TRIP TO LONDON

Tower Bridge

Plans for the Tower Bridge were devised around 1876 when the east of London became extremely crowded and a bridge across the Thames in that area of the city seemed a necessity. It would take another eight years - and lots of discussions about the design - before construction of the bridge started.

TOWER BRIDGE

The bridge, designed by city architect Horace Jones in collaboration with John Wolfe Barry, would eventually be completed in 1894. Five contractors and nearly 450 workers were involved in the construction of the 265 meter long bridge. It took 11,000 tons of steel to build the framework. At the time many people disliked its Victorian Gothic design, but over time the bridge became one of London’s most famous symbols.

Taking photographs of the Tower bridge is a favorite London tourist activity, but you can also go inside the bridge, where you’ll have a magnificent view over London from the walkway between the two bridge towers.

VISITING THE BRIDGE

Inside the bridge is the Tower bridge Exhibition, a display area that encompasses the walkway and the two famous towers where you can observe the Victorian engine room. Visitors can learn about the history of the bridge via photos, films, and other media.

Currently the bridge is undergoing a renovation project that should be completed in 2012. The Tower Bridge may close for several months during the renovations sometime in 2010.

Explore the wonders of this awesome fortress, and the stories behind themDiscover for yourself some of the Tower’s sights and stories, whether you’re planning your visit or just wanting to learn more about this iconic palace and its history.

HISTORY AND STORIES

Henry VIII (1509-47) continued the work begun on the royal residential buildings  by his father Henry VII, but on a  grander scale. He commissioned a  large range of timber-framed lodgings, primarily for the comfort and enjoyment of his second wife, Anne Boleyn, ready for her coronation in 1533. But they were rarely used and from this point on, the Tower ceased to be an established royal residence.

Arthur Tudor

THE TUDORS

Henry VIII’s decision to break with Rome swelled the Tower’s population of religious and political prisoners from the 1530s onwards, while the country had to adjust itself to their monarch’s new role as the Supreme Head of the new, Protestant, Church of England. Prisoners included Sir Thomas More, Bishop Fisher of Rochester and two of Henry’s wives. All four were executed.Before his premature death, Edward VI (1547-53) continued the political executions begun by his father.

A BULDIN HISTORY

In the early 1080s, William the Conqueror began to build a massive stone tower at the centre of his London fortress. Nothing like it had ever been seen before.

Through the centuries that followed, successive monarchs added to the fortifications. This short history charts the different stages of its construction and explains its role as fortress, palace and prison.

Henry VIII

Mary I (1553-8) returned the country to Catholicism and her short reign saw many rivals and key Protestant figures imprisoned at the Tower.Lady Jane Grey was executed at the Tower on the Queen’s orders and Princess Elizabeth, the Queen’s half-sister was imprisoned there. Elizabeth I (1558-1603) continued the trend cramming the Tower to bursting point with celebrity prisoners but, like her successor James I (1603-25), she made few improvements to the Tower’s defences.  

Lady Jane Grey

Margaret Tudor

Mary Tudor and Charles Brando

Tudor Coat of Arms King

TUDOR’S IMAGES

England's most famous royal palace, and the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II, Buckingham Palace opens the doors of its State Rooms to the public every summer. Originally acquired by King George III for his wife Queen Charlotte, Buckingham House was increasingly known as the 'Queen's House' and 14 of George III's children were born there. On his accession to the throne, George IV decided to convert the house into a palace and employed John Nash to help him extend the building.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

Decorated in lavish fashion, the rooms include paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Canaletto, Vermeer and Poussin, sculpture by Canova, exquisite examples of Svres porcelain, and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world. The Ball Supper Room, the setting for a host of sparkling events in the history of the palace, 29-acre gardens and annual exhibitions are all also available to visitors.

Queen Victoria was the first sovereign to live here (from 1837). The State Rooms are now still used by the Royal Family to receive and entertain guests on State and ceremonial occasions. Visitors can admire some of the more unusual gifts received by the current Queen, including drawings by Salvador Dali, an embroidered silk scarf from Nelson Mandela and a grove of maple trees.

ST.PAUL’S CATHEDRAL

Sir Christopher Wren's mighty St Paul's Cathedral draws the eye like nothing else in London, even though the City's skyscrapers now tower above it. The centrepiece of the great reconstruction of London after the great fire of 1666, it is still the spiritual focus of Great Britain. Royal weddings and birthdays, the funerals of Britain's leaders and services to celebrate the ends of wars all take place beneath the famous dome. The cathedral miraculously survived the Blitz in World War II and served as an inspirational symbol of strength. Explore the medieval relics in the crypt, the gorgeous Victorian mosaics, and up to the staggering views of London from the top of the dome.

BRITISH MUSEUM

Founded in 1753, when Sir Hans Sloane left his collection of 71,000 objects of interest, the British Museum's charter insists that it be open free of charge "to all studious and curious persons." The museum expanded rapidly in the nineteenth century, and now contains around 7 million objects, some more than 10,000 years old.

Spend an afternoon exploring the relics of ancient Egyptian and Greek empires and come face to face with mankind's greatest cultural achievements. Walk through the impressive columned entrance, through Lord Norman Foster's breath taking glass domed Great Court and wander the seemingly endless corridors and displays. The museum is a treasure trove of objects from the whole world and the entire span of human history and prehistory.