Mentioned by 10Best
London's history is revealed through visiting 10 of its most famous sites
"Year Built: 675 CE Location: Byward Street, City of London Purpose: Church (Current Denomination – Church of England) Still Standing: Yes. photo source: Wikimedia Commons. Although St. Bride’s Church is considered older, All Hallows by the Tower often cites itself as the oldest church in the City of London – unlike other early churches, All Hallows has a definitive founding date backed up by well-kept records."
"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."
"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."
"One of the oldest churches in London, Temple Church was founded in the 12th century by the Knights Templar - a Christian order of crusading monks from the Middle Ages. The church has a distinctive design and is one of just four medieval round churches still in use in England. You’ll find several services each week, which follow the Book of Common Prayer and feature beautiful singing from the prestigious Temple Church Choir."
"The name, Temple, derives from the Order of the Knights Templar, an order established in 1118 for protecting pilgrims. (You may know of them as the knights who wore white tunics with red crosses on them.). In 1162, the group built their first church and houses on the banks of the Thames."
"One church which comes up in very few London guide books is St Brides church on Fleet Street. The current St Bride’s is at least the seventh to have stood on the site, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, the 1672 incarnation was damaged heavily during a fire in the WWII blitz in the 1940’s but thankfully able to be restored. The second tallest church in London, after St Paul’s, St Brides is an imposing figure on the London skyline, especially against the modern highrise buildings of today."
"early 6th century CE Location: Fleet Street, City of London Purpose: Church (Current Denomination – Church of England) Still Standing: Yes. photo source: Flickr via Jim Linwood. According to the official history of St. Bride’s Church, the site that the church rests on has been a place of worship not long after the Romans established Londonium in 43 CE."
"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."
"St Dunstan in the West has been nestled in among the pubs and old printing and publishing offices of Fleet Street for over 180 years. One of the finest examples of London’s gothic revival architecture, the church is something of a hidden gem in the heart of the city. Like so many landmarks, the church was severely damaged during the blitz."
"St Dunstan-in-the-West is the westernmost church in the City. The Great Fire stopped a few doors east, and the church was not burned. However, it was entirely rebuilt about 1833 in the Gothic style."
"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"
"It is a little square box of a church, by Wren, tucked away in a little courtyard which was once the graveyard, but now a place to sit and eat your sandwiches. It is not only one of Wren’s prettiest churches but also the least altered since it was built in 1686. It is renowned for its splendid carved wood interior, especially the reredos, or altarpiece, by the master Grinling Gibbons, with its lively swags of flowers."
"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."
"The Photographers’ Gallery at 16-18 Ramillies Street 2012/Kate Elliott, Courtesy of The Photographers’ Gallery. If you’re looking for some cultural respite from the retail cacophony on Oxford Street, it doesn’t get much better than a trip to the Photographers’ Gallery. If you’re a dab hand with the ‘gram, then a trip to the biggest gallery in the UK dedicated to photography is highly recommended with exhibitions showcasing contemporary developments and explorations of the medium’s past."
"The Photographers’ Gallery was founded in London by Sue Davies opening on 14 January 1971, as the first public gallery in the United Kingdom devoted solely to photography in a converted Tea Bar in London’s Covent Garden. In 1980 the gallery extended to a neighboring building."
"Whitechapel Gallery is known for hosting groundbreaking thematic exhibitions and retrospectives of formidable artists such as Eduardo Paolozzi and Sarah Lucas. Originally launched to bring art and culture to the Whitechapel community, it continues to present an engaging exhibition and education programme, including the annual Whitechapel Open, which champions new artists. Over the years this space has helped introduce Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Frida Kahlo to a London audience."
"For many years the East End has been a hub for artists and Whitechapel Gallery has been there for over a hundred of them. Its focus, however, is largely on what’s happening now and next. Although it’s not averse to a 20th century artists’ retrospective, its links with London’s working artist community is strong and ongoing, so it’s a great place to find work by new artists on their way to becoming household names."
"Aldgate East’s next door neighbour may look traditional from the outside, but step inside and you’ll be blown away by this hub for talent, where ‘history has always been the future’. The gallery has premiered world-class artists, from modern masters Pablo Picasso and Mark Rothko, to contemporaries such as Sophie Calle and Sarah Lucas."
"Get up early for the best selection at Columbia Road Flower Market. A street bursting with plants, shrubs, bulbs and trees, this market in London is a must-visit for its super-colourful displays and fragrant blooms. You can also pick up gardening accessories in this east London hotspot, and make sure to take home some of the gorgeous cut-flowers on offer."
"Tower Hamlets had staggered the return of their markets, with less-popular markets such as Whitechapel Market opening first, but Columbia Road Flower Market was able to join them on the first weekend of July. To keep people safe, the number of visitors at any one time has been strictly capped, and more of the surrounding roads have been closed."
"Whether you’re there to buy flowers or not, Columbia Road is a worthwhile Sunday excursion. Each week, this morning market fills the small street with flourishing plants and shrubs, from English roses to exotic orchids and banana trees. While you’re there, call into Columbia Road’s independent shops for stylish homewares and coffee."
"Serving the best baked food in Wembley, the bakery’s colourful counter of cakes, pastries and loaves is sure to offer something to tempt your taste buds. The high-ceilinged, exposed-brick industrial space offers a chic meeting spot for friends and will be your go-to venue if you work or live nearby. As well as baked goods, the space doubles up as a pizza and rotisserie restaurant in the evenings."
"Coffee in the sun or lunch looking over the arch, Bread Ahead Wembley Park is back in action. Whether you just want a quick bite or to tuck into one of their delicious pizzas, their outdoor dining offers amazing food and even better views. Don't forget to try one of their famous filled doughnuts whilst you are there."
"Their new place has a huge all-day restaurant, bakery and school. And yes, you will be able to get their doughnuts there too..."
"Vanilla sponge with layers of Signorelli’s signature coffee brew, mascarpone frosting – tangy and just a tad sweet – plus a generous dusting of cocoa powder on top. 7 Victory Parade, London E20 1FS or 15 Endeavour Square, London E20 1JN"