London is associated with familiar landmarks dating back centuries as well as brand new ones such as Tate Modern, the London Wheel
and Canary Wharf (see ). Needless to say,
most tourists still come to see the traditional sights. This page lists three of the most famous: Tower Bridge, the Tower of London itself and the
wonderful St Paul's Cathedral.
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge
The foundation stone for Tower Bridge was laid by Albert Edward; Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) in 1886.
It was designed by Horace Jones, the City of London Architect and included a steam hyraulic engine to lift the bridge for ships to pass through.
This was the height of current technology at the time and it continues to operate to this day. The bridge took 8 years to build because of the
need for river traffic to be given daily access. You can access the high level walkways with spectacular views and visit the Victorian engine room.
See the for more details.
Tower of London - photograph by Georgios Pazios
Tower of London
The nearby Tower of London is, in fact, a complex of buildings developed around William the Conqueror's White Tower. It was
built to dominate London and was started around 1070 and completed by 1100, protected on two sides by ancient Roman walls. Over the centuries it became home for the Royal Mint, the Crown Jewels
and a store for military ordinance. It was also used to incarcerate famous prisoners such as Sir Thomas More and Lady Jane Gray before their
execution. More information at Historic Royal Palace's site.
St Paul's Cathedral
The present St Paul's is the fifth known to have stood on the site since the year 604. It was built between 1675 and 1710
to replace the previous gothic church destroyed in the fire of London and was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Remarkably it survived the wartime
blitz of London and hosts some of the most significant national events such as royal weddings. See the official
site.
