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London Landmarks and Buildings
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Admiralty Arch
Admiralty Arch is a a Grade I listed building and currently home to the Cabinet Office (although it's headquarters are still located in Whitehall). The building incorporates an archway between The Mall that extends to the southwest, and Trafalgar Square to the northeast. Designed by Sir Aston Webb and completed in 1912, Admiralty Arch received its name because it adjoins the Old Admiralty Building. The building was commissioned by King Edward VII in memory of his mother Queen Victoria. The Latin inscription along the top reads: “ANNO : DECIMO : EDWARDI : SEPTIMI : REGIS :VICTORIÆ : REGINÆ : CIVES : GRATISSIMI : MDCCCCX “ which means ‘In the tenth year of King Edward VII, to Queen Victoria, from most grateful citizens, 1910’
Pall Mall, London, SW1A 2WH.
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The American Embassy
The American Embassy first moved to number one Grosvenor square in 1938. However the Embassy moved to the West side of the Square and the Canadian Embassy moved into number one. The building which now houses the American Embassy was designed by Eero Saarinen and completed in 1960. During the Second World War the Chancery occupied one side of Grosvenor Square and General Eisenhower’s headquarters the other- this led Londoners to refer to Grosvenor Square as ‘Little America’. A statue by Robert Green of Eisenhower was unveiled in 1989 stood across from the buildings the General resided in during the war years.
The Roosevelt memorial was funded entirely by the sale of a souvenir brochure to the British Public in 1946- symbolising the affection for the Americans and appreciation of their assistance during the war effort. More than 160,000 separate donations were accepted.
In May 1986 a memorial to the Eagle Squadron was erected- the Eagle Squadron was composed almost entirely of American volunteers to the British Air Force.
In the centre of Grosvenor Square is the September 11th memorial garden. Created and donated in remembrance of those who died in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre. The Diplomatic Gates in Grosvenor Square were donated in recognition of the continuing quest for peace, so admirably sought by both the American and British governments.
24-32 Grosvenor Square, London, W1A 1AE
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Banqueting House, Whitehall
Located in Whitehall, near the Horse Guards Parade stands the magnificent Banqueting House. It is the only complete building of the Palace of Whitehall to remain standing. The Palace was acquired from Cardinal Wolsey by Henry VIII and became the Royal residence until the ascension of James I. The Banqueting House was purpose built for state occasions. After the installation of grand ceiling panels the purpose of the banquet hall was changed to a reception area for greeting foreign dignitaries.
A scaffold was built against the North of the Banqueting House in 1649. Thousands of spectators gathered to watch the beheading of Charles I. A commemorative service is still held here every year on January 10th. Oliver Cromwell lived at the Palace from 1654 until his death in 1660. After the restoration of the monarchy with the ascension of Charles II, the palace once again became the Royal residence and the Banqueting House once again was used for receiving guests. In 1698 a devastating fire burned Whitehall Palace to the ground. Sir Christopher Wren was commissioned to convert the Banqueting House into a chapel to replace the one destroyed in the fire.
The Banqueting House is now a museum, holding many fine paintings and the building itself offering an incomparable setting. There is wheelchair access and a gift shop on-site.
Whitehall, London, SW1A 2ER
Telephone 0870 751 5178
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The Barbican Art Gallery
The Barbican Art Gallery is situated on the third floor of the Barbican Centre on Silk Street. The Barbican was named after a fortification that previously occupied the site and was built to attract people back to London after the devastation of WWII. Work on the Centre began in 1962 and was not complete for almost twenty years. The Art Gallery itself is composed of two exhibition areas and due to its scale is often the preferred venue for temporary and touring exhibitions in virtually every artistic medium.
Recent contemporary exhibitions have included ‘Game On’ a look back over the history of video games and evolution and influence to one of the most popular sectors of the modern society. ‘Exodus’, a recent exhibit of more than 350 black and white photographs by acclaimed Brazilian photographer Sebastiao Salgado was a recent success. The pictures won admiration for their accurate portrayal of the human cost of major political incidents.
The exhibitions held at the Barbican Art Gallery are among the best examples of modern and contemporary Art seen anywhere in Europe. The Barbican charges an admission fee based on any given set of collections. There is a gift shop and the facilities provide refreshments and seating areas.
