VISIT LONDON ENGLAND

Tower Bridge London by Geoff Sutton 2 March 2007

Welcome to London! London is my hometown. Although I no longer live there, I frequently return to visit family, walk the familiar streets, and see something new. This post indexes links to many places I have visited over the years. I include some visitor tips for some places.

Click on each  LINK  for amazing photos, short videos, and information about popular places to see and things to do. 

 LONDON'S POPULAR LANDMARKS 

BIG BEN      BenLINK
 Big Ben is the Great Bell in the famous Elizabeth Tower housing the Great Clock at the North End of the Houses of Parliament. Borough of Westminster 

BUCKINGHAM PALACE      BuckLINK
“Buck house” is where Queen Elizabeth II and other Royals lived when in town. And where tourists watch the changing of the guard. Borough of Westminster

HAMPTON COURT PALACE HAMPTONLINK

An historic Royal Palace in the West London Borough of Richmond on Thames. Learn about the 1500s, the life of Henry VIII and his Queens, and more.

HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT        HPLINK

  Iconic English Gothic Westminster Palace housing Big Ben in Borough of Westminster .

LONDON EYE         EYE-LINK
 The giant wheel noted for its fantastic views of the city. Borough of Lambeth

PICCADILLY CIRCUS & “Eros”  PiccadillyLINK

  A unique traffic circle with a famous, and misnamed, statue. Borough of Westminster

SHARD            ShardLINK

   Travel to the top of London’s tallest building for brilliant views of the city. Borough of Southwark.

THAMES RIVER         ThamesLINK

 Why not enjoy a river cruise around London or further afield?

TOWER BRIDGE       TowerBridgeLINK

   Great views from above this iconic bridge over the Thames between London boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Southwark.

TOWER OF LONDON        TowerLINK

  A medieval castle makes famous and fantastic stories come alive and there's fabulous jewels. Borough of Tower Hamlets.

TRAFALGAR SQUARE    TrafalgarSqLINK

 A famous public square surrounded by historic buildings, galleries, and statues.

LONDON'S POPULAR MARKETS & SHOPS 

COVENT GARDEN         CoventGLINK
   A historic and contemporary market place full of shops and restaurants. Boroughs of Westminster and Camden

HAMLEYS TOY STORE      HamleysTOYLINK
 Visit the world's largest toy shop on Regent Street--gifts for all ages.

HARRODS     HarrodsLINK
 Visit the Europe's largest department store. Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

PORTOBELLO ROAD     PortabelloLINK

  Notting Hill area and the favourite and famous Portobello Road market. Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

LONDON'S GARDENS & PARKS

HYDE PARK     HYDELINK
 A large historic green space for walking, picnics, games, and events. Features: Speaker's Corner, Rose Garden, Serpentine Lake. Borough of Westminster

KENSINGTON GARDENS      KENSINGTONLINK
Kensington Gardens is a large Royal Park adjacent to Hyde Park. Features: Long Water, Peter Pan, Prince Albert, Italian Gardens, Princess Diana fountain and play area.

KEW GARDENS      KewLINK

 The Royal Botanical Gardens offer a floral feast. Borough of Richmond upon Thames

St JAMES PARK       StJamesLINK
 A great place to rest, enjoy lunch, and watch the famous pelicans. Borough of Westminster

LONDON'S MUSEUMS & GALLERIES

BRITISH MUSEUM        BritishMuseumLINK

  The British Museum has many of the world's treasures. It's one of my favourite places to visit as they continue to offer special exhibits. Borough of Camden

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM LONDON       IWMLINK

 If you have an interest in military history or the history of war, this is a well organised         place to visit.  Anniversary events are marked by special exhibits. Borough of Southwark

NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART       NationalGalleryLINK
 A place to sample the works of many of the world's great artists.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY         NationalPortraitGalleryLINK

  The history of the UK in its leaders' portraits.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM   NatHistoryLink

  Children and adults will enjoy a look at gems, dinosaurs, animals from around the world and more.

