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LONDON HIGHLIGHTS OF A FASCINATING CITY HIGHLIGHTS OF A FASCINATING CITY

Tower , and the 21st-century demonstrate how LONDON the traditional and the modern can live side by side within a city in perfect harmony. Laden with history, the buildings of one of the world’s oldest monarchies stand in elegant contrast to the busy financial district with its ultramodern high-tech architecture. British formality continues to hold its own alongside eccentric fashion and a colourful multicultural lifestyle. Boasting countless theatres, museums, galleries, shops, and restaurants, London has something for everyone. Around every corner lies a new discovery worthy of a superlative – the best, the oldest, the most famous, the most unusual…

LONDON – HIGHLIGHTS OF A FASCINATING CITY offers a fabulous journey through this great metropolis, revealing the huge range of its attractions in stunning colour photographs and informative texts. Panoramic photographs feature some of this world famous capital’s most spectacular views. Page after page, this rich gallery of superb images captures the many moods of this great city.

ISBN 978-3-95504-140-3 UK £ 20.00 US$ 29.95 € 24.95 THE LONDON BOOK

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9 ABOUT THIS BOOK

The whole world in one city – not merely a trite however, but also on the innovations of a society advertising slogan but a reality: in the truest whose technical inventions and artistic creativity sense of the word, London is a metropolis, have made an essential contribution to the formed by people arriving from every corner of economy of Europe. Summing up London is no the earth, bringing their culture with them to simple matter. It is not just the sheer size, create the special – although not always although this is indeed overwhelming – it is that harmonious – mixture that lies at the heart of there is so much to do and so many sights to see. the British capital. This variety is not only based Royal London has its imposing palaces, commer- on the interplay of cultural peculiarities, cial London its ground-breaking architecture

10 ABOUT THIS BOOK and first-class shopping, while historic London of every playwright from Shakespeare or In the heart of the West End, the magnificent has its cathedrals and the City (the original Sheridan to Bennett and Beckett, along with all façade of the proudly overlooks settlement, now the capital’s financial hub), not forms of musical entertainment. This illustrated . With Nelson keeping a to mention maritime London at Greenwich and, book is intended to give a modest cross-section watchful eye on proceedings from his lofty of course the Thames, the city‘s main artery. of this wonderful city, from its historic buildings, platform, the square is a popular meeting point There‘s also the London of art and culture, with through its parks, both formal and informal, to for tourists and also the scene of numerous some of the most notable collections in the the residential areas. Beyond the world-famous events and festivals throughout the year. world distributed among its countless museums sights, London still has surprises even for those Thousands of people gather on the square every and galleries, and the stage with performances who have spent all their lives here. year to see in the New Year.

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Pictures on previous pages: Above: Bridge majestically links the city’s 16 boroughs either side of the Thames. pp. 2/3 An aerial view of London by night 18 24 pp. 4/5 The imposing dome of St Paul’s 26 Cathedral, with the Millennium Bridge All Hallows by the Tower/The Monument 28 in the foreground Lloyd’s of London 30 32 pp. 6/7 Through railings of Tower Bridge Financial District 34 you can see the futuristic buildings of the 40 new City Hall and . Royal Exchange 42 Guildhall 44 pp. 8/9 Narrow streets such as Creed Lane, London Pubs 46 with pubs and tobacco stores make out the 48 charm of the city. Smithfield Market 50 St Paul’s Cathedral 52 56 58 St Bride’s 60

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CITY OF WESTMINSTER 62 Foreign Office 104 148 Westminster Palace 106 Pimlico 150 The Strand 64 House of Lords/House of Commons 112 66 State Opening of Parliament 114 68 Big Ben 116 KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA 152 70 118 72 Westminster Abbey: Chapel of Henry VII 120 / 154 Trafalgar Square 74 The Tombs of Westminster Abbey 122 156 National Gallery 76 124 Saatchi Gallery 158 National Portrait Gallery 78 126 /King’s Road 160 80 / Royal Hospital Chelsea 162 Soho 82 Victoria Monument 128 Victoria and Albert Museum 164 Chinatown 86 The Royals 130 Natural History Museum 166 88 Changing the Guard 132 Science Museum 168 London’s West End Theatres 92 Belgravia 134 170 Circus 94 Hyde Park 138 /Prince 172 Fortnum and Mason 96 Tea Time 140 174 /Banqueting House 98 142 Diana 176 Parade 100 London Cabs and Buses 144 Notting Hill/ Market 178 No. 102 146 Notting Hill Carnival 180

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Above: The neogothic – NORTH LONDON 182 the Houses of Parliament – rises majestically beyond . Shri Swaminarayan Mandir 184 186 Hoover Building 188 190 British Museum Reading Room 192 194 St Pancras International 196 Regent’s Park 198 John Nash 200 Camden Lock 202 Camden High Street 204 206 Highgate Cemetery 208 Sadler’s Wells 210 London Derbies 212