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS
Telephone 020 7638 4141
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Battersea Power Station
Battersea Power Station is not only one of the best loved landmarks in London but also one of the first large coal-fired electrical generating facilities set up in England. Construction started in 1929 to be completed 10 years later as part of the National Grid power distribution system. Sir Giles Gilbert Scott was responsible for the design of the building; he also designed Liverpool Cathedral, Bankside Power Station, Waterloo Bridge and the classic red telephone box. The power station was generating electricity until 1983. It is Europe’s largest brick building and famous for its Art Deco interior. The power station is on the English Heritage ‘Buildings at Risk Register’, its condition has been described as ‘very bad’; it was also on the World Monuments Fund's list of the hundred most endangered sites. The building is owned by Real Estate Opportunities, an Irish company that bought the power station for £400 million in November 2006. It has now announced plans to relaunch Battersea Power station as a power generater, but this time of the renewable sort. The company has plans to develop the whole site to create an area of hotel, retail and residential accommodation with a strong emphasis on sustainable living. The site is currently (August 2008) still open to take people on tours around the historic, architectural splendor, but please check the website for future visits as development is likely to change this over the coming months.
188 Kirtling Street, London, SW8 5BP
Telephone 0845 262 2625
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Big Ben and The Palace of Westminster
The Palace was the residence of the Kings of England from the eleventh to the sixteenth century. In Medieval England Kings simply summoned their courts to wherever they happened to be, but by the fourteenth century the judicial and parliamentary courts resided in Westminster. Though the Lords resided in the Palace, they had no permanent meeting place until 1547 when the Royal Chapel of St. Stephen was given to the commons.
In 1834 almost the entire Palace of Westminster was destroyed by fire, with only Westminster hall, the Crypt of St. Stephens Chapel, the cloisters and Jewel Tower surviving the blaze. Westminster Hall and the remains of St. Stephens where then incorporated into the new Houses of Parliament, a building designed by Sir Charles Barry that took more than thirty years to construct.
The Houses of Parliament were hit by an air raid during the Second World War and the House of Commons Chamber was destroyed. The Chamber has since been rebuilt in the image of the original. The houses of Parliament contains one thousand rooms, eleven court yards, eight bars and six restaurants- though none are opened to the public. Members of the public can watch a session of parliament by either the Lords or the Commons from the public gallery.
House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
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Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is the home and offices of Her Majesty Elizabeth II, the Queen of England. The Royal standard can be seen when the Queen is in residence.
Buckingham Palace is the venue for ceremonial occasions. The Palace was built in 1702 and is the former home of the Duke of Buckingham, it was bought from the Duke by George III.
In the nineteenth century George IV commissioned John Nash to transform the house into a Palace who overspent hugely on the project and was removed from the upgrade.
Queen Victoria was the first Monarch to live in Buckingham Palace, the Palace has been the residence of the monarchy ever since. Victoria sold the Royal Pavilion in Brighton to fund a huge expansion during the mid eighteen-hundreds.
Every autumn, when the royal family are away from the Palace, the State Rooms are open to the public. The rooms were first opened in 1993 to raise funds for Windsor Castle after it was damaged by fire.
The Royal Throne room is lit by seven chandeliers and is used only for ceremonial purposes. Buckingham Palace is close to St. James Park, which offers spectacular views at night. Visitors may also wish to watch the changing of the guard- a musical, military ceremony which takes place at 11:30am and lasts for approximately forty-five minutes.
London, SW1A 1AA
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Canary Wharf Tower
On the site of the former West India Docks is Britain’s tallest building Canary Wharf. Completed in 1991, one Canada Square stands eight hundred feet high and has more than fifty floors.
The Wharf covers a surface are of more than 400,000 square meters- making it not only the tallest but one of the largest building in Britain. The Wharf was designed by architects Cesar Pelli and Associates and Adamson Associate Architects Ltd. The initial cost to developers Olympia and York was more than eight hundred million pounds sterling. Canary Wharf is used as a commercial office building for many, many businesses. This Steel constructed building casts a dominating figure on the Thames waterfront and is considered with approval but most Londoners. Canary Wharf is named after the Canary Islands- the prime source of imports received during its time as a working dock.
There are more than 55,000 people who work in the building itself. Situated within the Canary Wharf development are offices, a retail centre, a Dockland light Railway station and a London underground station.
Sadly the Canary Wharf building is not open to the public- but views of the breathtaking construction can be seen from all over London and are especially spectacular from one of the Thames river rides.