TATE MODERN ART GALLERY      TateLink

  Appreciate a vast collection of modern art over the bridge from St. Paul's Cathedral.


TUSSAUDS of London       MTLINK
  Madame Tussauds original museum was in London-their displays are continually updated.

BRITISH HISTORY

Links to historical sites beyond what you find in the many museums.

JEWEL TOWER       JewelTowerLINK
 A hidden gem near the Houses of Parliament

NELSON’S COLUMN         Nelson'sColumnLINK
   Monument to Lord Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar, Trafalgar Square

TOWER OF LONDON        TowerLondonLINK

 A medieval castle makes famous and fantastic stories come alive and there's fabulous jewels

LONDON'S PUBLIC STATUES     StatuesLINK
 Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, and more

St JAMES PALACE   St JamesLink

  Explore this palace built by Henry VIII in the 1530s.

TRAFALGAR SQUARE     TrafalgarSquareLINK

  A famous square commemorating the Battle of Trafalgar surrounded by places to see and things to do.    

  

WESTMINSTER PALACE        HPLINK

 The Houses of Parliament with Big Ben- making history every year

   BRITISH MILITARY HISTORY   

CENOTAPH   CenotaphLINK
  British monument on Whitehall honouring the war dead since 1919.

CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS         ChurchillWarLINK

 Explore the underground labyrinth where so many World War II decisions took place.

HMS BELFAST     BelfastLink     

  Explore this World War II war ship on the Thames River. Experience D-Day.

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM LONDON     IWMLINK

 If you have an interest in military history or the history of war, this is a well organised       place to visit. Anniversary events are marked by special exhibits.

ROYAL AIR FORCE MUSEUM       RAFLINK

 The RAF-more than a hundred years defending the British Isles.

ROYAL ARMY MUSEUM               RALINK
 Learn about the centuries of the Royal Army around the world.  And trace your ancestors who served as I did.

LONDON'S CHURCHES & SACRED PLACES

St MARY-LE-BOW    StMaryleBowLink

  The church crypt dates to 1080. The church has been rebuilt following the 1666 fire and WWII raid in 1941.

St MARGARET'S CHURCH  MARGARET LINK

  Built on the grounds of Westminster Abbey in the 1100s to serve the local congregation.

St PAUL's CATHEDRAL     StPaulLINK
 One of the world's great churches is also a museum.

WESLEY CHAPEL      WesleyLINK
  The mother church of Methodism and a museum.

WESTMINSTER ABBEY     WAbbeyLINK
 One of London's most famous landmarks is worth visiting more than once. Consider this ancient church a museum as well.

LONDON'S FAMOUS RAILWAY STATIONS

PADDINGTON STATION     PADDINGTONLINK

St PANCRAS      PancrasLINK
 The British home of the Eurostar and an awesome architecture.

MORE PLACES in LONDON 

CHINATOWN  in London     CHINALINK
 A place to savour Chinese culture and of course, Chinese cuisine.

GOLDEN CAROUSEL      GOLDENCAROUSELLINK
 Take a ride on this classic English carousel in Jubilee Park and Garden by the Thames River.

LITTLE VENICE     LITTLE VENICELINK

  Little Venice is the colourful area of shops, restaurants, and gardens along the canal part of which is close to Paddington Station.

MARBLE ARCH    MarbleArchLINK
 Built for Buckingham Palace in the 1800s but moved to Oxford Street.

OLD CURIOSITY SHOP     OldCuriosityLINK

  Charles Dickens famous shop

SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE     ShakespeareGLINK
 Take in a play, tour the Globe

BUY Mind the Gap and learn more about British Culture

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About London, England
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London is the capital of the United Kingdom and its largest city. People have lived in this area for thousands of years. Named Londinium by the Romans, it has been a major city on the island of Great Britain ever since. Today, London is also an English county, which is sometimes called Greater London and consists of 32 boroughs plus the old City of London, which is only 1.12 square miles. The total population of Greater London is about 9 million inhabitants.