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EAST LONDON 214 The Shard 252 Windsor Castle 288 Cathedral 254 Windsor Castle: St George’s Chapel 290 216 Shakespeare’s 256 Ascot 292 Hackney 218 London’s 258 Marble Hill House/Ham House 294 220 262 296 222 National Theatre/ 264 Wimbledon 298 Royal Victoria Dock 224 Hayward Gallery 266 Hampton Court 300 The O2 228 London Eye 268 Royal Naval College 230 Waterloo Station 270 Royal Observatory 232 Street Art 272 APPENDIX 302 Greenwich 234 Battersea 274 240 Index 302 Picture credits/Imprint 304 FURTHER AFIELD 276 242 278 Southwark 244 Syon House/Syon Park 280 Design Museum 246 Rugby 282 Butler’s Wharf 248 Olympic City London 284 City Hall 250 286

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The City of London – or the City, for short – is the City is a thriving hub of international business. But historic heart of the capital. It has its roots in the at night, when the people who work in its glass Roman town of , and its size – one square palaces go home, the City is like a ghost town. mile (just over 2.5 sq km) – has not changed since When Londoners talk of “the City”, they often refer the Middle Ages. Alongside New York, London is to London’s financial industry, though many finance the world’s leading financial capital, and by day the companies are now located in Docklands.

16 CITY OF LONDON Modernity and tradition combine in a surprisingly harmonious way in the City of London: the imposing dome of St Paul’s Cathedral seems quite at home amid the new temples of finance – history and faith in the future are the twin supports of the City.

CITY OF LONDON 17 TOWER BRIDGE

Opened in 1894, Tower Bridge is not only one of in the east of the city. The answer was to combine a London’s leading landmarks, but also a great bascule bridge with a suspension bridge. Steam testimony to the ingenious Victorian engineers who engines were used to power a hydraulic system built it. By the middle of the 19th century, London’s capable of opening the bridge within a matter East End had become so densely populated that a of minutes. Today, the bridge is powered by new river crossing was essential. The new bridge electricity, and the two towers house an exhibition would, however, be the first to be constructed east that describes its history. The upper walkway has of , an area previously declared off- now been glazed in, and offers a commanding view limits for fear of impeding the ships using the docks over the city and its river.

18 CITY OF LONDON TOWER BRIDGE TOWER BRIDGE

19 CITY OF LONDON CITY OF LONDON 22 TOWER BRIDGE

Beautiful by day and by night: Tower Bridge looks like a monument symbolizing the connection between historic and modern London. A few technical details: the towers are 65 m (214 ft) high, the road surface is 9 m (30 ft) above the water and the pedestrian bridge 34 m (113 ft) above that. The central section is raised several times a day to allow larger boats to pass.

CITY OF LONDON 23 TOWER OF LONDON

The massive riverside fortress watching over the Norman rulers with a perfect viewpoint from which capital from its position on the eastern end of the to keep an eye on the self-assured inhabitants of City bears the formidable title Her Majesty’s Royal the independent city. The Tower’s two walls and its Palace and Fortress The Tower of London – better moat were added in the 12th and 13th centuries. known simply as he Tower. At its heart stands the The complex continued to serve as a royal White Tower, a mighty fortification built by William residence until the 17th century, and was still being the Conqueror in 1078, soon after he was crowned used as a prison in the 20th century. Today it king of England. It was intended to protect London houses the Jewel House, where the British Crown from attack, while at the same time providing the Jewels have been on display for over 300 years.

24 CITY OF LONDON TOWER OF LONDON

The fortress on the river receives countless visitors each year, not just because of its history of rolling heads and squabbling nobility imprisoned in its dungeons, but also because of its traditional pageantry which has become a tourist attraction and the museum that informs us on all things royal. Since 1988, the Tower of London has also been included in the UNESCO list of world heritage sites.

CITY OF LONDON 25 RIVER THAMES

At one time, the Thames was London’s main traffic river from the counties in the south. The Thames is one of cleanest rivers flowing through a major city. artery. In the 18th century, the 338-km- (210-mile-) the second-longest river in Great Britain. It flows The waterway is, however, still heavily used today. long river flowing through southern England was very slowly before emptying itself into the North Excursion boats operate there by the minute, and still one of the busiest waterways anywhere in the Sea. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the river Londoners who live in outlying districts can take world, because London was rapidly turning into the often froze over so that people could enjoy ice public ferries to the heart of the city. Rowing on the main trading metropolis of the British Empire. Yet skittles and even enjoy frost fairs on the Thames. Thames is a popular pastime, and if you want to the Thames also divided the city: before the With the arrival of trains and cars, however, the play at being James Bond, you can book a tour by construction of Tower Bridge in 1894, it separated Thames lost its economic importance as the city’s speedboat where passengers bomb across the what was then London on the north bank of the “principal route”. A positive effect is that it is today water at 242 bhp to well-known 007 tunes.

