.
In addition, every New Year's Eve, at the stroke of midnight, the traditional fireworks of the British capital are fired from the wheel. On June 5, 2008, 30 million visitors were announced.

Entrance
Standard London Eye tickets

The standard adult ticket online with pre-purchased ticket currently costs £ 24.50 and a child ticket costs £ 22.00, respectively 30.5 euros and 24.80 euros. </pre><div><br></div>

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Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter is a walkthrough exhibition and studio tour in Leavesden, southeast England, owned by Warner Bros. and operated by their Studio Tours division. It is located within Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, in Watford, in southwest Hertfordshire, and houses a permanent exhibit of authentic costumes, props and sets utilised in the production of the Harry Potter films, as well as behind-the-scenes production of visual effects. The tour is contained in Soundstages J and K, which were specially built for the attraction, and is separate from the studio's actual production facilities.Warner Bros. Studio Tour London opened to the public in 2012 and has since welcomed up to 6,000 visitors a day during peak times. TripAdvisor reported that Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter has been the highest-rated attraction worldwide every year since the tour opened.
In 1994, the production team for the James Bond film GoldenEye discovered the unoccupied Leavesden. The wide, tall and open aircraft hangars were uniquely well suited to conversion into film stages. Eon leased the site for the duration of their shoot and went about gutting the factories, turning them into stages, workshops and offices - in short a working film studio. Leavesden Studios, as the site was rebranded by its owners, quickly became popular after GoldenEye wrapped. A succession of major feature films made use of the site, including the first of the Star Wars prequels, The Phantom Menace, and Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow.
In the year 2000, Heyday Films leased the site for the Harry Potter films. Over the next ten years all of the Harry Potter films were made there, along with some other notable Warner Bros. productions, with the series eventually becoming the most successful film series in history.
As the eighth and final Harry Potter film was nearing completion, in 2010, Warner Bros. announced their intention to purchase the studio as a permanent European base.[
By November, Warner Bros. completed its purchase of Leavesden Studios and announced plans to invest more than £100m into the site they had occupied for over ten years, rebranding it again - this time to Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden.

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The Regent's Canal flows north of Camden Town; the adjacent 13.6km road passes through London Zoo. Many of the handrails at the bridges show deep grooves left by the tow ropes horses used to pull the barges in until the 1950s, and there are still underwater ramps to help the horses that escaped and fell into the canal. One of the many bridges, the Macclesfield Bridge, is known as the Blow-up Bridge: it was the site of the largest pre-war explosion in London, when a barge loaded with gunpowder blew up in 1874.

Camden Lock is a traditional double lock that can be activated manually, which operates between two well separated levels. A good number of weekend markets have settled around there since the 1970s.

Not far away is Regent's Park, a large park that used to be Henry VIII's hunting ground. There are rose gardens in bloom in spring, a boating lake, geese, ducks and several playgrounds. London Zoo is located in the north of the park.

The Roundhouse is an 1847 construction of the London and Birmingham Railway. It was used for a number of purposes, but ultimately remained abandoned and converted into a musical space in the 1960s. Since 2006 it has been used mainly as a theater.

There are many shops, bars, restaurants and cafes. The underground station area, to the south, is a London High Street, which is a trendy street; to the north there are markets and attractions typical of the area. There are several schools in this area. Camden Town can be reached by taking the underground identified with the black color.

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Windsor Castle is a palace and royal residence located in Windsor, County Berkshire.
It was a medieval castle that began construction in the 11th century, after the English Norman conquest of William I the Conqueror.
It has been habited by numerous British monarchs, who have made it a European palace inhabited since ancient times. Some of its most luxurious rooms, such as the 'State Apartments', are architecturally very interesting and have been described by historian Hugh Roberts as' a magnificent and unparalleled sequence of dwellings widely recognized as the greatest and most complete expression of the Georgian period style. late".
The complex survived the turbulent period of the English Civil War, when it was used as a barracks by parliamentary forces and as a prison for Charles I. During the Restoration of the Stuarts, Charles II rebuilt much of the castle with the help of the architect Hugh May and created a series of extravagant Baroque interiors which nevertheless cause admiration today.
Windsor Castle also served as a refuge for the royal family during the bombing raids of World War II and survived a fire in 1992. Currently, Windsor Castle is home to more than five hundred people and is a very popular tourist attraction, home to visits. of state and favorite weekend venue of Queen Elizabeth II of England.
From 6 March 2022 it became the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II who had already lived there since 2020 following the Covid-19 pandemic, thus leaving Buckingham Palace for good.
The cost of the ticket varies from age
Adults: £ 20 (£ 18) Over 60 and students: £ 18.20 (£ 16.40) Under 17 and disabled: £ 11.70 (£ 10.50) Under 5: free.

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The tower of London is an ancient Norman stone fortess in London, England. It stands on the bank of the River Thames, in te oldest part of the city.
The Tower had many uses. Its main function was to protect Norman rule in the years after the conquest. It was a prison, and a place of execution. Today, the Crown Jewels are kept there. This is the collection of jewels owned by the British state, and sometimes worn by the monarch. There is also a museum of armour.
The Tower of London has a collection of ravens, large black birds of the Crow family. They are taken care of by the staff who work there. The ravens' wing feathers are kept short so they cannot fly away. This is because a legend says that if the ravens leave the Tower, the Tower and the Kingdom will fall.

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Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the striking clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England,although the name is frequently extended to refer also to the clock and the clock tower. The official name of the tower in which Big Ben is located was originally the Clock Tower, but it was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012, to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.

The tower was designed by Augustus Pugin in a neo-Gothic style. When completed in 1859, its clock was the largest and most accurate four-faced striking and chiming clock in the world.The tower stands 316 feet (96 m) tall, and the climb from ground level to the belfry is 334 steps. Its base is square, measuring 40 feet (12 m) on each side. Dials of the clock are 22.5 feet (6.9 m) in diameter. All four nations of the UK are represented on the tower on shields featuring a rose for England, thistle for Scotland, shamrock for Northern Ireland, and leek for Wales. On 31 May 2009, celebrations were held to mark the tower's 150th anniversary.