London was the capital of the Kings of England before it became the capital city for the other nations forming the United Kingdom. The history of the UK is too long to review here; however, let me identify the capital cities of the other UK countries: Cardiff is the capital of Wales,  Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, and Belfast is the capital of the territory of Northern Ireland.

UK nation note. The long title of the nation is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is the large island where the nations of England, Wales, and Scotland united centuries ago. Northern Ireland is a UK district on the north of the island of Ireland. Most of the people of Northern Ireland voted to remain in the UK when the Republic of Ireland became independent of the UK.

I hope to add to this page as time and travels permit.

Travel Notes for London

Following are some links to help visitors to London. I have included more links in the individual posts listed above.

CITY OF LONDON  Visit the City   cityoflondon.gov.uk

VISIT LONDON   visitlondon.com

TRANSPORTATION:    tfl.gov.uk (tfl = Transportation for London)

    TFL is the official website for London's public transportation. I typically use an Oyster Card, which allows me to use the underground (Tube) and busses. The tfl site can help you plan a journey, view maps, and learn about fares and fare cards. There are other ways to see London from tour providers and private bus companies. Those options can be suitable for visitors with a limited time to explore on their own.

LONDON MAPS https://tfl.gov.uk/maps

  The maps from tfl are handy. I have an A-Z map on my device and I use google maps on my phone.

Google Map of London

MONEY: The currency is the pound sterling.

PHONE SERVICE:  I get a good deal through GoogleFi with unlimited text and data and low rates on voice calls. In the past I purchased sim cards, which also worked well. You can get very good free internet service at many places throughout the city.

RESTROOMS / WC / TOILETS: Many of the large stores in London have free toilets for shoppers. Public Museums have toilets. Pubs and restaurants usually have toilets for customers-ask. There are toilets at some railway stations but be prepared to pay.

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The London Eye

The London Eye is the tallest observation wheel in Europe. And, it is the most popular tourist attraction in the United Kingdom.

This cantilevered observation wheel is on the south bank of the River Thames in London, England. It stands 443 feet high. Work began in 1998 and it opened to the public in 2000 thus, it is also called the Millennium Wheel. 

When it opened, it was the world's tallest Ferris wheel. A few wheels are taller but it remains the world's tallest cantilevered wheel.

The London Eye is between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge at the western end of Jubilee Gardens within the London Borough of Lambeth.

It's location offers fantastic views of London--depending of course on the weather.

There are 32 capsules -- one for each of London's 32 boroughs.

The capsules are numbered 1-12 and 14- to 33.

A full rotation takes 30 minutes

It was supposed to be temporary but now it is a landmark.

It's the most popular paid tourist attraction in the UK.

Website: https://www.londoneye.com/

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You might like this fun and informative guide to British words and phrases.

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Yarmouth Castle, Isle of Wight

Canon atop Yarmouth Castle, Geoff W. Sutton, 2017

Yarmouth castle is small compared to many others in the UK but if you are in the area, I think it is worth a short visit. There was no charge when I visited in 2017.

Storyboards provide information about the history of the castle and the contents of the rooms.

There are a few rooms where castle life is illustrated with furniture, foods, tools, and so forth.

There is a great view of the waterfront on top of the castle. And there are picnic tables there as well.

There are no toilets onsite but there are facilities nearby in the Ferry Terminal. The ferries are visible from the top of the castle.

Hovercraft Adventure

Hovercraft at Ryde by Geoff W. Sutton

I took the hovercraft from Portsmouth to Ryde on the Isle of Wight for the experience. I recommend it as a quick and affordable way to cross the Solent.

The seating was comfortable and the cabin clean.

The staff were friendly and helpful with luggage-- larger items are stowed outside.

Photos and videos are best before or after because there is little to see from the inside cabin with sprayed windows.

