Historical locations, people and buildings in London
Essential London has published 'Essential Clapham' - a pocket guide to this popular area in south-west London. It's a guide to the history of Clapham and the best cultural, historical and social (e.g. leisure venues, pubs and cafes) sights that you can see and visit today. Showcasing modern-day London-living through 100 pages and 90 original [...]
Bermondsey is a thriving business and social area on the south side of the River Thames. It found prominence as the location of Bermondsey Abbey in the middle ages. The abbey was dissolved during Tudor times and the area developed into the centre of London's leather processing industry. Many of the street names bear witness to [...]
The pubs have reopened - and those in central London need more custom at present. This pub crawl is in the heart of central London; the spectacular City of Westminster! On this central London pub crawl you'll stroll through 1000 years of British history. The royal centre that gave birth to the ‘model parliament’ in [...]
Fifteen miles to the south of London is the home of British motorsport and aviation; Brooklands. Motor racing took place here from 1907 to 1939 and aviation developed on the site at the same time - right up until 1989. At one time, Brooklands was the most prolific aircraft factory in Europe. In [...]
Brick Lane, in east London, is a fusion of market stalls, vintage emporiums, street-food outlets and alternative fashion brands. It’s east London’s answer to Camden Market in the north of London. If you’re a fan of Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine – it’s home to London’s best. Over the last ten years, it has become [...]
Soho is a well-known district of the City of Westminster in London. This article describes how Soho evolved into the epicentre of London’s entertainment scene. Soho is thought to take its name from the hunting cries used when it was a royal hunting park belonging to King Henry VIII, who hunted here with members of [...]
Spitalfields is an historic area to the east of the City of London. Since the 1660's, it has been the traditional first stop for immigrants arriving in London - and has suffered its share of poverty and destitution. Today, however, the area is a melting pot of the creative industries, street art and bohemian residents. [...]
Nonsuch Park is named after the 'unequalled' palace built for King Henry VIII in 1538. Nonsuch Palace was the first great Renaissance building in England taking nine years to build and costing £24,000, a phenominal sum at that time. The palace passed to King Edward VI and then Queen Mary I, who sold it to [...]
Regent’s Canal was London’s main thoroughfare for heavy freight from the 1820’s – used by horse-drawn barges taking goods from sea-faring vessels on the River Thames into mainland England. It stretches 13.5 km from Little Venice in the west of London to Limehouse Basin in the east, today’s Docklands. The canal drops around 30 metres [...]
Little Venice is the name given (by Browning or Byron, no one knows) to the intersection of two canals in west London. These are the Grand Union Canal and Regent's Canal. The former was completed in 1814 and the later 1820 - both key to London's industrial infrastructure, before (and after) railways arrived in London [...]
