9 Historical Things To Do In London

(1) Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace has been the royal family’s home and administrative headquarters for hundreds of years. It lies within the boundary of Westminster. The land on which Buckingham Palace was built is located in the Borough of London known as Westminster and has been in the royal family for 400 years.

It was originally swampy land along the Tarburne River and this plot was acquired by King James I and meant to serve as a garden for the royal family. It was purchased by George III in 1762 for his wife, Queen Charlotte, and was known as the Queen’s house.

By order of George IV, John Nash took the initiative to convert the house into a palace in the 1820s. Nash also renovated Buckingham Palace Gardens and designed the Marble Arch entryway. The Mall Front or Forest Court (east side) was expanded by Edward Bloor in 1847 and redesigned by Sir Aston Webb in 1913 as the backdrop for the Queen Victoria Memorial Statue. Nash’s garden front (west side) remains almost unchanged.

Buckingham regularly hosts functions and ceremonies. For example, in 1851, Queen Victoria made her first public appearance on the balcony when she greeted the public during the International Festival of Exhibitions, the opening of the Great Exhibition.

The queen’s gallery within the palace is works from the royal art collection, including Fabreg’s eggs and paintings by Libardo da Vinci. Another tradition at Buckingham Palace is the royal change guard ceremony, in which one regiment takes over another. By tradition, the New Guard marched from Wellington Barrack to Buckingham Palace with musical accompaniment, becoming the Queen’s Guard during the ceremony.

The palace’s state rooms were opened to tourists in the mid-1990s during August and September to repair Windsor Castle, which was damaged by a fire in 1992.

(2) The British Museum

The British Museum is one of the popular museums in the world. It is a museum of archeology and ancient art in London. The museum opened in 1759 for the public and the collection was housed in a Montagu house that stood on the site of the current museum.

The four-way building that houses the collection today dates from the 1840s. The museum was initially based on the collection of Sir Hans Sloane which focused primarily on ethnography, antiquity and natural history.

In the 19th century, the museum was moved to its present location and the collection was greatly enlarged with those including a large number of archaeological findings, ancient sculpture and new major collections of medieval artifacts and ethnographic pieces. While natural history collections were moved to the new Natural History Museum on Exhibition Road.

The British Museum is designed by the English architect Sir Robert Smirke. Sir Norman Foster designed the most recent addition is the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court. It has over 6 million artworks in its collection and, to make its way through its rooms, travels around the world and travels through time.

The British Museum’s program of activities and programs includes temporary exhibitions, special events, seminars, teaching classes and workshops aimed specifically at children, families and students. The museum includes a library, several study halls, a restaurant, two cafes and Fu shops.

The British Museum is fully accessible to people with disabilities, with many wheelchairs also available free of charge. There are a few house rules that you should follow before you start exploring the many treasures of the British Museum. First, mobile phone use is prohibited within the galleries. Also, no eating or drinking is allowed. Unusually photographs showing for a museum are permitted, but touching them is not strict.

(3) Tower of London

The Tower of London is located on the north bank of the Thames River in Central London. It was founded to celebrate the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. It is also known as The White Tower which was built by William the Conqueror in 1078.

The Tower is a compound of several buildings within defensive walls and a moat. The Tower of London has played an important role in United Kingdom history. It was closed many times. The Tower was used as an armoury, home of the Royal Mint, a public records office and the home of the crown Jewels in 900 years history.

The tower of london was a prison between the 16th and 17th centuries. The Tower was again used as a prison In the First and Second World Wars. After the Second World War, the tower was damaged and was repaired and reopened to the public. 

Today the Tower is one of the most popular and spectacular castles in the world. The Tower has many buildings and exhibits to keep a family busy for a day. The Tower of London is still the world’s major tourist attraction and world heritage site, attracting visitors from all over the world. The tower holds a thriving community within its walls when the gates are locked.

The Tower is home to the Yeomen warders and their families and a garrison of soldiers. Today yeoman warders protect visitors, but again cater to Ceremonial Slavs, such as arranging and locking towers every day at the ceremony of Kiir. They wear their red state ‘dress uniforms’ for important occasions in the tower, and also for special events such as the warning of the giant cannon on the ghat, known as the anthem salutes.

