Buckingham
Palace
King George III bought
Buckingham House in 1761 for his wife Queen Charlotte to use as a
comfortable family home close to St James's Palace. Buckingham
House became known as the Queen's House, and 14 of George III's 15
children were born there. In 1762 work began on remodelling the
house to the King's requirements.
George
IV, on his accession in 1820, decided to reconstruct the house.
Queen Victoria was the first sovereign to take up residence in
July 1837.The present Forecourt of the Palace, where Changing the
Guard takes place, was formed in 1911, as part of the Victoria
Memorial scheme. The gates and railings were also completed in
1911.
Covent
Garden
No visit to London is
complete to London without a visit to Covent Garden, a most
atmospheric London institution.
In addition to an arts and crafts market, outdoor street
performers who would do the Royal Albert Hall proud, perform on
the sidewalks for free ( Well there is always a hat passed around
at the end!)
Covent Garden's restaurants, bars, shops and
street
entertainers make it the ideal location for a great day or
night out. Covent Garden is world famous for its jugglers,
musicians and mime artists.
In
the Arts and Crafts Market hall, you will find you will find 120
craftsmen selling their original handmade Arts and Crafts,
Ceramics, Knit-wear, Pottery, Silk Screen Printing, Etching,
Chinese Art, Hand Painted House Plaques & House Signs,
Heraldry, Coats of Arms, Hand Painted Crests & Shields, Board
Games, Enameling, Jewellery, Wooden Toys, Goldsmiths, Doll Houses,
Silversmiths, Glassware, Hobo Dolls, Calligraphy, Lace-ware,
Mohair Sweaters, Cardigans and Coats, Soft Toys and Dolls, Luxury
Bathrobes, Wood Turning, Karum game boards and lots more.
10
Downing Street
One of the best known
Streets in London is Downing Street, named after its builder, Sir
George Downing, who was a Cromwellian civil servant. No. 10 with
its famous black front door, the backdrop to many historical
announcements made by renowned personalities; has been the
official residence of Britains Prime Minister since 1732, when
King George 11 presented the property to Sir Robert Walpole,
Britains first Prime Minister.
Hampton
Court
Henry
VIII is probably Hampton Court’s most famous occupant and its
first royal owner. All his lavish private rooms were demolished in
the early 18th century but the two most magnificent public rooms
still survive - the Great Hall and the Chapel Royal, which is
still a place of worship today.
King William III’s Apartments are the finest and most important
set of Baroque state apartments in the world. They are still
furnished with the magnificent furniture and tapestries which
graced them in 1700 when they were completed for the King. Today
you see them restored after the terrible fire of 1986. An
exhibition under the colonnade in Clock Court near the entrance to
the King’s Apartments explains the restoration and the function
of the state rooms.
There
are over 60 acres of gardens to explore at Hampton Court including
the Maze, the Great Vine and the newly restored Privy Garden.
The buildings of Hampton Court cover 6 acres and comprise many
courtyards and cloisters. One of the greatest pleasures of visiting
the palace is strolling around them admiring the harmonious blend of
Tudor and Baroque architecture and curiosities such as Henry
VIII’s Astronomical Clock and Cardinal Wolsey’s coat of arms in
Clock Court.
The
Houses of Parliament
The
neo-Gothic building includes the House of Commons and the House of
Lords, not to mention the infamous Big Ben.
Edward the Confessor had the original palace built in the eleventh
century.
Parliamentary government in the United Kingdom is based on a
two-chamber system. The House of Lords (the upper House-not
elected) and the House of Commons (the lower house-elected at
least every 5 years) sit separately and are constituted on
entirely different principles. The legislative process involves
both Houses - the Commons and the Lords.
All
visitors, both UK citizens and overseas visitors can visit the
Strangers galleries in both houses to see Parliament at work.
Entry is at St. Stephen’s Gate, where you can join a queue for
the public galleries, known as Strangers Galleries. Debates in the
commons take place on Mon. Tues. and Thurs. from 2-30 pm; Wed.
& Fri. from 9-30 am.
The
busiest a to visit the House is during Question Time. To attend
Question Time you must book a ticket through your MP or your
embassy. Question Time is on Mon.- Thurs. From 2-30pm - 3-30pm.
Prime Minister’s Question Time is on Wed. from 3pm - 3-30pm.
The House of Lords sit on Mon. - Wed. From 2-30; On Thurs.
