Essential History | The top sights in London, Madrid and beyond
The best cultural and historical sights in London, Madrid and beyond.
Running until 30 July, ‘The Big City’ is a special exhibition exploring three themes of life in the City through large artworks. Grand Occasions portrays the City’s celebrations, Colossal Landscapes exhibits super-wide views of the City and Larger than Life focuses on everyday scenes of London. The exhibition celebrates the artists, past and present, who [...]
Originally premiered on Regent Street in 1954, London’s Christmas lights are a much loved fixture of shoppers, photographers - and bloggers! Oxford Street caught up in 1959, before a hiatus during the 1970’s owing to austerity and power cuts. Today, the lights are LED units, consuming two-thirds the energy of electric bulbs. Here are a [...]
Completed in 1830 to commemorate British victory in the Napoleonic Wars and subsequent peace with France, the Wellington Arch stands on a island at the bottom of Park Lane. The monument has a unique roof terrace giving a bird’s-eye view of Buckingham Palace Garden, Green Park, Park Lane and Knightsbridge! Originally, the arch was topped [...]
Livery companies were a powerful force in the medieval City of London. Starting as religious fraternities, they evolved to control the prices, wages and quality of the City's trades, and collectively aspects of local government. Today, there are 110 livery companies operating as charities - supporting education, research and welfare in their sectors throughout the [...]
By the summer of 1940, Hitler’s ‘Operation Sea Lion’ was in full swing. Hitler needed air superiority over the English Channel. This meant destroying RAF airfields in the south of England and the sources of aircraft production throughout the country. The enemy attacks started on 10 July 1940 and continued every day throughout summer – [...]
Albert Bridge in south west London, is one of the most attractive bridges crossing the River Thames. It may not be as iconic as Tower Bridge downstream, but it’s actually older. Named in memory of Prince Albert, it provides access to Battersea Park which, disconcertingly for south Londoners today, was originally built for the wealthy [...]
It’s time to plan your itinerary for the oldest and grandest civic procession in the world taking place in London in early November, as usual. This is the Lord Mayor’s Show in the City of London. Knowing the best place to watch the Lord Mayor’s Show will add to your enjoyment. The show can trace [...]
The centre of Stratford-upon-Avon is packed with Elizabethan and Jacobean architecture and history that recall the life of the world's most famous writer, William Shakespeare. This article shows you how to spend one day in Stratford-upon-Avon, exploring the town and its connections to the bard. We start the walk in Henley Street near the [...]
This year, Britain’s Remembrance Sunday coincides with the Centenary of the Armistice, marking the end of World War I. Events will take place throughout the country on Sunday 11th November. In London, commemorations will concentrate on Whitehall and at the Cenotaph monument. As is traditional we will remember the fallen in all conflicts. [...]
The Virginia Quay Settlers Monument, on the north shore of the River Thames, marks the embarkation point of the first English settlers of North America. This was where Captains Christopher Newport and John Smith set sail in December 1606 - some 14 years before the Mayflower set sail two miles further upstream. There were three ships [...]