The Tower was originally a fortress but has also been used as a royal palace, prison and a royal zoo.

'If the ravens leave the Tower, the kingdom will fall...' At least 6 ravens are kept at the Tower of London at all times, for superstitious reasons,

Several ghosts are said to be residents at the Tower of London including Henry VI.

Tower Bridge was opened in 1894 after 8 years of building.

It is a 'Bascule Bridge' which means the middle part opens up to allows ship to pass under. Originally, the bridge's lifting mechanism was powered by steam-driven hydraulic pumps, which were later replaced with an electro-hydraulic system in 1976.

The bridge lifts up around twice a day which is 800 times a year.

A bus once jumped the gap as the bridge opened unexpectedly as it drove over.

Tower Bridge was originally painted brown, in 1977 it was repainted red, white, and blue to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee (25 years on the throne).

This is headquarters of the Greater London Authority (GLA) which comprises the Mayor of London and London Assembly.

The building has an unusal, bulbous shape, intended to reduce its surface area and thus improve energy efficiency.

The City Hall was designed by Norman Foster, who also designed the Gherkin Tower.

This ship is one of the most powerful large Light Cruisers ever built. HMS Belfast is now the only surviving vessel of her type to have seen active service during the Second World War, serving Britain for 32 years.

HMS Belfast could launch a shell over 22 miles accurately on a tennis court sized area.

HMS Belfast participated in the Battle of the North Cape and the Normandy landings (D-Day) during World War II, and also served in the Korean War. Specifically, at the Battle of North Cape, HMS Belfast played a crucial role in sinking the German battlecruiser Scharnhorst. During the Normandy landings, she was involved in the initial bombardment and provided support to the advancing troops. 

London Bridge was originally the only crossing for the river Thames.

During Medieval times, decapitated heads of 'traitors' were displayed on spikes at the gates either end.

It is the oldest river crossing on the Thames although the bridge itself has been replaced several times, with one version of the bridge now residing at Lake Havas in Arizona, USA.

For 600 years (1209-1831) London Bridge was rammed full of houses and shops and was a lively hub of activity much more busy than the road crossing it is now!

There has been a church on this site for ovver a thousand year.

Inside the church there are two rounded Norman arches that survived the fire 1213.

It features stunning Gothic architecture, with parts of the building dating back to the 13th century, including its beautiful nave and vaulted ceiling.

It houses many notable figures tombs including John Havard who found Havard the American university.

Religiouis prisoners were held in it prior to being burnt at the stake or hanged. Prisoners were not fed by the wardens in the jail and had to rely on begging passers-by for food.

It also lay below the river level at the time and would often flood in high tide, making conditions in the cells particularly nasty!

The Clink implemented many torture devices. The torture chair was designed to hold prisoners in place while various forms of torture were carried out.

The original theatre was built not far away from this site on the bankside in 1598. It was brought over from the other side of the Thames (Shoreditch) and reassebled here.

Ddi you know that coded flags were used outside the theatre to advertise the type of play to be performed. A red flag for a history play, white for a comedy play and black for a tradegy.

In the past, female roles were played by young boys as theatre stages were considered inapproppriate places for ladies.

The gallery opened in May 2000 in the old bankside power station which was built in 1963. Its massive Turbine Hall once held electricity generators and now hosts large-scale art installations.

The Tate Modern is the UK's largest museum of art and it's permanent collection houses work by Picasso, Andy Warhol and Salvador Dali.

Tate Modern is one of the most visited art museums in the world, attracting millions of visitors each year.

The Millennium Bridge was the first new pedestrian bridge to be built across the Thames for over 100 years.

It opened in 2000 and embarrassingly for the council it had to be closed again as it was too wbbly! It re-opened in March 2002 - much more stable.

In the 2009 move Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the bridge was used to depict the Brockdale Bridge that collapses following a dramatic attack by the Death Eaters. Clip here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo-U5iOinM8

This is the highest point in the city of London. Can you guess how many steps there are to get to the top of the Golden Gallery? 530 steps!

The current cathedral was designed by Christopher Wren and is believed to be the fifth cathedral to stand on this site.

The funerals of Lord Nelson, Sir Winston Churchill and the Duke of Wellington all took place here, as well as the Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria and most famously the wedding of Prince Chalres and Princess Diana.