Landmarks and Places of Interest
The Tower of London, an 18-acre (7-hectare) complex of buildings, towers, walls, and grounds, stands on the Thames just east of the City. The crown jewels are on display here. Visitors are guided through the complex by the Beefeaters, or Yeomen Warders, in 16th-century uniforms. Nearby is 16th-century Mansion House, residence of the Lord Mayor of London (the City). Each November a newly elected lord mayor rides in a gilded state coach in a colorful, centuries-old parade called the Lord Mayor's Show. North of Mansion House stands Guildhall, built in the 15th century and the seat of the City's government.
From the southwest rises St. Paul's Cathedral, designed by Sir Christopher Wren. It is one of the largest churches in the world and is capped by a majestic dome. Two of Britain's greatest heroes—the Duke of Wellington and Lord Nelson—are buried here.
Running west from the cathedral is Fleet Street, which until the late 1980's was the center of British newspaper publishing. At one corner stands Cheshire Cheese Inn, 18th-century haunt of Samuel Johnson, Oliver Goldsmith, and other noted writers. Nearby is the Temple, medieval headquarters of the Knights Templar and subsequently part of the Inns of Court, legal associations and schools for law students.
Where Fleet Street merges into the Strand a column marks the site of the Temple Bar, a medieval barricade to keep the king from entering the City. Here the sovereign receives the Lord Mayor's permission to enter, as token of the City's traditional privileged status in relation to the monarchy.
The Strand leads west into the West End and Westminster. Westminster is the site of Buckingham Palace, London residence of British sovereigns; Westminster Abbey, the church in which British monarchs are crowned; and the Houses of Parliament. The Parliament building, covering an area of eight acres (3 hectares), is noted for its famous clock tower containing the clock and bell called Big Ben. (For picture, Across the Thames from Parliament is Lambeth Palace, London home of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Between Parliament and Trafalgar Square runs Whitehall, a street bordered by important government buildings. Just west of Whitehall is Number 10 Downing Street, official home of the prime minister. Between Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus is London's world-renowned West End theater district. More than 100 theaters are located there. North is Soho, famed for foreign restaurants and entertainment; west is fashionable Mayfair. Much of it is occupied by stately residences, elegant hotels, embassies, department stores, and specialty shops, especially on Bond and Regent streets. On Grosvenor Square stands the United States embassy.
London's largest parks are in or near the West End. Regent's Park (472 acres [191 hectares]) has a lake, rose gardens, an open-air theater, and the London Zoo.
Hyde Park (360 acres [146 ha]) includes the Serpentine (a lake), Marble Arch, the Speakers' Corner, and a bridle path called Rotten Row. Adjoining Hyde Park on the west is Kensington Gardens (275 acres [111 ha]), site of Kensington Palace, the Albert Memorial, and a statue of Peter Pan. The Royal Botanic Gardens are in Kew, a short distance west of central London. Greater London is ringed by the Green Belt, a parklike area in which building is banned.