Big Ben is the largest of the tower's five bells and weighs 13.5 long tons (13.7 tonnes; 15.1 short tons).It was the largest bell in the United Kingdom for 23 years. The origin of the bell's nickname is open to question; it may be named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw its installation, or heavyweight boxing champion Benjamin Caunt. Four quarter bells chime at 15, 30 and 45 minutes past the hour and just before Big Ben tolls on the hour. The clock uses its original Victorian mechanism, but an electric motor can be used as a backup.

The tower is a British cultural icon recognised all over the world. It is one of the most prominent symbols of the United Kingdom and parliamentary democracy,and it is often used in the establishing shot of films set in London. The clock tower has been part of a Grade I listed building since 1970 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.

On 21 August 2017, a four-year schedule of renovation works began on the tower. Modifications have included adding a lift, re-glazing and repainting the clock dials, and upgrading lighting and repairing roof tiles among other improvements. With a few exceptions, such as New Year's Eve and Remembrance Sunday, the bells are to be silent until the work is completed in 2022

Origin

Elizabeth Tower, originally referred to as the Clock Tower, but more popularly known as Big Ben, was raised as a part of Charles Barry's design for a new Palace of Westminster, after the old palace was largely destroyed by fire on 16 October 1834. Although Barry was the chief architect of the neo-gothic palace, he turned to Augustus Pugin for the design of the Clock Tower, which resembles earlier Pugin designs, including one for Scarisbrick Hall in Lancashire.Construction of the tower began on 28 September 1845. The building contractors were Thomas Grissell and Morton Peto. An inscribed trowel now in the Parliamentary Archives records that Emily, sister of Peto's daughter-in-law, was given the honour of laying the first stone.[11] It was Pugin's last design before his descent into mental illness and death in 1852, and Pugin himself wrote, at the time of Barry's last visit to him to collect the drawings: "I never worked so hard in my life for Mr Barry for tomorrow I render all my designs for finishing his bell tower and it is beautiful".

Name

The Palace of Westminster, Big Ben, and Westminster Bridge

Journalists during Queen Victoria's reign called it St Stephen's Tower. As members of Parliament originally sat at St Stephen's Hall, these journalists referred to anything related to the House of Commons as "news from St Stephens" (the Palace does contain a feature called St Stephen's Tower, located above the public entrance).On 2 June 2012, the House of Commons voted in support of a proposal to change the name from the Clock Tower to Elizabeth Tower in commemoration of Elizabeth II in her Diamond Jubilee year, since the large west tower now known as Victoria Tower had been renamed in tribute to Queen Victoria on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee. On 26 June 2012, the House of Commons confirmed that the name change could go ahead.David Cameron, then Prime Minister, officially announced the change of name on 12 September 2012.The change was marked by a naming ceremony in which John Bercow, then Speaker of the House of Commons, unveiled a plaque attached to the tower on the adjoining Speaker's Green.

Prison Room

Inside the tower is an oak-panelled Prison Room, which can only be accessed from the House of Commons, not via the tower entrance. It was last used in 1880 when atheist Charles Bradlaugh, newly elected Member of Parliament for Northampton, was imprisoned by the Serjeant at Arms after he protested against swearing a religious oath of allegiance to Queen Victoria.Officially, the Serjeant at Arms can still make arrests, as they have had the authority to do since 1415. The room, however, is currently occupied by the Petitions Committee, which oversees petitions submitted to Parliament.

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London's Chinatown is the historic Chinese quarter of the British capital. It is located in the City of Westminster around Gerrard Street.


The first Chinese community settled in London at the end of the nineteenth century in the docks (near the Thames), during the Second World War more and more Chinese arrived who settled in other areas of the city thus increasing the few Chinese restaurants present up to that moment . The neighborhood became more and more prosperous in the last decades of the twentieth century when all types of workers began to settle there, as well as traders and the first Chinese schools were born.


There are restaurants and shops in Chinatown. In the restaurants, you can enjoy cuisine from any region of China, including Cantonese dim sum. Between late January and early February, fireworks and the twirling of dragons greet the Chinese New Year.
Visiting this place is completely free

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Camden Town is the best-known part of Camden made popular thanks to its market and the alternative style of its residents.

During the day the area is full of tourists and is a definite must-see. Camden borough was founded in the late eighteenth century as a residencial area.

Camden Market was started in 1973 and since then it has attracted thousands of locals and tourists in search of street food and unique accessories and pieces of clothing.

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The London Bridge is one of the main Bridges over the Thames located in London that connects the City of London to the London Borough of Southwark.

On the south side of the bridge are Southwark Cathedral, The Shard skyscraper and London Bridge tube station. On the north side are the Monument to the Great Fire of London and the Monument underground station.
The original London Bridge of medieval times stood a few tens of meters further downstream and today’s historians distinguish it by calling it Old London Bridge; It was one of the most famous bridges in the world and also the only bridge over the Thames downstream of Kingston until the opening of the Putney Bridge in 1729. The London Bridge was built to be functional and durable, so it is sober, slender but definitely less decorated than the other road bridges on the Thames; the only decorative charm is the lighting system, derived from cannons of the Napoleonic era. It has a total length of 262 meters and a water height of 16 meters; the bridge was built in exactly the same position as the previous one by assembling the three parallel sections for a total width of 32 meters.

Family packages: £ 15.30 for 1 adult and 2 children; £ 20.00 for 2 adults and 1 child; £ 22.00 for 2 adults and 2 children; £ 24.50 for 2 adults and 3 children. Combined tickets: it is possible to buy the combined ticket Tower Bridge + Monument to the Great Fire from € 14.55 per person.

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Il London Bridge è uno dei principali ponti sul Tamigi situato a Londra che collega la City of London al borgo londinese di Southwark. Dal punto di vista nautico esso delimita anche l'area del Pool of London e si trova tra il Cannon Street Railway Bridge e il più celebre Tower Bridge con cui sovente viene confuso.

Sebbene l'attuale ponte sia stato inaugurato soltanto nel 1973, nel corso dei secoli vi sono stati svariati ponti con questo nome e la loro ubicazione, come la loro storia, sono in assoluto le più antiche di tutti i ponti della capitale britannica.

Sul lato sud del ponte si trovano la Southwark Cathedral, il grattacielo The Shard e la stazione della metropolitana London Bridge. Sul lato nord ci sono il Monumento al grande incendio di Londra e la stazione della metropolitana Monument.