London, E14 5EW
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City Hall
In July 2002, the Mayor of London, the London Assembly and the GLA became tenants of the City Hall, a stunning rounded glass building near Tower Bridge, in a pedestrian area on the south bank of the Thames. It is partially open to members of the public from Monday to Friday and on some weekends. Unsurprisingly, on entering the building, all visitors must go through a security check. Normally, the 2nd floor and below can be visited; there you can see the exhibition space and the Assembly Chamber where many public meetings are held. On the lower ground floor, there is a public information desk, a cafeteria, meeting rooms and exhibition space where there are temporary exhibitions. On some days, London's Living Room on the top floor of the building is accessible too. There, you can enjoy spectacular views over London. The Scoop, an outdoor sunken amphitheatre, can be accessed by a ramp from the riverside walkway.
The Queen's Walk, More London, , London, SE1 2AA
Telephone+44 (0) 207 983 4100
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Convent Garden Piazza
Convent Garden Piazza is the area where the world famous Covent Garden Market is held.
In the early seventeenth century Inigo Jones was commissioned by the Earl of Bedford to create London’s first residential square, Inigo Jones love of Italian neo-classicism architecture is obvious in the design of the piazza.
The market held here consists of over forty stalls selling a variety of quality goods including antiques, clothing and craft items.
The area was formerly the site of London’s largest fruit and vegetable market which has since moved to Bermondsey. The piazza is a favourite location for street performers; Peruvian and classical musicians can regularly be found in the courtyards amidst the stalls.
The London Transport Museum is now housed in the Victorian Flower Market in the South West of the piazza. Other attractions near to the piazza include Jubilee Hall, the tuscan-style church of St. Paul and the Royal Opera House which is linked to the Piazza via Bow Street.
The area is one of the few remaining large pedestrianised areas left in London and as such also attracts large numbers of pedestrians! Many shops and restaurants now cater for the new brand of visitor.
Because of the numbers of visitors that the markets attracted over the centuries, Covent Garden Piazza had its own underground station built to ferry these customers and cisitors to and from the markets, something which is now appreciated by Londoners and tourists alike as they visit Covent Garden and soak up the cheery atmosphere.
Covent Garden, London, WC2E 8RD
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Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace is a working Royal Residence and has a significant place in the history of London. The Palace was the favoured home of the Monarchy until the eighteenth century. It was the birthplace and childhood home of Queen Victoria.
In modern times Kensington Palace houses offices and apartments of some members of the Royal family. The Jacobean building was purchased from the Earl of Nottingham by William III in 1689 and was extended by Sir Christopher Wren. Rotten Row was a private road from the Palace to Hyde Park Corner. Kensington Palace was the former home of Princess Diana.
Although some members of the Royal Family still live and work here, some of the historic areas are open to the public and is the home of the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection. The exhibition Hats and Handbags is on view at Kensington Palace, a collection of over seventy hats and accessories belonging to Queen Elizabeth II. The Kings Apartments include an exuberant staircase with impressive paintings adorning the walls. The Queens Apartment has been restored after it was damaged during the war.
Visitors may also wish to take tea at the Orangery Restaurant. The Palace is a 10-15 minute walk from the High Street Kensington Underground Station.
London, W8 4PX
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St Paul’s Cathedral
There has been a Cathedral in London dedicated to St. Paul since as early as the seventh century. The present cathedral is the fourth to occupy the site and was designed by Sir Christopher Wren to replace the one that was destroyed by the great fire of London.
It was built between 1675 and took thirty-five years to complete. Five different monarchs oversaw its construction with the concept that London’s leading church should be one of magnificence and grandeur.
The first service in the modern cathedral took place in 1697, thirteen years before is completion. Many of the nation’s most significant events have taken place at the cathedral, including the funeral services of Winston Churchill, the Duke of Wellington and Lord Nelson, and the jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria and King George V.
Throughout the centuries the cathedral has had several items of decoration added and removed to reflect changing historical attitudes. AS recently as 2003 the cathedral has had a face lift to prepare it for its next 300 years!
The organ at St. Paul's which was once played by Mendelssohn dates back to the seventeenth century and is still in use today. At the request of Queen Victoria the interior of St. Paul’s is decorated with many vibrant mosaics. The Cathedral is of the Diocese of London, the Diocese is made up of the five Episcopal areas- Willesden, Edmonton, Stepney, London and Kensington. In 2004 the diocese celebrates its 1400 anniversary.
St. Paul’s Cathedral is serviced by St. Paul’s underground station which is five minutes walk away.
