Mentioned by 10Best
London's history is revealed through visiting 10 of its most famous sites
"Day 1: Arrive in London, Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour, the London EyeDay 2: Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Whitehall, Covent GardenDay 3: Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Borough Market, Tate Modern, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Sky GardenDay 4: National Gallery, Greenwich, Prime Meridian, Up at the O2Day 5: British Museum, Portobello Road Market, Victoria and Albert Museum, Harrod’s"
"Finally, All Hallows-by-the-Tower is believed to be the oldest surviving church in London, and overlooks the Tower of London on Byward Street. The church was founded in 675, and while it has obviously undergone extensive restoration since then, it still contains an Anglo-Saxon arch from the time which we believe qualifies it to take the crown as London’s oldest church!. Thanks to its proximity to the Tower of London, this church was frequented often where beheading victims were sent for a temporary burial!"
"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."
"All Hallows Church London sits across the square from the Tower of London. It’s one of the oldest Christian churches in London, dating back possibly to the 7th century AD. It famously survived the Great Fire of London because surrounding buildings were burned to create a firebreak."
"This historic site was first built by the Knights Templar as their English headquarters back in the late 20th century. These days the church prides itself on its musical output and together the choir and the Harrison & Harrison organ produce some of the most sonorous gospel music in the city. It's one of the very oldest churches in the city, sure to fascinate history buffs."
"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."
"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."
"There was a church on this site during the time of the Romans.Some believe that St Bridget, an Irish saint, established the first Christian church on the site in the 6th century. During the Great Plague of 1665, a plague pit was dug within the churchyard. Pepys mentions having to bribe the gravedigger in order to find room to bury his brother."
"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."
"St. Giles-in-the-Fields is known as the Poets’ Church and has a number of important burials plus a burial pit of plague victims"
"St Giles Cripplegate, The origin of Cripplegate could be from the Anglo-Saxon ‘crepel’, a burrow, denoting the long, narrow underground or covered way leading to the gate. Alternatively, it could be that more cripples gathered at this particular gate begging alms than at other gates of the city.The first known church was built during the 14th century on the ground outside the gate close to where the Walbrook ran under the London Wall. It was rebuilt in the 17th century and much altered in Victorian times.Oliver Cromwell was married here, and in 1674 the poet John Milton was buried."
"This Church of England church was built just outside the city wall, next to the Cripplegate, hence the name (without means outside). It was initially built in the 11th century before the current building was constructed in 1394, with the stone tower being added in 1682. While it survived the fire of 1666, it has been severely damaged on three other occasions, from fires in 1545 and 1897 and from an air raid during the Blitz in 1940."
"St Giles is the patron saint of lepers, the crippled and the handicapped, hence this unusual dedication. It’s another London medieval church, mostly built in the late Gothic Perpendicular style, and survived the Great Fire of London but not the Blitz. The whole of the surrounding area was destroyed, and on this ground, close to a section of the London Wall, the Barbican Estate was built."
"St Olave’s church near Fenchurch Street station dates from the fifteenth century, and survived the Great Fire mainly due to the efforts of the writer Samuel Pepys, who lived and worked nearby. Pepys is buried in the nave of the church. Other burials include Mother Goose, who was interred in 1586, and Mary Ramsey, the woman who it is claimed brought the plague to London in 1665."
"As one of several churches in London with Scandinavian connections, St Olave Hart Street is often claimed to have been established as early as 1056. However, this may be true, as the memories of Olaf’s London adventures were at their best during this period. Furthermore, it was just a short period of time before Norway attempted to invade England in 1066."
"It was one of a small number to survive the Great Fire of London. It suffered far greater damage during the London Blitz of World War II, and the 15th century body of the church was restored by the mid-1950s. It’s a small church with a wealth of history."
"A post shared by Himanshu Sharma (@the.mockturtle) on Apr 25, 2017 at 11:17am PDT. Created by architect William Butterfield, the All Saints Margaret Street church boasts a stunningly ornate High Gothic Revival design. Take a moment to admire the striking exterior made using a mixture of red and black brick; but it is the inside of this London church that makes it worth a visit."
"Of course, it’s famous for the Canterbury Tales, being the headquarters of the Church of England and it’s largely still intact architecture. It’s not too far from the city of London, roughly an hour and a half if you plan on taking the trains."
"All Saints’ was built in the 1850s as an early example of Victorian Gothic. It has the second-highest church spire in the whole of London"
"So the view from here has already appeared on this list under St. Paul’s Cathedral. However, as it really is one of the most Instagram worthy spots in London, I thought it should be included twice!. Head to the rooftop of One New Change via the elevators in the centre of the shopping mall for the best composition."
"Located opposite to the famous St Paul Cathedral is London’s newest mall, The One New Change. It features several brands, cafes and restaurants. This iconic building was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel."
"There's plenty to keep you busy here with restaurants, cafés, menswear and womenswear fashion brands, all set overlooking St Paul's Cathedral. Brands include GAP, Kurt Geiger, Pandora, Swarovski, Ted Baker and more."
"Looking for some eclectic offering of fashion while you catch your favorite movie and sip a hot coffee?. Brunswick Shopping mall offers all this and more. Set in the most culturally exciting area of London, in Bloomsbury, Brunswick lets you indulge in some serious retail therapy."
"This farm is little further out of London, but a whole day of adventure and fun can be enjoyed here, thanks to a huge array of facilities, besides the friendly animals. There’s indoor soft play at the Bundle Barn, an alpine toboggan run, Dino Dig and Splash play area and an adventure playground. Unlike most of the other city farms in London listed, there is a small entry price for this one (£10) but this includes entry to all indoor and outdoor play areas, activities, animals, bird shows and a tractor ride to the dairy farm."
"A post shared by Georgiebd (@georgie.bd) on May 26, 2018 at 10:23am PDT. Cycle along the paths or take a stroll at Lee Valley Regional Park. Stretching 42km (26 miles) along the river Lee, past Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and up to Ware in Hertfordshire, there is plenty of opportunity to spot wildlife, relax or play."