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.
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.
Currently the third tallest Ferris wheel in the world (the tallest when built in 1999, but now behind Singapore and Nanchang), it moves at 0.6mph, and you can see 25 miles from the top.
The new stadium is the second biggest in Europe behind Barcelona’s Camp Nou, but has the most toilets of any stadium in the world! (2618) The first concert held here was George Michael in 2007.
Britain’s first escalators were installed at this famous department store in 1898. Women were offered brandy at the summit in order to calm their nerves.
The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain was opened in 2004, and is made from 545 pieces of Cornish granite. The design is intended to reflect the Princess’s openness.
This arch, built in honour of the hero of the Battle of Waterloo, once formed a grand western entrance to London, but had to be moved aside in 1885 as it created a notorious traffic bottleneck.
The focus of mourning after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997, this was also the birthplace of Victoria, and where she was told she had become queen in 1837.
Piccadilly is named after a type of broad lace collar fashionable in the early 17th century, the ‘piccadil’. The best examples were sold by a local tailor whose shop became known as Piccadilly Hall.
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
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.
Westminster Bridge is painted green, the same colour as the seats in the House of Commons, which it is nearer to. Likewise neighbouring Lambeth Bridge is painted red, the colour of the Lords.
Built to commemorate the Great Fire of 1666, the height of the Monument is the same as its distance from the bakery on Pudding Lane where the fire started.