26 CITY OF LONDON RIVER THAMES

When at night the city lights are reflected in the waters of the Thames, even a metropolis like London with its construction cranes and high-rise buildings is cloaked in a romantic ambience (large picture). Left: Ships in front of Tower Bridge, one of the city’s landmarks. The bridge is magnificently illuminated in the dark; from its walkways, visitors look down on the river 45 m (148 ft) below.

CITY OF LONDON 27 ALL HALLOWS BY THE TOWER/THE MONUMENT

The Monument commemorates the greatest composed of wooden houses with thatched roofs. catastrophe in the city’s history, the Great Fire of The fire also destroyed the old St Paul‘s Cathedral London, which almost completely destroyed the and more than 80 parish churches. One of the densely inhabited medieval city in 1666. churches spared by the fire was All Hallows by the Christopher Wren, London‘s great architect, Tower; many more were rebuilt by Wren. There is designed the column, which was finally erected in a fine view over the city from the top of the 1677 and stands about 60 m (200 ft) from the Monument, 60 m (200 ft) above street level, bakery in where the fire broke out. revealing a panorama of buildings, now in stone, In those days, the City of London was mainly proof of the City‘s will to survive.

28 CITY OF LONDON ALL HALLOWS BY THE TOWER/THE MONUMENT

All Hallows by the Tower (left) is the oldest church in the city and is older even than the Tower of London. Its origins date back to 675. Rebuilt several times in the ensuing centuries, the oldest sections are the remains of a building from the Roman period, parts of which are exhibited in the undercroft museum in the crypt. Large picture: The Monument, the illuminated memorial column at night.

CITY OF LONDON 29 LLOYD’S OF LONDON

At night, the gleaming steel and glass façade of the sensation, paving the way for the more ambitious dramatically lit Lloyd’s Building is imbued with an building projects that London has witnessed since. almost otherworldly glow. By day, the external For Lloyd’s of London, Roger’s steel palace was a glass elevators, stairwells and service ducts make long way from the insurance market’s first home the building look as if it has been turned inside out inside Edward Lloyd’s coffee house in 1688. As the – which is exactly the impression that its architect, centuries rolled on, Lloyd’s grew to become a giant Richard Rogers, set out to create. When the building of the insurance industry, catering for the most was opened in 1986, Roger’s innovative, award- complicated of risks – even arranging to insure the winning design was hailed as an architectural legs of the world’s most beautiful supermodels.

30 CITY OF LONDON LLOYD’S OF LONDON

The Lloyd‘s Building, comprising several office blocks and auxiliary towers arranged around a rectangular square, is a complex with an almost futuristic air. Its features include the stainless-steel spiral stairwells that wind round the outside walls and the 12 glass exterior elevators, which were the first of their kind in Britain. The large Underwriting Room houses the famous Lutine Bell.

CITY OF LONDON 31 LEADENHALL MARKET

There has been a market on this site since the magnificent building, an elaborate Victorian Middle Ages, allowing the local rural population to structure of wrought iron and glass, was designed sell its produce, mainly poultry, meat and fish. The by Sir and dates back to 1881. The first stalls were grouped round a town house with a shop and restaurant façades lining the cobbled lead roof, which gave the market its name, and a passageways have been retained in the same style. stone hall was not constructed here until after the The market, which is very photogenic, is not only a in the 17th century. The new tourist attraction – it was also used as the set for covered structure was divided into the Beef Market, Diagon Alley in the 2001 film “Harry Potter and the the Green Yard and the Herb Market. Today’s Philospher‘s Stone”.

32 CITY OF LONDON LEADENHALL MARKET

The shops in the market sell fine delicatessen, meat, cheese, fish and other provisions, as well as smart leather goods, designer suits, stationery and pens, and other high-value items for well-off business types who work in the area. There are plenty of restaurants and pubs offering refreshments and – if you have sufficient funds at your disposal – you can hire the hall for private functions.

CITY OF LONDON 33 FINANCIAL DISTRICT

The lure of the power of money: the City of London the Bank of England. Billions are traded every is the world’s leading financial centre and an day, and even the economic crisis has failed to important contributor to the British economy. change things very much – capitalism here is still More than 13,000 companies are based in the far from dead. In the evening and at weekends, “Square Mile”, including 500 banks and all the however, the area is quite deserted and even the world‘s leading finance houses. All the British pubs and restaurants often close their doors. financial institutions have their headquarters Only about 8,000 people actually live in the area, here, including the , the mostly on the , a complex of giant insurance company Lloyd’s of London and blocks built in the 1960s.

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35 CITY OF LONDON CITY OF LONDON 38 FINANCIAL DISTRICT

Great Britain’s first skyscraper, , was built in 1980. It is 183 m (600 ft) high and has 42 floors, making it the tallest building in the City (large picture, second building from the left). The owner is a real estate group. Tower (left and below, third building from the left), “The Gherkin”, originally owned by the insurer Swiss Re, was sold to property companies and now belongs to a Brazilian billionaire.

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