Il London Bridge originale di epoca medievale sorgeva poche decine di metri più a valle e gli storici odierni lo distinguono chiamandolo Old London Bridge; esso fu uno dei ponti più famosi del mondo e anche l'unico ponte sul Tamigi a valle di Kingston fino all'apertura del Putney Bridge nel 1729.

Un primo ponte fu realizzato in corrispondenza del sito attuale durante il periodo di occupazione romana dell'area, intorno al 46 d.C. Probabilmente la prima struttura fu un ponte di barche ad uso militare nelle cui vicinanze i conquistatori Romani fondarono un primo insediamento commerciale, la città di Londinium, esso fu poi trasformato in un vero e proprio ponte intorno al 55 d.C. Sia il primo ponte che l'insediamento furono distrutti nel 60 d.C. durante la rivolta guidata dalla regina Budicca.

Tuttavia la vittoria fu di breve durata e ben presto i Romani sconfissero e scacciarono i ribelli ricostruendo una Londinium protetta da mura, parte delle quali sono ancora visibili nell'area circostante. La nuova città e un nuovo ponte in legno furono costruiti intorno alla posizione attuale, fornendo accesso ai porti della riva sud del Tamigi attraverso vie romane che nel corso dei secoli successivi presero il nome di Stane Street (l'odierna A3) e Watling Street (l'odierna A2).

Il ponte cadde in rovina dopo l'abbandono della Britannia da parte dei Romani e, poiché anche la stessa Londinium fu abbandonata, non c'era più necessità di un ponte in quella posizione.

Durante il periodo in cui si stabilirono i Sassoni il fiume stesso divenne il confine politico tra i regni ostili di Mercia e Wessex. Con le invasioni vichinghe dei danesi e con la riconquista da parte dei sovrani del Wessex la vecchia città romana venne nuovamente occupata da parte di Alfredo il Grande, molto probabilmente sorse di nuovo l'esigenza di un ponte controllato dai Sassoni che attraversasse il luogo. Tuttavia non ci sono riscontri archeologici circa l'esistenza di un ponte prima del regno di Etelredo II e dei suoi tentativi di fermare le invasioni delle truppe di Sweyn I di Danimarca negli anni 990.

Nel 1014, secondo una tradizione scaldica molto successiva, il ponte fu incendiato dal principe norvegese Olaf II che stava aiutando il re Etelredo in un riuscito tentativo di dividere le truppe danesi che detenevano la città di Londra, riuscendo a riconquistare Londra per conto del re sassone. La prima testimonianza scritta dell'epoca circa l'esistenza di un nuovo ponte sassone risale infatti al 1016, quando fu attraversato dalle navi di re Canuto I per riconquistare il trono di Edmondo II.

In seguito un nuovo ponte in legno venne ricostruito dai normanni ma fu nuovamente distrutto nel 1091 da una tempesta di elevata intensità nota come il tornado di Londra. Il ripristino o la sostituzione del ponte avvenne per opera di Guglielmo II, attraverso i lavori forzati dei prigionieri di guerra, insieme ai contestuali lavori per la nuova Cattedrale di Saint Paul e per la Torre di Londra ma nel 1136 il ponte venne nuovamente distrutto da un incendio.

Un'incisione di Claes Van Visscher che mostra il London Bridge nel 1616, praticamente immutato dall'epoca medievale. Sopra la Southwark Gate si vedono le teste dei giustiziati infilzate.

A seguito della distruzione del 1136 la ricostruzione del ponte avvenne durante il regno di Stefano d'Inghilterra, presumibilmente lungo gli stessi confini istituiti da Guglielmo II. Con l'ascesa al trono di Enrico II d'Inghilterra ci fu un tentativo di regolarizzare la manutenzione del nuovo ponte attraverso l'istituzione di una corporazione monastica nazionale che la supportasse, di fatto attraverso la vendita delle indulgenze; tuttavia esistono prove dell'esistenza anche di altre corporazioni locali non autorizzate, aventi il medesimo scopo.

Nel 1163 Peter De Colechurch fu nominato ufficialmente Guardiano della Confraternita per il Ponte, riunendo in questa carica tutti i provvedimenti precedentemente adottati. Nel 1173 egli propose di sostituire l'esistente ponte in legno con uno più grande e solido realizzato in pietra, la realizzazione del nuovo ponte fu quasi certamente collegata alla necessità di far fronte alla crescente diffusione del culto di Thomas Becket e al relativo flusso di pellegrini diretti a Canterbury. La costruzione del nuovo London Bridge cominciò sotto la direzione di De Colechurch nel 1176 e fu completato nel 1209, durante il regno di Giovanni d'Inghilterra; il sovrano autorizzò anche la costruzione di abitazioni in modo da ottenere degli ulteriori introiti per la necessaria manutenzione e al centro del ponte fu anche costruita una cappella dedicata a Thomas Becket, divenuto nel frattempo santo patrono della città. La cappella di San Tommaso divenne più imponente delle chiese della città alta e aveva anche un ingresso a livello dell'acqua per i pescatori e per i traghettatori che transitavano sul fiume. Raffigurazioni dell'epoca mostrano edifici alti addirittura fino a sei piani, inoltre, insieme alle abitazioni, sorsero svariate botteghe. Dalla documentazione del tempo si ha notizia di circa duecento attività commerciali aventi sede lungo il ponte, nessuna di esse però vendeva birra o alimenti, poiché la loro conservazione richiedeva cantine che sul ponte non potevano esserci. I commercianti, in maggioranza mercanti di stoffe, droghieri, fabbri, artigiani e conciatori vivevano sopra le loro botteghe e vendevano le merci al piano terra. Le finestre fungevano da vetrine e sopra ciascun negozio era appesa un'insegna che aveva la forma della mercanzia venduta in modo tale da essere riconosciuta anche dagli analfabeti. Alcuni degli ultimi piani degli edifici erano collegati agli edifici dal lato opposto tramite passerelle, conferendo a tratti al ponte l'aspetto di una galleria.