London, EC4M 8AD
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Admiralty Arch
Admiralty Arch is a a Grade I listed building and currently home to the Cabinet Office (although it's headquarters are still located in Whitehall). The building incorporates an archway between The Mall that extends to the southwest, and Trafalgar Square to the northeast. Designed by Sir Aston Webb and completed in 1912, Admiralty Arch received its name because it adjoins the Old Admiralty Building. The building was commissioned by King Edward VII in memory of his mother Queen Victoria. The Latin inscription along the top reads: “ANNO : DECIMO : EDWARDI : SEPTIMI : REGIS :VICTORIÆ : REGINÆ : CIVES : GRATISSIMI : MDCCCCX “ which means ‘In the tenth year of King Edward VII, to Queen Victoria, from most grateful citizens, 1910’
Pall Mall, London, SW1A 2WH.
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The American Embassy
The American Embassy first moved to number one Grosvenor square in 1938. However the Embassy moved to the West side of the Square and the Canadian Embassy moved into number one. The building which now houses the American Embassy was designed by Eero Saarinen and completed in 1960. During the Second World War the Chancery occupied one side of Grosvenor Square and General Eisenhower’s headquarters the other- this led Londoners to refer to Grosvenor Square as ‘Little America’. A statue by Robert Green of Eisenhower was unveiled in 1989 stood across from the buildings the General resided in during the war years.
The Roosevelt memorial was funded entirely by the sale of a souvenir brochure to the British Public in 1946- symbolising the affection for the Americans and appreciation of their assistance during the war effort. More than 160,000 separate donations were accepted.
In May 1986 a memorial to the Eagle Squadron was erected- the Eagle Squadron was composed almost entirely of American volunteers to the British Air Force.
In the centre of Grosvenor Square is the September 11th memorial garden. Created and donated in remembrance of those who died in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre. The Diplomatic Gates in Grosvenor Square were donated in recognition of the continuing quest for peace, so admirably sought by both the American and British governments.
24-32 Grosvenor Square, London, W1A 1AE
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Banqueting House, Whitehall
Located in Whitehall, near the Horse Guards Parade stands the magnificent Banqueting House. It is the only complete building of the Palace of Whitehall to remain standing. The Palace was acquired from Cardinal Wolsey by Henry VIII and became the Royal residence until the ascension of James I. The Banqueting House was purpose built for state occasions. After the installation of grand ceiling panels the purpose of the banquet hall was changed to a reception area for greeting foreign dignitaries.
A scaffold was built against the North of the Banqueting House in 1649. Thousands of spectators gathered to watch the beheading of Charles I. A commemorative service is still held here every year on January 10th. Oliver Cromwell lived at the Palace from 1654 until his death in 1660. After the restoration of the monarchy with the ascension of Charles II, the palace once again became the Royal residence and the Banqueting House once again was used for receiving guests. In 1698 a devastating fire burned Whitehall Palace to the ground. Sir Christopher Wren was commissioned to convert the Banqueting House into a chapel to replace the one destroyed in the fire.
The Banqueting House is now a museum, holding many fine paintings and the building itself offering an incomparable setting. There is wheelchair access and a gift shop on-site.
Whitehall, London, SW1A 2ER
Telephone 0870 751 5178
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The Barbican Art Gallery
The Barbican Art Gallery is situated on the third floor of the Barbican Centre on Silk Street. The Barbican was named after a fortification that previously occupied the site and was built to attract people back to London after the devastation of WWII. Work on the Centre began in 1962 and was not complete for almost twenty years. The Art Gallery itself is composed of two exhibition areas and due to its scale is often the preferred venue for temporary and touring exhibitions in virtually every artistic medium.
Recent contemporary exhibitions have included ‘Game On’ a look back over the history of video games and evolution and influence to one of the most popular sectors of the modern society. ‘Exodus’, a recent exhibit of more than 350 black and white photographs by acclaimed Brazilian photographer Sebastiao Salgado was a recent success. The pictures won admiration for their accurate portrayal of the human cost of major political incidents.
The exhibitions held at the Barbican Art Gallery are among the best examples of modern and contemporary Art seen anywhere in Europe. The Barbican charges an admission fee based on any given set of collections. There is a gift shop and the facilities provide refreshments and seating areas.
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS
Telephone 020 7638 4141
.