Video of Hovercraft taking off

After arriving at Ryde, Isle of Wight, I took this video of the next craft arriving.

See the website for details

http://www.hovertravel.co.uk/

Spinnaker Tower Portsmouth UK

Spinnaker Tower by Geoff W. Sutton 2017

On my last day in Portsmouth, I purchased a ticket to the tower, which has great views of the harbour, historic dockyards, and city.

HMS Warrior view from Spinnaker Tower by Geoff W Sutton 2017

If I had it to do over, I would have gone up the tower first to get an overview of the area. Panels around the windows provide local information. There are also touch screens with more information.

I noticed some were reluctant to walk on a portion of one deck, which has a glass floor. But most enjoyed taking a picture looking straight down at the activities below.

Looking down from Spinnaker Tower, Geoff W. Sutton 2017

Video Clip from the Tower

Time of day matters as does sunshine. I went in the afternoon and experienced quite a glare making some views difficult.

Fees vary so check the website. When I went a ticket permitted returns during the same day.

I didn't find the introductory film of much interest.

Gifts are available and there is a restaurant with nice views of the harbour.

HMS Victory Portsmouth

HMS Victory by Geoff W. Sutton

HMS Victory was Lord Nelson's flagship in the Battle of Trafalgar 1805. On 7 May 1765m HMS Victory left the Chatham Royal Dockyard, The ship was active during the American War for Independence, the French Revolution and the war against Napoleon.

For the British, HMS Victory is remembered for the greatest naval victory led by Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson in the Battle of Trafalgar when the British defeated the French and Spanish fleets.

The restored 104-gun-ship is an attraction at the Historic Dockyards, Portsmouth, UK. HMS Victory saw some service in the early 1800s. The ship was placed in permanent dry dock in 1922.

HMS Victory was manned by a crew of over 800. With a maximum of 37 sails (5,400 square yards), it could achieve a speed of 9 knots about 10 mph). The three heavy masts are too much for the ship to bear and will be replaced with lighter materials for the display. More than 6,000 trees were felled to build the ship--most were oak. The ship's cordage ran to 26 miles. The weight of the cannons is too much for the ship to support in dry dock.

The presentation at the Dockyards focuses attention on the Battle of Trafalgar 21 October 1805. Nelson led 27 British ships against the 33 ships of the French and Spanish. After a five-hour battle, the British destroyed 19 enemy ships and lost none; however, Nelson was shot by a French sniper and died within a half-hour. His grand funeral took place at St. Paul's in London and a statue was raised in his honour at Trafalgar Square.

Where Nelson fell

During the Battle of Trafalgar, the crew numbered 821, which included 31 boys. Most crew were seamen (500) who sailed and fought. The tour includes a look at multiple decks and reveals insights into the accommodations of officers as well as the work areas for craftsmen and other crew members. An audio guide describes the scene.

A selection of my photos follows.

Nelson's bed

You might like this fun and informative guide to British words and phrases.

Mind the Gap on AMAZON  and  GOOGLE

KEW GARDENS ENGLAND

The Royal Botanical Gardens (Kew Gardens; www.kew.org) offers a floral feast, a pleasant place to walk, and a place to learn. The gardens are open every day except 24 and 25 December.

We visited in May 2016. We took the train from London to Kew Gardens Station, which is near the Victoria Gate. You pass several local shops between the station and the gate. There's more information on the website.








In addition to a variety of gardens, you can visit Kew Palace and Royal Kitchens. The first royals here were George II and Queen Caroline. Perhaps a more famous monarch is George III. His wife, Queen Charlotte has a cottage nearby. The buildings are not open all yar so check the website.








One of several interesting features is the Treetop Walkway.





There's a lot to see so we'll have to go back.




There are places to eat at Kew. And there are places to enjoy a picnic.

The shop has a range of affordable gifts.

You might like this fun and informative guide to British words and phrases.

Mind the Gap on AMAZON  and  GOOGLE