La decisione di re Giovanni di concedere la costruzione di numerosi edifici sul ponte rallentò tuttavia il traffico attraverso di esso. Le abitazioni e le botteghe occupavano spazio e attiravano folla ma, se un carro si rompeva o qualche animale si imbizzarriva, si poteva impiegare fino a un'ora per attraversare il ponte. Per questo i pedoni spesso utilizzavano anche le dozzine di traghetti fluviali che trasportavano velocemente i londinesi da riva a riva. Sebbene il ponte fosse largo circa otto metri gli edifici costruiti sopra occupavano circa due metri su ciascun lato della strada e alcuni sporgevano anche di un paio di metri sul fiume. La parte di carreggiata riservata al passaggio del traffico era quindi ridotta ad appena quattro metri circa, cosicché cavalli, carri e pedoni dividevano tra loro uno spazio di appena due metri per ciascuno dei due sensi di marcia. C'erano poi pochissimi punti liberi da case e botteghe dove le persone potevano isolarsi dal traffico e godere una veduta del fiume.

Il ponte medievale aveva diciannove piccole arcate e, all'estremità sud un varco provvisto di un ponte levatoio ed un avamposto di controllo. Data la loro ridotta ampiezza, le arcate costituivano un parziale sbarramento al Tamigi, limitando il flusso dell'acqua e quindi rendendo il fiume maggiormente suscettibile a congelamento durante l'inverno a causa del rallentamento delle correnti. Il flusso del fiume fu ulteriormente ostacolato dall'aggiunta di ruote idrauliche installate sotto le due arcate nord per azionare pompe e per il funzionamento di macine. Ciò produceva violente rapide tra i pilastri del fiume, in quanto il divario tra i livelli dell'acqua su ogni lato poteva arrivare addirittura a due metri. Solo i coraggiosi o i temerari provavano a manovrare le imbarcazioni tra i pilastri e molti annegarono nel tentativo di farlo facendo nascere il proverbio "I saggi passano sopra il ponte, i pazzi passano sotto".

Nel corso dei secoli il London Bridge divenne famoso per essere il ponte abitato più lungo d'Europa ed era indubbiamente uno dei simboli della Londra del tempo. Anche se era sotto la giurisdizione della chiesa di St. Magnus della città di Londra e della chiesa di St. Olave di Southwark, la comunità del ponte costituiva quasi una città a sé ed era il fulcro della vita sociale della città, con anche lo svogimento di processioni, tornei di giostra, cortei nuziali e mercati; tuttavia nel 1284, dopo annose dispute legali, la città di Londra ne guadagnò il controllo esclusivo e istituì il City Bridge Trust, un fondo per mantenere il ponte attraverso le vecchie rendite e le nuove donazioni.

La moltitudine di edifici costruiti sul London Bridge garantivano un sicuro introito tuttavia aumentarono il rischio di incendi, tant'è che nel 1212 due di questi divamparono contemporaneamente su entrambe le estremità del ponte intrappolando nel mezzo la gente e provocando circa tremila vittime. Altri episodi funesti si verificarono a danno del ponte, come alcuni crolli di arcate e abitazioni date alle fiamme durante la Rivolta dei contadini del 1381 e durante la ribellione di Jack Cade del 1450, nel corso della quale venne combattuta una violenta battaglia sul ponte.

Un disegno dell'Old London Bridge nel 1710

I varchi di accesso venivano chiusi con pesanti portoni all'ora del coprifuoco pertanto il ponte era considerato un posto sicuro per vivere e per i commerci. Vi era il varco nord, ovvero New Stone Gate e il varco sud, ovvero Stone Gateway; essa divenne il sito di una delle vedute più temute e celebri della Londra medievale: l'esibizione delle teste decapitate dei traditori, impalate su picche e immerse nel catrame per proteggerle dagli agenti atmosferici. La testa di William Wallace fu la prima a essere esposta sul cancello nel 1305, dando inizio a una cruenta tradizione che sarebbe continuata per oltre tre secoli a venire. Tra le tante teste infilzate esposte ci furono quelle di Jack Cade, Tommaso Moro, il vescovo John Fisher e Thomas Cromwell.

Questa nicchia è uno dei frammenti rimasti dell'Old London Bridge che fu demolito nel 1831

L'Old London Bridge tra Cinquecento e Settecento

Durante il Cinquecento il ponte divenne famoso poiché era il più antico della città e quindi si guadagnò l'appellativo di Old London Bridge. Nel 1577 il cancello nord, ovvero New Stone Gate, fu sostituito dalla Nonesuch House, invece nel 1660, in seguito alla Restaurazione di Re Carlo II, cessò la truculenta consuetudine di esporre le teste mozzate dei condannati a morte.

Un altro grande incendio scoppiò nel 1633, distruggendo la porzione settentrionale del ponte isolandolo dalla città ma venne realizzato un collegamento tramite una passerella provvisoria; tuttavia ciò lo protesse dal successivo Grande incendio di Londra del 1666 che divampò proprio dalla vicina Pudding Lane per poi distruggere quasi tutta l'area a nord del Tamigi.

Nel 1722 il traffico era diventato così intenso che il sindaco decretò che "tutti i veicoli che da Southwark entravano in città tenessero il lato ovest del ponte e tutti i veicoli che uscivano dalla città tenessero il lato est". Questa ordinanza è stata identificata come la possibile origine della regola inglese di guidare tenendo la sinistra.

Tra il 1758 e il 1762 il vecchio ponte venne ristrutturato demolendo tutti i vecchi edifici e due arcate centrali, che furono sostituite da un'arcata più ampia per migliorare la navigazione sul fiume.

Il nuovo London Bridge a fine Ottocento prima dell'ampliamento

Alla fine del XVIII secolo fu evidente che il vecchio London Bridge, che aveva all'epoca oltre seicento anni, doveva essere sostituito poiché era stretto e inadeguato per il traffico stradale e fluviale. Nel 1799 si svolse una gara per progetti per il nuovo ponte, aggiudicata dall'ingegnere Thomas Terlford che propose un ponte ad arcata unica in ferro di quasi duecento metri. Tuttavia questo progetto non fu mai attuato per incertezze sulla fattibilità e per le dimensioni del terreno a riva necessario per la costruzione. Il ponte venne alla fine sostituito con una struttura in pietra a cinque arcate, progettata dall'ingegnere John Rennie "padre". Il nuovo ponte fu costruito circa trenta metri a monte del sito originale, con un costo di 12.000.000 sterline e fu completato da John Rennie "figlio" tra il 1824 e il 1831. Il vecchio ponte continuò a essere utilizzato fino al completamento del nuovo e, dopo l'apertura di quest'ultimo nel 1831, venne definitivamente demolito.

