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Paddington Square Garden
Paddington Square Garden
We got a little lost on our way to Regent's Park... but then we stumbled on this beautiful little spot, just around the corner from Marylebone Residence Halls! Formerly a burial ground, it later became a public garden. It has a playground for kids to run around, and virtually every bench is occupied by people out for a morning stroll or university students catching up over coffee.
Regent's Park
Regent's Park
At the Boating Lake in Regent's Park, we rented a peddleboat for an hour and explored the park via boat.
House of Spells
House of Spells
A One-Stop Shop for Harry Potter Merchandise—Tom Felton Approved
A One-Stop Shop for Harry Potter Merchandise—Tom Felton Approved
Unfortunately, Harry Potter studio tours of Warner Brothers are fully booked until September, but we found this shop that Tom Felton (who plays Draco Malfoy) says is his favorite Harry Potter shop. So, naturally, we had to check it out! At the front is a stand of "potions" ranging from "Serpent's Venom" (Lemonade) to "Unicorn Essence" (Tropical Fruit Drink), and they sell all the goodies from everyone's favorite magical world—from Chocolate Frogs to Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and everything in between.
Evening Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus Tour
Evening Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus Tour
Click on the pictures for a description!
A view of the River Thames.
Our view from the top of the double decker tour bus—we scored front row seats!
You’ve probably heard of it as the infamous “Big Ben,” but this iconic landmark is actually called Elizabeth Tower! “Big Ben” is the name of the bell at the top, not the whole tower.
This area, known as Trafalgar Square, is where the royalty used to stable their horses. In front of Trafalgar Square stands Nelson’s Column, built in the 1840s to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
On the left stands Mason Hall, but the building to the right is Clarence House, the residence of Prince Charles and his wife Camilla. Until they got married, Princes William and Harry also lived there.
The arch in the center is known as Marble Arch, where criminals were executed for 600 years. During its usage, executions were a source of enjoyment for rowdy crowds. More than 200,000 Londoners came to the execution of a thief in the 1800s. (I can’t believe how twisted that is!)
This ornate gate leads to the entrance to Green Park, and from there, it’s only a short stroll to Buckingham Palace.
Leicester Square (pronounced Lester Square) is home to the biggest Lego store in the world and a 5-story M&M Factory.
10 Downing Street, home of the Prime Minister.
This is the Waldorf Hotel, which was famously built in 1908.
This is a view down Regent Street, named for the Crown Prince (later George IV), who wanted a connection between his palaces. Rumor has it that he ordered it built (c. 1814-1824) to divide wealthy parts of town from Soho.
Interestingly, Soho got its name from being used as Henry VIII’s hunting grounds, where they used to shout “Soho! Soho!” while hunting. Soho is the center of London’s West End nightlife.
This is a view from Westminster Bridge, looking out over the River Thames (pronounced Tams). The tour guide told us about how London became a major city—in AD 43, the Romans sailed up the River Thames, stopped, and in 47 AD, founded a trading settlement known as Londonium. This settlement grew to eventually become the British Empire, which ruled 1/4 of the world. (Because of London’s connections with other countries, it’s now the home of 9 million diverse people.) The Vikings also sailed up the River Thames to conquer London. At one point, the Thames froze and Londoners held “frost fairs” on the ice. In 1858, all sewage was dumped into the Thames in an event known as the Great Stink, and the smell got so bad that Parliament was closed. Now, with better pollution control, the water is a lot safer and 119 species of fish live there. There are 200 bridges across the 215-mile River Thames.
In the distance stands St. Paul’s Cathedral, which is 365 feet tall! It burned down in the Fire of 1866 along with 85 other churches. It took 32-35 years to rebuild. St. Paul’s Cathedral took some minor damage during the German Luftwafte in WWII, but it stayed mostly intact during the bombings. It became a source of inspiration for the people and Churchill personally ordered a fire watch to prevent the Cathedral from risk of burning. After every bombing, Churchill would ask “Is St. Paul’s still standing?” Charles and Diana got married there and 750 million people watched, which gave the public their first look into the magnificent cathedral.
The National Gallery is the second biggest attraction in London, after the British Museum. It is home to paintings from some of the greatest painters in the world, including Van Gogh, Da Vinci, etc.
Waterloo Train Station, where more than 1 million trains go each year. Cemeteries in London closed in 1800s, so the train station became transportation for dead bodies out of London to their burial sites.
Waterloo Bridge is also named the Woman’s Bridge because of the role women played in building it in WWII. On the right is the City of London, on the left is the City of Westminster. The tour guide said these are two of the most famous cities in the world.
This is Tower of London Hill, used to commemorate the men who fought in the navy in the World Wars. Names are engraved on the walls, commemorating people from merchant ships and fisher fleets who fought and died at sea and have no known graves.
A church has stood in this spot since the 9th century (1400 years ago!). This now contains the official memorial for the Royal Airforce.
This is Fleet Street, the original home of journalism in London. The journalists have all left now, but the pubs they frequented are still here.
The Palace of Westminster, home to centuries of royal weddings and coronations.
This statue is called “Boadicea and Her Two Daughters,” who led an uprising against the Romans in Londinium and killed just about everyone.
St. Paul’s Cathedral is 365 feet tall! It burned down in the Fire of 1866 along with 85 other churches. It took 32-35 years to rebuild. St. Paul’s Cathedral took some minor damage during the German Luftwafte in WWII, but it stayed mostly intact during the bombings. It became a source of inspiration for the people and Churchill personally ordered a fire watch to prevent the Cathedral from risk of burning. After every bombing, Churchill would ask “Is St. Paul’s still standing?” Charles and Diana got married there and 750 million people watched, which gave the public their first look into the magnificent cathedral.
This monument commemorates the Great Fire in 1866, where most of the city was destroyed and six people died. In a morbid twist, the tour guide revealed that since then, eight people have died by throwing themselves off of it, so more people died from jumping than actually dying in the fire.
This part of town is called Suffolk. In medieval times, it was full of dangerous people like pickpockets, gamblers, etc. It also was home to many actors. It used to house brothels, bars, gambling areas, etc., which were frequented since many of them were banned in London. In early medieval times, it was very busy because it housed the only bridge into London, so it got a lot of traffic.
This area is known as the White Chapel, and it used to be very dangerous. In 1888, a man remembered as Jack the Ripper brutally murdered and mutilated six prostitutes. A Polish immigrant named Aaron Kuzminsky was a suspect and his DNA was found on one of the victims after modern day tests. It’s unclear if he’s the Ripper, but the Ripper is the most infamous serial killer in the world. (Though I’ve heard from my friends in the Jack the Ripper class here at the summer school that Jack the Ripper doesn’t exist!)
This series of pictures is a progression across Tower Bridge, which took over four years to build. It’s called the most iconic of London’s thirty five bridges, and is used in many movies to say, “This is London!”
Now that I’ve seen the British Museum, this is the part of London I’m most looking forward to visiting: the infamous Tower of London. It was built nearly a millennia ago by William the Conqueror, who wanted to make the tower as imposing as possible to show the people he was in charge. Whoever held it could use it to control the River Thames, which controlled London, which in turn controlled England. Legend says that if there aren’t at least six ravens at the Tower of London, the kingdom and tower will fall.
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