Mentioned by History Hit
10 of the Most Magnificent Churches and Cathedrals in London
"Along the south bank (always worth a wander), you can stop in at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, the Tate Modern Art Gallery, and even quickly cross the Millennium bridge for a visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral. The Globe and St. Paul’s Cathedral are both included on the London Pass, whilst the Tate Modern is free to enter."
"For centuries this has been one of London’s most iconic buildings, and it remains a breathtaking structure, inside and out. Sir Christopher…"
"A post shared by Spring Education London (@springedulondon) on Mar 29, 2019 at 4:06am PDT. Though bombed in WWII, All Hallows by the Tower remains a gorgeous Grade I listed church. The oldest in the City, having been founded by the Abbey of Barking in AD 675, it was from this church that Samuel Pepys watched the Great Fire spread in 1666."
"Reconstruction during 1955, after extensive damage in the Blitz. Image source: Ben Brooksbank / CC BY-SA 2.0. Located on the doorstep of the Tower of London, this church has buried the bodies of numerous victims sentenced to death on Tower Hill, including those of Thomas More, Bishop John Fisher and Archbishop Laud."
"All Hallows-by-the-Tower is an ancient historic Anglican church that was founded in 675. Surprisingly, it's still not the oldest church in London. Inside the church is a seventh century Anglo-Saxon arch with recycled Roman tiles."
"The Inns of Court either side of busy Fleet Street are a far cry from the bustle of central London. In a large courtyard off a narrow street is their best-known sight, the Temple Church, which was founded by the military Knights Templar as their London headquarters in the late 12th century. As with other Knights Templar churches it was originally round, but a rectangular chancel (the area containing the choir and altar)was later added."
"This church belongs to the Inner and Middle Temple, two of England’s ancient societies of lawyers. Located in the heart of the city between River Thames and Flee Street, the Temple Church’s origin dates back to 12th century. Built by Knights Templar, this church showcases a typical round structure."
"Another of Sir Christopher Wren’s designs from the ashes of the 1666 Great Fire, St Bride’s is the tallest of Wren’s churches after St Paul’s, standing at 69m tall. Located in Fleet Street, it has a long association with newspapers and journalists. It was largely gutted by fire during the Blitz in 1940."
"If this church were a computer program, it would be called St Bride’s 8.0. It’s the eighth building on the site just to the south of Fleet Street. It’s another beautiful Wren church in white stone."
"Famous for its three-tiered spire which inspired a baker to create a tiered wedding cake. It has an interesting museum underneath 2"
"St Botolph was a Saxon saint who built a large monastery near to modern-day Boston (a corruption of Botolph’s town) in Lincolnshire in 654. He was the English patron saint of travellers and has three surviving churches in the City dedicated to him. They are all situated next to old city gates, presumably so that those about to set off could dedicate so"
"The gothic tower of St. Michael Cornhill is sometimes called Wren’s last work (it was finished in 1721) but was actually designed by his pupil Nicholas Hawksmoor. The rest of the church is by Wren. Thomas Gray, the author of Elegy in a Country Churchyard, was baptised here, and the church has his walking stick."
"He was the 5th century Bishop of Arras who converted Clovis. “Foster” is an English bastardisation of his name. This was Wren’s cheapest church, as he was able to re-use some of the earlier walls."
"St Pancras Old Church isn’t that old nowadays, having largely been rebuilt as recently as the 19th century, but it probably dates back to Saxon times, most likely the 7th century AD, making it one of the oldest churches in London. It’s a fairly small, humble but atmospheric church, around ten minutes’ walk from King’s Cross and St Pancras railway stations. The churchyard and surrounding St Pancras Gardens are also noteworthy – the churchyard contains the tomb of architect Sir John Soane, which was the inspiration for the famous British red telephone box design."
"St Pancras Old Church is located in Somers Town in central London and is thought to be the one of the oldest places of Christian worship in the country. The Church itself is on Pancras Road and was rebuilt in the Victorian era by Alexander Dick Gough who made alterations to the old site, removing the tower and adding a north side vestry. The church itself is a church of England parish in its current state but used to be a place of catholic worship, due to the fact that it could have been a place of worship as early as AD 314."
"It’s thought to be one of the oldest Christian places of worship in England. It dates back to the fourth century and got renovated in Victorian times."
"This classic Cantonese restaurant is renowned for its dim sum. Don't be put off by the seemingly formal atmosphere - once the food arrives all pretension is thrown out the window as the room is filled with oohs and ahhs of content. Book ahead to avoid the queue that often snakes its way down Baker Street, and settle down to order plates of fried gyoza, soft dumplings, roast pork buns and crispy spring rolls."
"The Royal China in Baker Street is the best Chinese restaurant in the country by a mile. Either that or it's the best Chinese restaurant in London by a country mile. Some might say that their branch in Queensway is the one to frequent, but then they would be sad losers with no taste or style."
"Restaurants Chinese Bayswater"
"While there are no themes or activities to be found at Din Tai Fung, there is a whole lot of happiness to be had in its little parcels of delicious dim sum. Originally from Taiwan, and with a Michelin star accolade to the brand name, kids will love the top notch food in this Covent Garden based restaurant. And if they’re anything like our children, once they’re done stuffing themselves with delectable pork dumplings, they’ll want to watch the chefs at work making all that dim sum: there’s a window through to where all the magic is happening!"
"Restaurants Taiwanese Covent Garden. If your kids like dim sum, they’ll also like the dumplings and regional street food served at this Covent Garden outpost of a world-famous Taiwanese chain. Din Tai Fung is a cult phenomenon – so expect to queue (even if the children protest)."
"With outposts in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Guangzhou, Incheon and Paris, the super-luxe, Michelin-starred Imperial Treasure already had quite the reputation before landing in St James’s in early 2019. Admittedly, it got off to a slightly rocky start (earlier reviewers were horrified to learn that the £100 duck only consisted of one course), but such wrongs have been duly righted. Now, the ultra-delicious Beijing bird is served first with pancakes – sliced, as is tradition, table-side – and then in a choice of tasty sources (GQ suggests the ginger and spring onion), making the price rather reasonable."
"Imperial Treasure is, hands down, the grandest Chinese restaurant in London. Its sister restaurants in Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai have Michelin stars and one imagines the first London outpost has similarly lofty ambitions. Just off Pall Mall, it's covered in marble up to its high, original ceilings, with cool, contemporary wooden fittings giving an intimate feel to the enormous, opulent space."
"The celebrated international restaurant group Imperial Treasure opened its first London venue in 2019. It took over a Grade II-listed former bank building in St. James, a striking ..."
"Queen’s Wood is one of the four ancient woods in the London Borough of Haringey. Today it is situated very close to Highgate tube station, but Queen’s wood was originally part of the Forest of Middlesex that spread over the largest part of London. Despite its closeness to the crowded city, the wood succeeded to preserve the largest part of its natural habitat, with a rich flora and fauna: different species of grasses, trees, shrubs, birds (three species of woodpecker), and insects."
"On the outskirts of Aylesbury sits the very beautiful Hartwell House and Spa. Despite being leased to the National Trust, the grounds aren’t currently open to the general public and can only be viewed if you are a guest of the hotel. Luckily, that doesn’t mean you have to stay overnight – coffee in the Great Hall is the perfect excuse to visit."