Il nuovo London Bridge era lungo 283 metri e largo sedici e fu costruito con granito grigio di Haytor. Presentava una superficie a bugnato molto regolare e la sua lunghezza era scandita da cinque arcate ad arco ribassato rientranti rispetto ai quattro pilastri aggettanti verso l'esterno. Da ambo i lati era sormontato da una balaustra che definiva il perimetro esterno dell'impalcato che ospitava due marciapiedi e due carreggiate stradali per ciascun senso di marcia. L'inaugurazione ufficiale avvenne il 1º agosto 1831 e al banchetto cerimoniale parteciparono anche re Guglielmo IV e la regina Adelaide.

Tra il 1902 e il 1904 il ponte fu ampliato fino a venti metri di larghezza nel tentativo di decongestionare il cronico traffico di Londra, tuttavia questi lavori di ampliamento appesantirono eccessivamente la struttura tanto da far cedere le fondamenta di circa tre centimetri ogni dieci anni. Nel 1924 la parte est del ponte era effettivamente di dieci centimetri più bassa di quella ovest e, malgrado non vi fossero imminenti rischi di crolli, nei decenni successivi si giunse alla conclusione che la malferma struttura andava sostituita con una più adeguata.

Il vecchio London Bridge ricostruito a Lake Havasu

Il 18 aprile 1968, il London Bridge fu venduto all'imprenditore statunitense Robert P. McCulloch, della McCulloch Oil, per 2.460.000 dollari. Una diffusa leggenda metropolitana racconta che egli credeva erroneamente di acquistare il più grande Tower Bridge, sebbene McCulloch abbia smentito il fatto. Durante lo smantellamento del ponte, ogni blocco di pietra fu numerato per facilitarne il riassemblaggio e alcune tracce di questa numerazione sono visibili ancora oggi. Il ponte venne riassemblato a Lake Havasu City in Arizona e venne inaugurato, per la sua seconda volta, il 10 ottobre 1971 alla presenza del Lord sindaco di Londra Sir Peter Studd e del Governatore dell'Arizona Jack Williams. Esso si estende ancora oggi sopra un canale artificiale che porta da Lake Havasu a Thomson Bay e costituisce il fulcro di un parco tematico in stile inglese completo di un centro commerciale in finto stile Tudor che, insieme al ponte, sono diventati la seconda maggior attrazione turistica dell'Arizona dopo il Grand Canyon.

L'attuale London Bridge

L'attuale London Bridge

L'attuale London Bridge è stato progettato dalla società di ingegneria Mott, Hay and Anderson. I lavori di costruzione durarono dal 1967 al 1972 e fu inaugurato dalla regina Elisabetta II il 17 marzo 1973.

Il ponte precedente rimase in funzione mentre da ambo i lati si costruirono le prime due sezioni parallele del nuovo ponte; una volta completate il traffico venne quindi trasferito sulle due nuove sezioni laterali e il vecchio ponte fu smantellato per consentire il completamento del ponte con la terza sezione centrale. Il costo complessivo per la sua costruzione di circa 4 milioni di sterline è stato finanziato interamente dall'ente di beneficenza City Bridge Trust.

Nel 1984 la nave da guerra inglese HMS Jupiter entrò in collisione con il London Bridge, procurando danni significativi tanto al ponte quanto alla nave.

Le immagini dell'attuale London Bridge appaiono sovente in film, notiziari e documentari per mostrare la moltitudine di pendolari che si recano al lavoro a Londra dalla London Bridge Station. Un esempio abbastanza recente è Hugh Grant che attraversa il ponte da nord a sud la mattina durante l'ora di punta nel film del 2002 About a boy.

L'odierno London Bridge è stato costruito per essere funzionale e resistente, pertanto è sobrio, slanciato ma decisamente meno decorato rispetto agli altri ponti stradali sul Tamigi; l'unico vezzo decorativo è costituito dall'impianto di illuminazione, ricavato da cannoni di epoca napoleonica. La struttura è composta da tre ampie arcate con travi inscatolate in cemento armato precompresso, per una lunghezza complessiva di 262 metri e un'altezza dall'acqua di 16 metri; il ponte è stato costruito esattamente nella stessa posizione di quello precedente assemblando le tre sezioni parallele per una larghezza complessiva di 32 metri.

L'impalcato ospita ampi marciapiedi sui due lati e al centro una carreggiata per ciascun senso di marcia costituita da due corsie per il traffico automobilistico più una per gli autobus che funge anche da pista ciclabile.

1. Rev. John Ray, ^ "Book of Proverbs", 1670, cited in Jackson, p. 77

2. Pierce, Patricia, "Old London Bridge - The Story of the Longest Inhabited Bridge in Europe", Headline Books, 2001, ^ ISBN 0-7472-3493-0

3. ^ How London Bridge Was Sold To The States (from This Is Local London) Archiviato il 30 aprile 2008 in Internet Archive.

4. ^ Where Thames Smooth Waters Glide , su thames.me.uk. URL consultato il 9 maggio 2008 (archiviato dall'url originale il 12 aprile 2008).

Jackson, Peter, "London Bridge - A Visual History", Historical Publications, revised edition, 2002, ISBN 0-948667-82-6

Murray, Peter & Stevens, Mary Anne, "Living Bridges - The inhabited bridge, past, present and future", Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1996, ISBN 3-7913-1734-2

Pierce, Patricia, "Old London Bridge - The Story of the Longest Inhabited Bridge in Europe", Headline Books, 2001, ISBN 0-7472-3493-0

Yee, Albert, "London Bridge - Progress Drawings", no publisher, 1974, no ISBN

(EN) David P. Billington, London Bridge , su Enciclopedia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

(EN) Modern London Bridge , su Enciclopedia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

(EN) London Bridge , su Structurae.

Views of Old London Bridge c.1440, BBC London

London Bridge did fall down , su reviewslondon.com. URL consultato il 9 maggio 2008 (archiviato dall'url originale il 1º maggio 2008).

Southwark Council page with more info about the bridge , su southwark.gov.uk. URL consultato il 9 maggio 2008 (archiviato dall'url originale il 12 ottobre 2004).

