London Only

Why did London become the capital of England? It’s a fun story!  Technically “London” didn’t become the capital until after the 16th century. What we now call “the City of London” was an entity of its own, the ancient square mile which Rome founded. And it still is in many ways. It was a power and money centre, even before the Norman Conquest.  Up through the Middle Ages, there was no fixed “capital” per se. The kings never stayed put in one place, they were moving about, and the capital was where the king was, not even where the government was. The government, at that time, were the king’s ministers who handled (get it?) the day-to-day jobs. During the reign of the Wessex kings, Winchester was the closest thing to an English capital. The first permanent residents of Winchester appear to have arrived in the Iron Age, sometime around 150BC, establishing both a hill fort and also a trading settlement on the western edge of the modern city. Winchester would remain the exclusive home of th

This Is The Fascinating History Of The London Underground The Thames Tunnel was the very first tunnel in the world to be constructed under a river, and it was described as the eighth Wonder of the World. As a response to the city's rapid growth during the 19th Century, the world's first underground railway, the London Underground was created. With 1.379 billion passengers using it, the London underground is the 11th-busiest tube system on the planet. The tunnels stretch across London for 249 miles, often overlapping and offering travellers plenty of options to move from one location to another. The Underground history, its tunnels, and the people connected to it is genuinely fascinating. We hope that reading this article, and you'll immerse yourself in the past and lore and find out more than you know about the Tube. The first steam railway began in 1825.  And 25 years later King's Cross had become a terminus for steam trains arriving in London. Ther railways were not p

London’s Most Notorious Prisons London has had many prisons, the most famous of which is the Tower of London. Victorian London was renowned for its prisons and places of correction – Dickens vividly portrayed the harsh conditions and inhuman treatment of prisoners.  While there are no more Victorian buildings, it is possible to visit the sites where they once stood, which will also take you to London's fascinating areas.  Tower of London Tower of London The Tower of London is the most popular tourist attraction in London and one of the greatest examples of Norman architecture anywhere in the world. William I started it around 1066. It was deliberately built just outside the City boundary as a warning to potential troublemakers. It was then extended by various monarchs till Edward I, and has been a palace, prison, menagerie, place of execution and fortress for the crown jewels. Famous occupants have included Sir Francis Drake, Anne Boleyn (executed by the sword), Sir Walter Raleigh

This Is The Great Fire Of London 1666 Story Those who survived the Great Plague of 1665 must have thought that the year 1666 could not have been worse! Poor souls… they could not have imagined the tragedy that was about to fall on them. On September 2, a fire started in the King's bakery in Pudding Lane near London Bridge. This rapidly spread to Thames Street, where warehouses packed with combustibles and a heavy wind from the East turned the blaze into an inferno. After days of stuggles the Great Fire was finally extinguished on September 6. By then more than four-fifths of London was ashes. Miraculously, Only around half a dozen people were recorded to have died.  Sunday, September 2, 1666 In Thomas Fairness pudding Lane bakery is now almost one o'clock in the morning on Sunday, September 2. Everything's quiet in Pudding Lane. The foreigners finally went to bed an hour ago. The 23-year-old daughter Hannah was the last to go to sleep after getting in light for a candle.  L