Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
The Houses of Parliament, or Palace of Westminster, has been the home of the English political system since the 16th century, and the seat of British government for over 200 years.
Previously the Palace was home to the English Monarch, but in 1547 the ‘common’ elected parliamentarians were permitted to use the Private Chapel of St Stephen’s as a meeting place and the ‘House of Commons’ was born. The Commons assembled in the Chapel of St Stephen's until 1834 when fire destroyed most of the palace leaving only Westminster Hall, St Stephen's crypt and the Jewel tower standing.
The building we see today was designed in 1835 by Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin. It is built in the Neo-gothic style and building work took thirty years. When completed the new Palace of Westminster changed London’s skyline forever.
The Parliament Clock tower rises 316 feet above London and is fronted by the world’s largest four-faced chiming clock. It is often referred to as ‘Big Ben’, but Big Ben is actually the name of the main bell, located deep within the tower.
The tower is one of London’s most iconic landmarks and one of the most recognisable buildings in the world.
The Tower of London
The fortification we see today at the Tower of London was constructed by William the Conqueror following his famous victory in 1066. It was build to demonstrate William’s authority and to control the local population.
For nearly 1,000 years the Tower has dominated the City, and has been a symbol of power and subjugation. In its history The Tower has served many functions. It has been a place of imprisonment, home to royalty, the Royal Mint and an armoury.
Today the Tower is a popular tourist attraction, with visitors keen to understand more of its unique history. The Tower is also home to the Crown Jewels.
Yeoman of the Guard – popularly known as Beefeaters – act as tour guides, relating stories of the fates of three English Queens who were beheaded there, the mystery of the Princes in the Tower, Colonel Blood who nearly got away with the Crown Jewels, prisoners including Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir William Wallace, Guy Fawkes, Henry VI, King John II of France, Rudolph Hess and the only American Prisoner, Henry Laurens.
St Paul's Cathedral
One of the most impressive sights on the Big Bus Tour is the glorious view of St Paul’s Cathedral as you approach from Ludgate Hill.
The beautiful cathedral was designed by London’s most renowned architect, Sir Christopher Wren, following the destruction of the previous building during the Great Fire of London in 1666.
The Cathedral was inspired by St. Peter’s in Rome and the magnificent dome of the Cathedral has dominated the London skyline for centuries.
The funerals of both Admiral Lord Nelson and the Duke of Wellington were held here and their tombs can be viewed in the crypt, as can the tomb of its creator Sir Christopher Wren. It was also the venue for the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981.
The London Eye
The Merlin Entertainments London Eye is the largest observation wheel in the world. It stands at 135 metres tall and has 32 pods representing the 32 London boroughs.
The wheel was built in 1999 as part of London’s millenium celebrations.
It was designed by British architects David Marks and Julia Barfield. The wheel itself was constructed horizontally on the river and then, over several weeks, slowly raised to a vertical position.
Each capsule is capable of carrying up to 25 passengers and it takes 30 minutes to complete one revolution. It has become the most popular tourist attraction in the UK, lifting over 4 million people into the London sky each year.
A flight on The London Eye offers incredible views across London and excellent photo opportunities. It has become one of London’s iconic landmarks and a “must do” London attraction.
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of Her Majesty, the Queen.
Originally known as Buckingham House, the building which forms the core of today's palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703. It was acquired by George III in 1761[2] as a private residence for Queen Charlotte, and known as "The Queen's House".
During the 19th century it was enlarged, principally by architects John Nash and Edward Blore. Buckingham Palace finally became the official royal palace of the British monarch after the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1837.
The last major structural additions were made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the east front which contains the well-known balcony on which the Royal Family traditionally congregate to greet crowds outside.
However, when the palace chapel was destroyed by a German bomb in World War II, the Queen's Gallery was built on the site and opened to the public in 1962 to exhibit works of art from the Royal Collection.
The Buckingham Palace Garden is the largest private garden in London.
Tower Bridge
The Big Bus sightseeing tour takes you right over Tower Bridge, providing excellent views of the Thames, HMS Belfast, The Tower of London and of Tower Bridge itself.