Lyrics to the song 'London Bridge is falling down' , su zelo.com. URL consultato il 9 maggio 2008 (archiviato dall'url originale il 24 dicembre 2014).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Il London Bridge è uno dei principali ponti sul Tamigi situato a Londra che collega la City of London al borgo londinese di Southwark. Dal punto di vista nautico esso delimita anche l'area del Pool of London e si trova tra il Cannon Street Railway Bridge e il più celebre Tower Bridge con cui sovente viene confuso.

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Greenwich Park is one of the Royal Parks of London, and the first to be recognized as such in 1433. Greenwich Park is one of the largest green spaces in southern London. Inside the park you can observe the River Tamigi and the city of London. Greenwich Park is home to several historic buildings and offers a great vantage point of the city from the top of the hill. Greenwich Park is home to the Prime Meridian Line and, at the top of the hill, the ancient Royal Observatory as well as several historical monuments and a deer reserve called Wilderness. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Greenwich Park hosted horse racing, showjumping and cross-country skiing as well as modern pentathlon sports. The nature here is varied, with many quiet paths running through the park. The ideal place to relax and immerse yourself in nature.

Adults: £ 16 (€ 19.20)
Children between 4 and 15: £ 8 (€ 9.60)
Children under 4: free admission.

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Greenwich Park | London | The Royal Parks

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Welcome to Greenwich Park, one of London’s eight Royal Parks; a mix of 17th century landscape, stunning gardens and a history dating back to Roman times.

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The London Eye or Millennium Wheel is a cantilevered Ferris wheel on the south bank of the River Thames in London created in 50 AD.  It is the highest in Europe and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the UK with over 3 million visitors per year.
The wheel is 135 meters high and has a diameter of 120 meters.  When it opened to the public in 2000 it was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world.  Its height was surpassed by the 160-meter Star of Nanchang in 2006, the 165-meter Singapore Flyer in 2008 and the 167-meter High Roller from Las Vegas in 2014.
The London Eye offered the highest public viewing point in London until it was replaced by the 245-meter-high observation deck on The Shard's 72nd floor which opened to the public on 1 February 2013.
The London Eye borders the western end of Jubilee Gardens, on the south bank of the River Thames, between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge, next to County Hall, in the London Borough of Lambeth.
It has 32 10-ton capsules that can hold up to 25 people, a tour lasts 30 minutes with rotation at 0.9 km for hour, and the price ranges from 25 euros for adults to 30 euros for children.

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The Sky Garden, London's tallest hanging gardens, is located on the 35th floor of 20 Fenchurch Street, the City's skyscraper also known as the Walkie-Talkie due to its narrower shape at the base and wider at the top which has become a of London's most fascinating attractions.

The Sky Garden is a space open to all to spend your free time pleasantly during office hours and upon reservation.

It opens to the public at 10 am and closes at 6 pm. From 6 pm onwards, access is reserved for the customers of the bar and the two restaurants in the structure.

The entrance to the Sky Garden is located behind the main entrance of the office building and after having passed the security checks.
The environment is a combination of steel and glass and offers a beautiful view of the Thames and the City of London and a short distance away you can see the Tower Bridge, Tower of London, the Great Hall of Guildhall, the Barbican, the Aldgate, the Cheese Grater, the Gherkin, the Heron Tower and the Shard by Renzo Piano.

At the ends of the large lower terrace there are two wide flights of stairs that flank two large vertical flower beds that welcome a limited variety of Mediterranean plants and in the center are the brasserie and the restaurant.

Sky Garden's restaurants include Fenchurch, an upscale restaurant offering grilled fish and seafood and the average price for couple is £ 120.

The Sky Garden in London is open every day from 10.00 to 18.00 and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11.00 to 21.00.

To access the garden, reservations are required through the official website to monitor the number of people present and avoid queues at the entrance.

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Buckingham Palace, located in the City of Westminster in London, is the official residence of the Queen of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II. The expression Buckingham Palace or simply The Palace has become common to express everything about the environments of the Court and the royal family. The area on which the palace stands once belonged to the monks of Westminster, and where later was built first the Goring House and then the Arlington House. The two buildings, put together, in honor of the Duke of Buckingham, took the name Buckingham House. It became the official London home of the family in 1837 and was greatly expanded in the 19th century. It has 775 rooms, 19 staterooms, and 78 bathrooms.

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Primrose Hill is a residential zone, the houses are in Victorian style. Primrose Hill is located north of Regent's Park and when you are in the park you feel quiet. Primrose Hill looks like a quiet suburban city, even though it's near to Camden Town. The houses in Primrose Hill are very expensive and some VIP people live in this district. Primrose Hill is the highest point of London. This district takes his name from Archibald Primrose; Archibald Primrose was the Prime Minister of the UK. In the past Primrose Hill was a hunting reserve of Henry VIII, but in 1842 it became public.

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The tower of London is an ancient Norman stone fortess in London, England. It stands on the bank of the River Thames, in te oldest part of the city.

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Carnaby Street is a street in London's Soho district, close to Oxford Street. Carnaby Street took its name from Karnaby House, but the reason is not yet known, and was founded in 1683. Then the roads were built in 1685 or 1686 .Over the years there have been numerous interventions that have changed its face: one in 1690, which was completely rebuilt, and the other two centuries later, where the market was built. The first boutique on the street appeared in 1958, when John Stephen's His Clothes opened, followed by I Was Lord Kitchener's Valet', Kleptomania, Mates, Ravel, and others. But it was in the 1960s that the street began to become popular. The well-known British newspaper The Times, in fact, ran an article on 15 April 1966 about Swinging London. But it was in the 1960s that the street began to become popular. The well-known British newspaper The Times, in fact, ran an article on 15 April 1966 about Swinging London.