From 3pm; If a sitting takes place on Friday it commences at 11am.
Both houses close at Christmas, Easter and from August to mid
October.
Hyde
Park
Henry
VIII acquired Hyde Park in 1536.The park covers 630 acres, and
includes some of London's most well-known tourist spots.
At Speaker's Corner, you can hear a wide variety of people from
Britain and abroad exercising their right to free speech.
The home of Lady Dianna - Kensington Palace- stands at the West
side of the park.
The Serpentine Lake is found in the park.
Kew
Gardens
At the Royal Botanic
Gardens in Kew, there are 300 acres of beautiful gardens, with six
glasshouses to visit including the Evolution House. The Gardens
are open daily from 9.30am. Closing time varies according to the
time of year, but it's not earlier than 4pm or later than 7.30pm.
For exact times call the Gardens on 020 8940 1171.
Admission to the gardens is £5 for adults, £2.50 for children;
during the last hour before closing, there is a reduced rate of £3
for all visitors. Kew Gardens are closed 25 December and 1
January.
The nearest Underground station is Kew Gardens and you are also
within easy reach of Richmond with its riverside pubs, antique
shops, village green and royal park
London
Eye
The
British Airways London Eye - London's Giant Observation Wheel,
finally became operational in January 2000. Standing proud in London's
Jubilee Gardens, on the South Bank of the River Thames the British
Airways London Eye is a focal point of the Nation's celebration of
the New Century. The Wheel is the largest of its kind ever to be
built, at a height of 135m (450feet) and 1600 tons.
St.Paul's
Cathedral
Sir
Christopher Wren designed this wonderful building, which was
started 9 years after the medieval St Pauls had been burnt down in
the Fire of London. He completed this masterpiece in 1711. It was
hailed as the world's first Protestant cathedral and to this day
dominates much of the City's skyline.
You can climb up in to the Whispering gallery in the dome, where a
whisper at one side carries right round the dome. Then up to the
Stone Gallery giving a view over the city, and up to the Golden
Gallery at the top of the dome.
The crypt is equally impressive, with the tombs of both Nelson and
Wellington.
Tower
Bridge
One
of London's most unusual and exciting exhibitions is situated inside
the towers and engine rooms of the bridge. Animatronic characters
from the bridge's past guide visitors through a series of
audio-visual presentations, which tell the story of this world
famous London landmark. You will discover why the bridge was
needed, how a design was chosen and how the bridge is raised.
One
of London's most famous landmarks, the bridge was constructed in
the 1890s.
Tower
bridge features a road which can be raised to allow tall ships to
pass through to the Pool of London and an elevated walkway
affording permanent access.
The
main attraction of The Tower Bridge Experience has to be the
spectacular views over London from the high-level Walkways, 140ft
above the River Thames. From this unique viewpoint, visitors can
see some of London's most well-known buildings, such as the Tower
of London, St Paul's Cathedral and Canary Wharf.
There are also multi-lingual touch-screen computers on both the
East and West Walkways, giving visitors more detailed information
about the sites in the surrounding area. To add to visitors'
enjoyment, there is also a photographic exhibition on the East
Walkway, spanning over 100 years of the bridge's history.
The
Tower Of London
The
Tower of London built by William the Conqueror in 1078 to guard
the river approach to London. It was restored in 1700, but the
original part of the White Tower (so named because Henry III had
it whitewashed both inside and out) still stands.
From 1322 onwards the Tower held prisoners suspected of plotting
the downfall of the Monarch. Amongst the most famous prisoners
held there were Anne Boleyn, Katherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey, the
Earl of Essex and the young princes, Edward V and Richard of York.
The last prisoner was the Nazi, Rudolph Hess. He was held
from 17-21 May 1941.
Today, the Tower is probably best known as the home of the Crown
Jewels.
Trafalgar
Square
London's
most famous square situated in the very heart of London, filled
with tourists feeding pigeons!
In
the center stands Nelson's column, commemorating the battle of
Trafalgar.
The
National Art Gallery
stand on one side of the square.
St
Martins In The Fields offers afternoon concerts, and has a coffee
shop in a crypt as well as a coffee shop.
Westminster
Abbey
The
Abbey's formal title is The Collegiate Church of St Peter,
Westminster.
The popular title "Westminster Abbey" continues to be
used, even though there have been no monks there since the l6th
century. Back
To London Hotels Main Page |