The acoustics here were once so bad, it was said this was the only venue where a composer could be sure of hearing his work twice. It was corrected in 1969 by putting diffusing discs on the ceiling.
Opened in 1881, the museum facade uses terracotta tiles which were resistant to the soot of Victorian London. The largest of the famous dinosaur skeletons in the central hall is a diplodocus.
Much of the collection was inherited from the Museum of Patents (est 1858) and includes early locomotives such as Stephenson’s Rocket and Puffing Billy, and the first jet engine.
Sculpted from Italian marble and based on the Arch of Constantine in Rome, this was built in 1827 as the entrance to Buckingham Palace. It was moved here in 1851 when the palace was enlarged.
Built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham, George III acquired it in 1762 as a private house. It became an official royal residence in the reign of Queen Victoria, when it was greatly enlarged.
Our favourite bit: Room 5 - Sargent and Lawrence. Remarkable portraits from the early 20th Century. Then move into neighbouring Room 4 for Hogarth and London pictures.
its the most amazing place in London.. especially considering the fact that it has 4 floors of M&M products
Westminster Abbey was built by Edward the Confessor and completed just before his death in 1065. Since William the Conqueror all the kings & queens of England have been crowned here.
Look out for the mosaic floors in the main entrance and stairwell. Fascinating. Work by the same artist can be seen at Tate Britain.
Every year a Norway Spruce is erected here and decorated as part of the Christmas festivities. The tree is a gift of thanks from the Norwegians for Britain's support during the Second World War
Big Ben refers to the 13 ton bell in the clock tower of Westminster Palace. Opinion is divided as to whether it was named after the then Commissioner of Works, or a famous prize-fighter of the time.
Do visit this bustling food market where top London chefs come to buy their ingredients. If you don’t find it here, where will you? Open from Thursday to Saturday, but come early to avoid the crowds! Read more.
From 1235 until 1835, the monarch’s personal zoo was kept at the Tower, and it included many exotic animals given as presents by other monarchs, including polar bears, leopards and elephants.
To mark the 50th birthday of the Royal Air Force in 1968, Flight Lt. Allan Pollock flew his Hawker jet under the walkway of Tower Bridge. This unauthorised stunt won him a court martial.
Small museum with interesting exhibits and fantastic shop. Definitely worth the entrance fee.
There’s nothing more quintessentially British than a classic Liberty of London print. Scoop up the iconic shirts and accessories for friends back home.
The Savoy Hotel, which completed a £220m renovation in October 2010, was the first hotel to have lifts when it opened in 1889. Its first chef, Auguste Escoffier, led to the verb ‘to scoff’, as in eat
London’s only post-war Grade I listed building was opened in 1951 for the Festival of Britain. The hall officially reopened after its renovation in 2007 with a performance by rock legends Motorhead.
London’s most famous modern nightclub was opened in 1991 by Old Etonian the Hon. James Palumbo. It’s modelled on the famous Paradise Garage club in New York, where ‘garage’ music was born.
Have a wander down Brick Lane on a Sunday and take in the colourful sights and eclectic smells. All sorts of little stalls to nibble away at, alongside vintage fashion and unusual bric a brac
The headquarters of the Secret Intelligent Service is nicknamed by spooks ’Legoland’, for obvious reasons. It has been claimed a secret tunnel under the river links the building to Whitehall.
The square here was laid out by Inigo Jones in 1630, on land once used by the monks of Westminster Abbey as a garden, but confiscated by Henry VIII during the Reformation.
In 1837 The Royal Opera house was the first ever theatre to use limelight. Limelight comes from the mixing of oxygen and hydrogen and then adding real burning lime to achieve a bright light.