Battersea Power Station
Battersea Power Station is not only one of the best loved landmarks in London but also one of the first large coal-fired electrical generating facilities set up in England. Construction started in 1929 to be completed 10 years later as part of the National Grid power distribution system. Sir Giles Gilbert Scott was responsible for the design of the building; he also designed Liverpool Cathedral, Bankside Power Station, Waterloo Bridge and the classic red telephone box. The power station was generating electricity until 1983. It is Europe’s largest brick building and famous for its Art Deco interior. The power station is on the English Heritage ‘Buildings at Risk Register’, its condition has been described as ‘very bad’; it was also on the World Monuments Fund's list of the hundred most endangered sites. The building is owned by Real Estate Opportunities, an Irish company that bought the power station for £400 million in November 2006. It has now announced plans to relaunch Battersea Power station as a power generater, but this time of the renewable sort. The company has plans to develop the whole site to create an area of hotel, retail and residential accommodation with a strong emphasis on sustainable living. The site is currently (August 2008) still open to take people on tours around the historic, architectural splendor, but please check the website for future visits as development is likely to change this over the coming months.
188 Kirtling Street, London, SW8 5BP
Telephone 0845 262 2625
.
Big Ben and The Palace of Westminster
The Palace was the residence of the Kings of England from the eleventh to the sixteenth century. In Medieval England Kings simply summoned their courts to wherever they happened to be, but by the fourteenth century the judicial and parliamentary courts resided in Westminster. Though the Lords resided in the Palace, they had no permanent meeting place until 1547 when the Royal Chapel of St. Stephen was given to the commons.
In 1834 almost the entire Palace of Westminster was destroyed by fire, with only Westminster hall, the Crypt of St. Stephens Chapel, the cloisters and Jewel Tower surviving the blaze. Westminster Hall and the remains of St. Stephens where then incorporated into the new Houses of Parliament, a building designed by Sir Charles Barry that took more than thirty years to construct.
The Houses of Parliament were hit by an air raid during the Second World War and the House of Commons Chamber was destroyed. The Chamber has since been rebuilt in the image of the original. The houses of Parliament contains one thousand rooms, eleven court yards, eight bars and six restaurants- though none are opened to the public. Members of the public can watch a session of parliament by either the Lords or the Commons from the public gallery.
House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
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Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is the home and offices of Her Majesty Elizabeth II, the Queen of England. The Royal standard can be seen when the Queen is in residence.
Buckingham Palace is the venue for ceremonial occasions. The Palace was built in 1702 and is the former home of the Duke of Buckingham, it was bought from the Duke by George III.
In the nineteenth century George IV commissioned John Nash to transform the house into a Palace who overspent hugely on the project and was removed from the upgrade.
Queen Victoria was the first Monarch to live in Buckingham Palace, the Palace has been the residence of the monarchy ever since. Victoria sold the Royal Pavilion in Brighton to fund a huge expansion during the mid eighteen-hundreds.
Every autumn, when the royal family are away from the Palace, the State Rooms are open to the public. The rooms were first opened in 1993 to raise funds for Windsor Castle after it was damaged by fire.
The Royal Throne room is lit by seven chandeliers and is used only for ceremonial purposes. Buckingham Palace is close to St. James Park, which offers spectacular views at night. Visitors may also wish to watch the changing of the guard- a musical, military ceremony which takes place at 11:30am and lasts for approximately forty-five minutes.
London, SW1A 1AA
.
Canary Wharf Tower
On the site of the former West India Docks is Britain’s tallest building Canary Wharf. Completed in 1991, one Canada Square stands eight hundred feet high and has more than fifty floors.
The Wharf covers a surface are of more than 400,000 square meters- making it not only the tallest but one of the largest building in Britain. The Wharf was designed by architects Cesar Pelli and Associates and Adamson Associate Architects Ltd. The initial cost to developers Olympia and York was more than eight hundred million pounds sterling. Canary Wharf is used as a commercial office building for many, many businesses. This Steel constructed building casts a dominating figure on the Thames waterfront and is considered with approval but most Londoners. Canary Wharf is named after the Canary Islands- the prime source of imports received during its time as a working dock.
There are more than 55,000 people who work in the building itself. Situated within the Canary Wharf development are offices, a retail centre, a Dockland light Railway station and a London underground station.
Sadly the Canary Wharf building is not open to the public- but views of the breathtaking construction can be seen from all over London and are especially spectacular from one of the Thames river rides.
London, E14 5EW
.
