London Things to Do Tips by whitecliff62

THE LONDON DUNGEON London Dungeon Review

This one will scare the pants off you. Its the London dungeon. This tourist attraction has been a favourite place for visitors for years and with exhibits on nasty people like jack the ripper its well worth the money to get in. I have herd that since i went it has had a total refurbishment.

HORSE GUARDS PARADE Whitehall and Downing Street Review

One more photo of the guard and horse.

HORSE GUARDS PARADE Whitehall and Downing Street Review

This is another great London tradition. These horses have got to be the most well behaved in the world to put up with the noise of tourists and traffic.

TRAFALGAR SQUARE Trafalgar Square Review

This is Londons most photographed square and here you will see the beatifull fountains and the monument of Nelson.

Address: Trafalgar square, just off the strand.

S.T PAULS CATHEDERAL St Pauls Cathedral Review

S.T. pauls cathederal is another famous London tourist destination. Although i haven't been inside this beautifull building freinds have told me that the guided tour is not to be missed and is well worth the money.

TOWER BRIDGE%c Tower Bridge Review

I found some interesting facts about Tower bridge that you might be fascinated to know.
In 1910the high-level walkways, which were designed so that the public could still cross the bridge when it was raised, were closed down due to a lack of use. most people preferred to wait at the bottom and watch the bascules rise up.

In 1912 during an emergency, frank McClean had to fly bettween the bascules and the high level walkways in his biplane, to avoid an accident.

In 1952a London bus had to leap from one bascule to the other when the bridge began to rise with the bus still on it.

In 1977 Tower bridge was painted red, white and blue to celebrate the queens silver jubilee, the old colour was chocolate brown.

In 1982Tower bridge opened to the public for the first time since 1910 with a permanent exhibition inside called the Tower bridge experience.

TOWER BRIDGE Tower Bridge Review

This is perhaps one of the most photographed landmarks in London, Tower bridge with h.m.s. Belfast on the right which you can also visit. The building of the bridge took 8 years to construct and 5 major contractors untill its completion in 1894 and with a total labour force of 432 it was a big undertaking for its day. Two massive piers had to be sunk into the river bed to suport the bridge and over 11,000 tons of steel made up the framework for the towers and walkways. This was then clad in granite to protect the steel from corosion.

BIG BEN Houses of Parliament and Big Ben Review

Another photo of this famous monument.

BIG BEN Houses of Parliament and Big Ben Review

This is the most famous clock in the world and i have found out a few things that might interest you about Big Ben
THE CLOCKTOWER
The total height of the tower is 316ft.
The height of the belfry is about 200ft.
There are 290 steps to the clockroom and 340 to the belfry.

THE BELLS
The quarter chiming bells are in the key of F
The hour bell (Big Ben) is note E and weighs 13.5 tons and has a maximum diameter of 9ft.
The hammer of the hour bell weighs 4cwt.
The four quarter bells weigh (in order of size) 1 ton, 1.25 tons, 1.6 tons and 3.5 tons.

THE DIALS AND HANDS
The diameter of each of the four dials is 23ft.
Each dial contains 312 panes or glass.
28 bulbs are used to light each dial from behind.
The hour hands are 9ft long and weigh 0.8 cwt.
The minute hands are 14ft long and weigh 2.5cwt.
The roman numerals are 2ft high.

THE CLOCK MECHANISM
Three train flatbed mechanism with Grimthorp's double three-legged gravity escapement and two-second pendulum.
The frame of the mechanism is about 16ft long and the entire machine weighs 5 tons.
The driving weights weigh 2cwt. (going), 1 ton (striking) and 1.25 tons (chiming)
The chiming and striking trains have been wound by motor since 1912 but the previous hand winding took two men 5 hours per train.
The going train is still wound by hand which takes about 30 mins.
The overall lenth of the pendulum is about 14ft and it weighs 2.5cwt.

NELSONS COLOUM Trafalgar Square Review

This is one monument you can't miss when you visit Trafalgar square. Nelsons coloum comemorates the battle of trafalgar and the actual coloum is 170ft high and Nelson stands proudly on the top and he is 18ft high.

Address: Trafalgar square