Introduction
"Rich in history, heritage and character, London is one of the world's most rewarding cities to visit. Perhaps its most attractive characteristics is its remarkable variety. The city changes in atmosphere and style not merely from one district to another, but sometimes from one street to the next. The delights it offers to the eye and ear are varied, subtle, and intense. In fine weather there are streets to walk, parks, and gardens to linger in, the river to enjoy, pageantry to thrill to. In the wet or the cold there is the greatest concentration of historic and cultural attractions in the kingdom. Whether you are busy exploring history or art, shopping, or just sitting and watching the world go by, London has something to offer every season and mood.
London is the capital of the United Kingdom. Well within living memory it was the capital of an empire on which the sun never set and which encompassed a quarter of the entire population of the earth. This imperial past is the background to much of the splendor of the city's heritage today. It is also a factor in the city's cosmopolitan character. London has always attracted immigrants, from the rest of the country and the rest of the world. Today, one Londoner in every three was born somewhere else. The result is a rich mixture of traditions, customs, and ways.
The city stands on the River Thames, about 40 miles inland from the North Sea as the crow flies, or 50 miles as the river runs. The river, providing easy access the rest of the word, is the fundamental geographical reason for London's existence, and for most of its history the city has flourished as a great trading port.
Three Londons
There are three Londons, one inside the other. Sprawling out on either side of the Thames is the vast conurbation of Greater London, which covers more than 600sq miles. Within the roughly oval shape of Greater London, like a juicy nut inside its shell, is the central London area, of about 100sq miles. Over to the eastern side of central London is the City of London, which is tiny - a little over 1sq mile in extent - where it all began.
Much of London has been built from local clay, which for centuries provided the city's bricks. The Thames flows from west to east, with many twisting and turnings, and divides London into northern and southern halves. The northern half is much the more important of the two. It contains most of the historic buildings: the Tower of London, the royal palaces, the Houses of Parliament. It also contains most of the theatres, the smartest shopping streets and the most prestigious office and residential areas.
This northern sector itself divides roughly into three: the West End, the City and the East End. The West End is the smart quarter of London in which to live, shop or be entertained. This is the elegant world of Mayfair, of Harrods, and the theatreland, of Soho and also the best restaurants and hotels.
The City is London’s financial centre and the oldest quarter of London – centuries old when Mayfair was still covered in open fields and corn still grew in Chelsea. Once the most thickly inhabited area, it is now almost a ghost town at evenings and weekends. The resident population is only about 5,000, but 500,000 commute in every weekday to work in banks, insurance companies and offices. Some of the leading visitor attractions are in the City, including the Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral.
The East End, to which the prevailing winds always bore London’s smoke and grime, is traditionally the area of docklands and the poor working-class. The home of cockneys and rhyming slang, it used to be the polar opposite of the West End. The East End, however, was the area most severely damaged in the Second World War. After it, many families moved away to new towns outside London, and by 1960 the population was less than half what it had been at the beginning of the century. Much of the East End has been rebuilt and parts of the old docklands have been dramatically redeveloped with modern office blocks, yachting marinas and expensive housing.
London has grown and developed naturally over the years. It was never planned in a sweeping, overall way, in the manner of Paris, for example. Hence London’s winding streets and small secretive alleyways and courtyards. Some areas of the West End were planned by developers in the 18th and 19th centuries, laid out in a tidy pattern of squares, crescents and terraces, but even there the stroller will find plenty of back streets and many charming mews. Almost one-third of London’s total area is open space and it is easy to dodge out of a busy main street and find refuge for a while in a park or secluded square. In its main streets and quiet squares London is full of history and interest.