City Hall
In July 2002, the Mayor of London, the London Assembly and the GLA became tenants of the City Hall, a stunning rounded glass building near Tower Bridge, in a pedestrian area on the south bank of the Thames. It is partially open to members of the public from Monday to Friday and on some weekends. Unsurprisingly, on entering the building, all visitors must go through a security check. Normally, the 2nd floor and below can be visited; there you can see the exhibition space and the Assembly Chamber where many public meetings are held. On the lower ground floor, there is a public information desk, a cafeteria, meeting rooms and exhibition space where there are temporary exhibitions. On some days, London's Living Room on the top floor of the building is accessible too. There, you can enjoy spectacular views over London. The Scoop, an outdoor sunken amphitheatre, can be accessed by a ramp from the riverside walkway.
The Queen's Walk, More London, , London, SE1 2AA
Telephone+44 (0) 207 983 4100
.
Convent Garden Piazza
Convent Garden Piazza is the area where the world famous Covent Garden Market is held.
In the early seventeenth century Inigo Jones was commissioned by the Earl of Bedford to create London’s first residential square, Inigo Jones love of Italian neo-classicism architecture is obvious in the design of the piazza.
The market held here consists of over forty stalls selling a variety of quality goods including antiques, clothing and craft items.
The area was formerly the site of London’s largest fruit and vegetable market which has since moved to Bermondsey. The piazza is a favourite location for street performers; Peruvian and classical musicians can regularly be found in the courtyards amidst the stalls.
The London Transport Museum is now housed in the Victorian Flower Market in the South West of the piazza. Other attractions near to the piazza include Jubilee Hall, the tuscan-style church of St. Paul and the Royal Opera House which is linked to the Piazza via Bow Street.
The area is one of the few remaining large pedestrianised areas left in London and as such also attracts large numbers of pedestrians! Many shops and restaurants now cater for the new brand of visitor.
Because of the numbers of visitors that the markets attracted over the centuries, Covent Garden Piazza had its own underground station built to ferry these customers and cisitors to and from the markets, something which is now appreciated by Londoners and tourists alike as they visit Covent Garden and soak up the cheery atmosphere.
Covent Garden, London, WC2E 8RD
.
Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace is a working Royal Residence and has a significant place in the history of London. The Palace was the favoured home of the Monarchy until the eighteenth century. It was the birthplace and childhood home of Queen Victoria.
In modern times Kensington Palace houses offices and apartments of some members of the Royal family. The Jacobean building was purchased from the Earl of Nottingham by William III in 1689 and was extended by Sir Christopher Wren. Rotten Row was a private road from the Palace to Hyde Park Corner. Kensington Palace was the former home of Princess Diana.
Although some members of the Royal Family still live and work here, some of the historic areas are open to the public and is the home of the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection. The exhibition Hats and Handbags is on view at Kensington Palace, a collection of over seventy hats and accessories belonging to Queen Elizabeth II. The Kings Apartments include an exuberant staircase with impressive paintings adorning the walls. The Queens Apartment has been restored after it was damaged during the war.
Visitors may also wish to take tea at the Orangery Restaurant. The Palace is a 10-15 minute walk from the High Street Kensington Underground Station.
London, W8 4PX
.
St Paul’s Cathedral
There has been a Cathedral in London dedicated to St. Paul since as early as the seventh century. The present cathedral is the fourth to occupy the site and was designed by Sir Christopher Wren to replace the one that was destroyed by the great fire of London.
It was built between 1675 and took thirty-five years to complete. Five different monarchs oversaw its construction with the concept that London’s leading church should be one of magnificence and grandeur.
The first service in the modern cathedral took place in 1697, thirteen years before is completion. Many of the nation’s most significant events have taken place at the cathedral, including the funeral services of Winston Churchill, the Duke of Wellington and Lord Nelson, and the jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria and King George V.
Throughout the centuries the cathedral has had several items of decoration added and removed to reflect changing historical attitudes. AS recently as 2003 the cathedral has had a face lift to prepare it for its next 300 years!
The organ at St. Paul's which was once played by Mendelssohn dates back to the seventeenth century and is still in use today. At the request of Queen Victoria the interior of St. Paul’s is decorated with many vibrant mosaics. The Cathedral is of the Diocese of London, the Diocese is made up of the five Episcopal areas- Willesden, Edmonton, Stepney, London and Kensington. In 2004 the diocese celebrates its 1400 anniversary.
St. Paul’s Cathedral is serviced by St. Paul’s underground station which is five minutes walk away.
London, EC4M 8AD
.
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