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St. Katharine Docks is an incredibly little known area, although it is connected by a simple staircase to one of the symbols of the city, Tower Bridge.
Going down these steps, in fact, opens up a docking area populated by boats, pubs, restaurants, shops and private homes.
It almost feels like you are not in London.
St Katharine Docks is a commercial pier, the entire site is just under 1km² in size.
It is named after the former medieval hospital of St Katharine's by the Tower, built in the 12th century, which once stood on the site.
* Un po' di storia di St.Katharine Docks
Nel 1827 partì la riqualificazione del sito: vennero demolite circa 1250 case, insieme all'ospedale di St Katharine. Circa 11.300 abitanti, per lo più lavoratori portuali stipati in baraccopoli poco salubri, persero le loro case; solo i proprietari ricevettero un risarcimento.
Lo schema è stato progettato dall'ingegnere Thomas Telford ed è stato il suo unico grande progetto a Londra.
Nel 1830, le banchine erano costate oltre 2 milioni di sterline per la costruzione. Vi immaginate cosa dovevano essere 2 milioni nel 1800??
S.Katharine fu gravemente danneggiata dai bombardamenti tedeschi durante la seconda guerra mondiale. Tutti i magazzini attorno al bacino orientale furono distrutti e il sito che avevano occupato rimase abbandonato fino agli anni '90.

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The Sky Garden, London's tallest hanging gardens, is located on the 35th floor of 20 Fenchurch Street, the City's skyscraper also known as the Walkie-Talkie due to its narrower shape at the base and wider at the top. And it is precisely the upper part of the glass building that develops in height over three floors, from the 35th to the 37th, which has become one of the most fascinating attractions in London.

Conceived as a public park in the City of London, a ploy to make the project of a building that clashed within an architecturally protected area less unwelcome, The Sky Garden is proposed as a space open to all to spend pleasantly free time, but only during office hours and upon reservation; in fact, the garden opens to the public at 10 am and closes at 6 pm. From 6 pm onwards, access is reserved for customers of the bar and the two restaurants in the structure.

The entrance to the Sky Garden is located behind the main entrance of the office building and after having passed the security checks, as rigorous as those of an airport, two very fast elevators lead directly to the 35th floor and to the structure that contains the Hanging gardens.

The setting, a combination of steel and glass from wall to roof, offers a breathtaking view of the River Thames and the City of London, with the building towering, a short distance away, over monuments such as Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. East, and the complex of buildings in the Bank area, where medieval buildings such as the Great Hall of Guildhall or the Barbican behind it can be identified. The giants of Aldgate, Cheesegrater, Gherkin, Heron Tower and Tower 42 are behind, visible from the opposite side of the entrance to the garden, while the first image that is captured is that of Renzo Piano's Shard which occupies the field of vision as soon as you cross the threshold of the Sky Garden.

At the ends of the large lower terrace there are two wide flights of stairs that flank two large vertical flower beds that welcome a limited variety of Mediterranean plants. At the center of this garden, the two-storey building containing the brasserie and restaurant.

A staff member from Rhubarb, the award-winning catering company that manages the Sky Pod bar and Darwin Brasserie and Fenchurch Bar & Grill restaurants, welcomes you.

Overall, it cannot be denied that it is an elegant environment, but the rarefied atmosphere, as well as the controlled temperature, which requires the mandatory use of the coat, remove it from the promise of wanting to be a place of relaxation where to stop and entertain amiably in social activities. However, the view from its windows is certainly worth the visit.
The entrance to the sky garden is completely free

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Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the striking clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England, although the name is frequently extended to refer also to the clock and the clock tower.The official name of the tower in which Big Ben is located was originally the Clock Tower, but it was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012, to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.

The tower was designed by Augustus Pugin in a neo-Gothic style. When completed in 1859, its clock was the largest and most accurate four-faced striking and chiming clock in the world.The tower stands 316 feet (96 m) tall, and the climb from ground level to the belfry is 334 steps. Its base is square, measuring 40 feet (12 m) on each side. Dials of the clock are 22.5 feet (6.9 m) in diameter. All four nations of the UK are represented on the tower on shields featuring a rose for England, thistle for Scotland, shamrock for Northern Ireland, and leek for Wales. On 31 May 2009, celebrations were held to mark the tower's 150th anniversary.

Big Ben is the largest of the tower's five bells and weighs 13.5 long tons (13.7 tonnes; 15.1 short tons). It was the largest bell in the United Kingdom for 23 years. The origin of the bell's nickname is open to question; it may be named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw its installation, or heavyweight boxing champion Benjamin Caunt. Four quarter bells chime at 15, 30 and 45 minutes past the hour and just before Big Ben tolls on the hour. The clock uses its original Victorian mechanism, but an electric motor can be used as a backup.

The tower is a British cultural icon recognised all over the world. It is one of the most prominent symbols of the United Kingdom and parliamentary democracy, and it is often used in the establishing shot of films set in London. The clock tower has been part of a Grade I listed building since 1970 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.

On 21 August 2017, a four-year schedule of renovation works began on the tower. Modifications have included adding a lift, re-glazing and repainting the clock dials, and upgrading lighting and repairing roof tiles among other improvements. With a few exceptions, such as New Year's Eve and Remembrance Sunday, the bells are to be silent until the work is completed in 2022.

Origin

Elizabeth Tower, originally referred to as the Clock Tower, but more popularly known as Big Ben, was raised as a part of Charles Barry's design for a new Palace of Westminster, after the old palace was largely destroyed by fire on 16 October 1834.Although Barry was the chief architect of the neo-gothic palace, he turned to Augustus Pugin for the design of the Clock Tower, which resembles earlier Pugin designs, including one for Scarisbrick Hall in Lancashire. Construction of the tower began on 28 September 1845. The building contractors were Thomas Grissell and Morton Peto. An inscribed trowel now in the Parliamentary Archives records that Emily, sister of Peto's daughter-in-law, was given the honour of laying the first stone.It was Pugin's last design before his descent into mental illness and death in 1852, and Pugin himself wrote, at the time of Barry's last visit to him to collect the drawings: "I never worked so hard in my life for Mr Barry for tomorrow I render all my designs for finishing his bell tower and it is beautiful".