(4) London Eye

The London Eye is a Ferris wheel which is located on the South Bank of the Thames River in london. The London Eye is 443 ft tall and the wheel has a diameter of 394 ft. It is currently Europe’s tallest Ferris wheel, the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom with over 3.5 million visitors annually, and has made many appearances in popular culture.

When built in 1999 it was the world’s tallest Ferris wheel. Then it was surpassed first by Nanchang in 2006 and then Singapore Flyer in 2008. The London Eye is described as “the world’s tallest cantilevered observation wheel” because it is supported by A Frame on one side only.

This wheel was constructed in sections that floated on the River Thames and lay flat on the bazaars. Once the wheel is completed it is lifted by the crane to its upright position, initially it is lifted at a rate of about 2 degrees per hour until it reaches 65 degrees. 

The London Eye offers incomparable views over central London and up to 25 miles away on a good day. The London Eye can carry up to 800 passengers at a time on a thirty-minute ride. Visitors can see views up to 25 miles from its highest point of 450 feet.

Tickets are sold for specific times,so if visitors wish to go on the London Eye at a specific time, they are strongly advised to book in advance, particularly in the summer. Visitors have to spend 1 to 3 hours in the queue to buy a ticket on a busy day. Visitors can also purchase tickets in advance online and then collect their tickets at the London Eye in a separate queue which takes a few minutes.

(5) Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge is located close to the Tower of London from where it got its name. It is one of the most popular landmarks in London which is a bridge over the River Thames. It has two towers in the Victorian Gothic style. Tower Bridge is still functioning and is still a major crossing of the Thames.

Everyday around 40,000 people cross tower bridges in both directions. It was controlled manually but in 2000, a computer control system was installed so that the basecule could be worked remotely. Inside the bridge is the Tower Bridge Exhibition where you can inspect the Victorian Engine Room.

Visitors can learn about the bridge’s history through photos, films and other media. The bridge is close to the port so it was required to be built in such a way that it could allow the passage of ships. Some old steam machines are in a tower bridge museum for exhibition.

Each deck is more than 30 meters wide and can be opened at an angle of 83 degrees. When the bridge was opened there was an evacuation of about 45 meters. Bridge lifts are pre-determined so visitors can check the bridge’s website to find out when it will rise and fall.

In 1876, some 50 designs were submitted, but due to much controversy, it took eight years for a design to be approved which was submitted by Sir Horace Jones in collaboration with John Wolfe Barry. The construction of the bridge involved five contractors and about 450 workers.

The Prince and Princess of Wales officially opened the bridge on 30 June 1894. After closing in 1910, the walkway was reopened in 1982 as part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition. The exhibition showcases photographs, exhibits and films to tell the history of the Tower Bridge.

(6) The National Gallery

The National Gallery is a museum which is located in Trafalgar Square in central London. It is one of the largest assemblies of Western European art in the world. In 2019, it was ranked seventh in the world in the list of most visited art museums.

In 1824, The British government purchased 38 paintings from John Julius Angerstein. Parliament agreed in 1831 to erect a building when landscape painter Sir George Beumont promised his collection for the gallery on the condition that a suitable accommodation be provided for his display and preservation.

By the completion of the new building, the pictures were displayed at the Angerstein House at 100 Pall Mall. William Wilkins designed the current building from 1832 to 1838. By choosing a location that easily reached on foot, Parliament wanted to ensure that all sections of society enjoyed the artwork.

In the first 20 years, the administration of the National Gallery was criticized by the public, due to which the government implemented reforms. The gallery’s collection was further widened in 1871 with the late Prime Minister’s paintings, mainly Dutch and Flemish.

Seven new exhibition rooms are available at the east end, including an impressive dome. With the remodel, the gallery was able to return to the vast collection of paintings, drawings and watercolors created by British artists who had to display elsewhere due to lack of space.

Lord Sainsbury and his brothers, Simon and Timothy Sainsbury, agreed to finance construction for a new wing in 1985. Today, the gallery has a total area of ​​46,369 square meters. It has a collection of over 2,300 paintings. The current director of the National Gallery is Gabriel Fainley.