Tower Bridge opened in 1894 and is now one of the most instantly recognised landmarks in London. Tower Bridge’s medieval style leads many to presume the bridge is much older, but it was purposely designed to complement its close neighbour the Tower of London.
When the bridge was first conceived, the section of the Thames between London Bridge and the location of the new bridge, was a very busy port with commodities and goods arriving from all over the world. The design for Tower Bridge had to enable large boats and barges to travel upriver to deliver goods This was achieved by enabling the two halves of the central span to lift up to allow the passage of large vessels. Tower Bridge is still raised several times each day.
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is the most famous public space in London. It is used for polical gatherings and is a centre for national celebration.
The Square commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar. A naval battle, fought in the Mediterranean in 1805, where the British Navy defeated the combined French & Spanish fleet.
Admiral Nelson, who led the British fleet, was killed in the battle and became a national hero. In 1816 Parliament decided to erect a monument in his honour and a competition to design Trafalgar square was commissioned.
Nelson’s Column was completed in 1843. The column is 46 metres high and the statue of Nelson that stands at the top of the column is 5.5metres tall. The height of the column is said to reflect the height of the mainmast on Nelson’s flagship, HMS Victory.
The square also acts as a monument to other naval battles and important naval figures. Its famous 4th plinth remains unoccupied and is used for contemporary art installations.
Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus connects Regents Street, Piccadilly, Shaftesbury Avenue and the Haymarket. It is a very busy thoroughfare, right in the heart of theatre land and famous for the large electronic advertising signs that over look the ‘circus’.
Originally built in 1819, the junction takes its name from the latin word meaning ’circle’. The original junction was round, but changes to the layout have altered its shape and traffic now travels in just one direction.
The centre piece for Piccadilly Circus is the small statue commonly referred to as Eros but accurately known as Anteros the God of ‘requited love’ Son of Ares & Aphrodite, and brother of Eros.
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, is London’s oldest religious building. Its origins go back over 1,000 years to 970AD when a community of monks was established by St Dunstan. A stone monastery was built on the site in 1050 by Edward the Confessor.
The Abbey became the coronation site for the Norman Kings and was then substantially developed in the anglo-French gothic style by Henry III who chose the Abbey as his place of burial. The Abbey has been the traditional place for the coronation and burial of English and latterly British monarchs ever since.
Over the centuries, the Abbey has been developed by successive Monarchs, particularly Richard II and Henry VII. Its current appearance is an amalgamation of slightly different architectural styles, which give the building a rich and fascinating history.
Downing Street
No 10 Downing Street is the official home of the British Prime Minister and one of London’s most famous addresses.
Downing Street is located off Whitehall, a few minutes' walk from the Houses of Parliament and a little farther from Buckingham Palace. It is a small street that would be easy to miss if it weren’t for the modern day security.
The street was built in the 1680s by Sir George Downing and before gaining political significance, was a quite cul-de-sac of town houses for ‘persons of good quality’.
The street has now been the official residence of the Prime Minister/First Lord of the Treasury for over 200 years. It is also the official residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer who lives at number 11.
The Big Bus Tour takes you right past the entrance to Downing Street and if you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of London’s most famous door.
Horse Guards
Horse Guards was built between 1751-1753 by John Vardy. The building was constructed on the site of the Guard House of the old Whitehall Palace, which was destroyed by fire in 1698.
Horse Guards is the official entrance to St James’ Palace. It is famous for its mounted guards. The horses and gleaming uniforms are a very popular tourist attraction. Mounted members of the guard are posted on duty between 10.00am and 4.00pm.
There is an inspection of the guard that takes place at 4pm everyday. This tradition dates back to Queen Victoria, who came through the gate late one afternoon, but found no-one there due to the fact that they were drunk on ale. As a result, she ordered the Household Cavalry to parade at 4 pm every day for a 100 years just to make sure it didn't happen again.
It has been over 30 years since the hundred years order ended, but the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment still carries out this tradition and ceremonial role.