Historical locations, people and buildings in London
Tower Hill is an open area of raised land just north of the Tower of London. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries it was the execution site for those incarcerated in the Tower in London. It's believed around 125 people were executed, mostly by beheading. At this time, only a few people (with Royal or [...]
In the very heart of the City of London (the historic ‘square mile’) is a labyrinth of hidden alleyways connecting coffee houses, wine lodges, restaurants and churches. If you’re visiting London, it’s a must-see! This short guide will direct you through the area. You might lose your bearings but it’s relatively compact - [...]
This record shop in Soho has a special legendary status, not because of the range of vinyl (impressive though it is), but because this is where the Rolling Stones first rehearsed between March and April 1962. The shop on the corner of Broadwick Street (off Wardour Street) and Duck Lane used to be a pub [...]
The Parliament of the United Kingdom is renowned world-wide as being the 'mother of all parliaments' This post is a self-guided walk through the heart of political Westminster. The walk starts in Smith Square, Westminster, home to party HQ's, lobbyists and political associations and ends in Trafalgar Square. It will take you around three hours, [...]
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 [...]
In Brook Street, Mayfair there is an extraordinary couple of houses - turned into a museum. Numbers 23 and 25 were homes to two musicians 200 years apart; Jimi Hendrix in London and the house of George Frideric Handel! Handel House G F Handel was born in Germany in 1685. He moved to London age [...]
The Saatchi gallery is one of London’s premier contemporary art galleries. It is based in an impressive Grade 2* listed building opened in 1801 as a school for children of soldiers’ widows. From 1892 it served as the Duke of York’s Military School and in 1911 was re-named the Duke of York’s Barracks and became [...]
Hertford House The Wallace Collection is a national museum of fine art. It is based in Hertford House, an original London townhouse from the 18th century and one of the best art museums in London, off the beaten track. The museum is situated in Manchester Square, just north of Oxford Street and has a stunning [...]
Vauxhall is an area in central London on the south side of the River Thames. It is also the site of some of the oldest in-situ structures in London. Just to the west of Vauxhall Bridge, on the south side of the river, you can see the remains of a Bronze Age bridge or [...]
Soho is a well-known district of the City of Westminster in London. This article will describe 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 [...]