(7) Big Ben, London

Big Ben is officially called Elizabeth Tower. It is located at the north end of Westminster palace in London. In 1834, Fire destroyed the original Palace of Westminster. Architects were invited to submit designs for the new palace and the design of Sir Charles Barry was accepted.

The foundation of the Clock Tower started on 28 September 1843. The construction of the clock was completed in 1854 but the tower was not ready for it until 1859. Charles Barry organized a competition in 1846 to find a suitable design for the watch of the towers. Edward John Dent was appointed to manufacture the watch.

Clock was established in April 1859 at Elizabeth Tower. The largest bell is officially known as the Great Bell, but people call it ‘Big Ben’. It might have been named for Sir Benjamin Hall who supervised the founding of the Great Bell. The hammer used to strike the first bell was too heavy and caused it to crack after a few months.

The height of Elizabeth Tower is 96 meters. The tower is made of brickwork and cast iron with concrete foundation. Each of the four clock faces are 55 meters above the ground. At night, each huge clock face is illuminated by 28 light bulbs. Someone would have to light each lamp every night and check that they stayed lit until morning. The pendulum controls the speed of the clock swings every two seconds.

The tower was known as the clock tower or ‘St. Stephen’s Tower’. It was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012. Only residents of the United Kingdom and sponsored by a member of Parliament can go inside the Big Ben. Currently there is no elevator inside the tower. Visitors can reach to the top through 300 stairs.

(8) Hyde Park

Hyde Park is the largest park in central London because It has an area of 142 hectares. It is the most important Green Lung in the city and is visited by many tourists and residents to relax and enjoy some fresh air. The park is divided by Serpentine and Long Water lakes.

It is bounded by Biswater Road in the north, Park Lane in the east and Knightsbridge in the south. Further north is Paddington, further east is Mayfair and further south is Belveria. This land originally belonged to Westminster Abbey until 1536, when Henry VIII seized it and built it into a private royal hunting ground.

In the seventeenth century, The park was open to the public. The World’s Fair of Culture and Industry, called the Great Exhibition, took place in 1851 in Hyde Park. The Crystal Palace was built on the south side of the park for the event, but the building was removed from the area shortly after due to civil unrest.

Hyde Park is considered to be the oldest park in the city. A gun salute is offered from Hyde Park in the afternoon for special occasions, especially on Royal occasions. For those who want to relax but do not want to lay on the grass, deck chairs are available for rent in the park. One of the main attractions in hyde park for tourists is boating on Lake Serpentine.

During the summer many events are held in Hyde Park, especially concerts. In the north-east part of the park you will find Speakers Corner, where Sunday morning speakers and eccentric people step in to speech, discuss and debate on various topics, but mostly on religion and politics. It is an interesting and strange place to see people gathered to hear different speakers, applause or pinch.

(9) Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square is the largest square in London. Since the Middle Ages, the region has been a central meeting place. A tall column is honouring Admiral Nelson in the middle of the square. The square was originally called Charing. It was later known as the crossroads, followed by a memorial cross at the square.

The nearest underground station (‘tube’) is still named Charing Cross. Over the years, Nelson’s column remains the most famous view of Trafalgar Square. It has also been the subject of several stunts – many political statements were turned into lights to illuminate to celebrate the release of the new Star Wars film.

In fact, the history of Trafalgar Square is like a display of the British National Museum. In the 1950s, building works unearthed skeletons of many great animals below the square, including cave lions, rhinoceros, and hippos. The hooves of giant mammals may make it difficult to imagine the famous intersection of London, but it was so many centuries ago.

A little more recently, the area near the church in St. Martin’s grounds were used as a burial ground for the Romans. This naval war between Britain and Napoleon-led France and Spain would claim the life of Admiral Nelson, but became his most famous victory. Therefore it made perfect sense to erect Nelson’s Pillar in the Square in the name of its most famous battle.

The pillar was designed by four of the top sculptors of the time. However, the design was chosen from a design competition. The competition was not without controversy, but William Railton’s design was eventually contested. At over 169 feet (51 m), it is dizzyingly tall – though not quite as tall as the original plans which were ten meters high.