Name

Journalists during Queen Victoria's reign called it St Stephen's Tower. As members of Parliament originally sat at St Stephen's Hall, these journalists referred to anything related to the House of Commons as "news from St Stephens" (the Palace does contain a feature called St Stephen's Tower, located above the public entrance).On 2 June 2012, the House of Commons voted in support of a proposal to change the name from the Clock Tower to Elizabeth Tower in commemoration of Elizabeth II in her Diamond Jubilee year, since the large west tower now known as Victoria Tower had been renamed in tribute to Queen Victoria on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee.On 26 June 2012, the House of Commons confirmed that the name change could go ahead. David Cameron, then Prime Minister, officially announced the change of name on 12 September 2012.The change was marked by a naming ceremony in which John Bercow, then Speaker of the House of Commons, unveiled a plaque attached to the tower on the adjoining Speaker's Green
Prison Room

Inside the tower is an oak-panelled Prison Room, which can only be accessed from the House of Commons, not via the tower entrance. It was last used in 1880 when atheist Charles Bradlaugh, newly elected Member of Parliament for Northampton, was imprisoned by the Serjeant at Arms after he protested against swearing a religious oath of allegiance to Queen Victoria.[28] Officially, the Serjeant at Arms can still make arrests, as they have had the authority to do since 1415. The room, however, is currently occupied by the Petitions Committee, which oversees petitions submitted to Parliament.

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London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames. It is in central London, and connects the City of London with Southwark. It is between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge.

On the south side of the bridge are Southwark Cathedral and London Bridge station. On the north side are the Monument to the Great Fire of London and Monument tube station.

It was previously the only bridge over the Thames downstream from Kingston until Putney Bridge opened in 1729. The current bridge opened on 17th March 1973 and is the latest in a succession of bridges to occupy the spot and claim the name.

The bridge carries part of the A3 road, which is maintained by the Greater London Authority;the bridge itself is owned and maintained by a charity overseen by the City of London Corporation.

The name London Bridge is often mistakenly applied to Tower Bridge, which is the next bridge downstream.

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The Millennium Bridge, also known as the London Millennium Footbridge, is a footbridge across the River Thames in London. It is a steel suspension bridge which links Bankside with the City. Its position is between Southwark Bridge (downstream) and Blackfriars Railway Bridge (upstream). The bridge opened on 10 June 2000. It is the newest bridge across the Thames.

Londoners nicknamed the bridge the Wobbly Bridge after people on a charity walk felt an uncomfortable swaying motion. The bridge was closed later that day. After two days of limited access the bridge was closed for almost two years. Expensive and complicated changes were made to eliminate the wobble. It was reopened in 2002.

The Southern end of the bridge is near Globe Theatre, the Bankside Gallery and Tate Modern, the north end next to the City of London School below St Paul's Cathedral. The bridge alignment is such that a clear view of St Paul's south facade is presented from across the river, framed by the bridge supports.
get on this bridge totally free.
https://goo.gl/maps/gysxAE384otLCHwB9

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Big Ben is the nickname of a bell that hangs in the clock tower at the northern end of the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London, England.Officially, the tower itself is called Elizabeth Tower. It was previously known as just the Clock Tower, but was renamed in September 2012 as a tribute to the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.Designed by Edmund Beckett Denison, the clock took 13 years to build and it was completed in 1859.
Since August 2017, repair work is being done on the clock, which will take four years. For the safety of those doing this work, Big Ben no longer rings out every hour. It will still be heard on special occasions, such as the New Year and Remembrance Day.
Big Ben only sounds at the top of every hour, and at that time it rings once for every hour (for example, it rings three times at 3 o'clock).
The other four bells in the tower are smaller and play a short melody every 15 minutes. This melody, which is broadcasted live on BBC Radio 4 at 6 pm and midnight every day, can be heard in many other clocks around the world and is called the Westminster Chimes.
The bells are struck by hammers that are connected to the clock mechanism, which is powered by large weights that are wound three times a week. It does not use any electricity except for winding and to light the faces so that the clock could be seen when it is dark.
The full ticket with guided tour is £ 25.50.

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was originally laid out by Thomas Neale, MP in the early 1690s, who cleverly laid out the area in a series of triangles to maximise the number of houses as rentals were charged per foot of frontage and not per square foot of interiors.

The names of the seven streets were chosen with the intention of attracting affluent residents, however some of the names have subsequently been simplified or changed because of duplication with other streets in London. They were originally: Little and Great Earl Street (now Earlham Street), Little and Great White Lyon Street (now Mercer Street), Queen Street (now Shorts Gardens) and Little & Great St. Andrew’s Street (now Monmouth Street). Some of the original street signs can still be seen attached to buildings in the area.

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I modi migliori per scoprire: Seven Dials

Consigliati Tour e gite turistiche Escursioni a piedi e in bicicletta Tour privati e personalizzati Tour culturali e a tema

Seven Dials Covent Garden, Londra WC2 Inghilterra

Se sei arrivato qui per esplorare la moltitudine di negozi, teatri, bar, pub e ristoranti, o semplicemente per confonderti tra la folla inarrestabile che attraversa questa splendida area della città, i tuoi sensi verranno subito catturati dall'atmosfera storica e festosa di Covent Garden. Anche se non hai biglietti per l'opera o per uno spettacolo in uno dei tanti famosi teatri del quartiere, non sorprenderti di restare affascinato dalle tante improvvisazioni degli artisti da strada che allietano la folla in piazza a Covent Garden. Se invece hai i biglietti, sarai felice di constatare che molti dei ristoranti locali offrono menù fissi per gli spettatori, servizi anticipati e restano aperti oltre i normali orari.

Covent Garden * 3 minuti a piedi

Leicester Square * 4 minuti a piedi

Il meglio nelle vicinanze

I ristoranti e le attrazioni vengono classificati in base al rapporto tra le recensioni degli utenti e la vicinanza a questa località.

2.086 nel raggio di 10 km

10.000 nel raggio di 5 km

1-10 di 136 risultati mostrati

Are credit cards accepted or is cash needed at Seven Dials Market food stalls?

What are the opening times of the shops on sunday and monday? Thank you.

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Seven Dials (Londra): AGGIORNATO 2022 - tutto quello che c'è da sapere - Tripadvisor

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Scopri diverse opzioni per esplorare questo posto. Vedi le opzioni I modi migliori per scoprire: Seven Dials Consigliati Tour e gite turistiche Escursioni a piedi e in bicicletta Tour privati e personalizzati Tour culturali e a tema Seven Dials Covent Garden, Londra WC2 Inghilterra Se sei arrivato qui per esplorare la moltitudine di negozi, teatri, bar, pub e ristoranti, o semplicemente per confonderti tra la folla inarrestabile che attraversa questa splendida area della città, i tuoi sensi verranno subito catturati dall'atmosfera storica e festosa di Covent Garden.