Buckingham Palace and other London, United Kingdom Things to Do Tips

Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the British Sovereigns for over 170 years. It humbly began as a town house for the Duke of Buckingham.

Today the Queen lives there. It is currently open to visitors regularly. You have the ability to go in and view the exquisite art and furnishings in the state rooms.

Enjoy your visit!

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Address: The Mall, SW1
Directions: Open daily 30 July - 27 September 2005

Adult £13.50, Over 60/Student (with valid ID) £11.50, Under 17 £7.00, Under 5 Free, Family (2 adults, 3 under 17s) £34.00
Website: http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page555.asp

Long before I ever became interested in the history of Egypt (which occured thanks to Sarah), I travelled to London on a Rugby World Cup trip. Although at the time, I did not find the history of this statue interesting, in retrospect it is neat to say I have seen this obelisk in person. After visiting Karnak, Luxor and Cairo, I can honestly say I have seen plenty of Obelisks now, and while not the most impressive... I did find it intriguing that one of them is now located in London, on the banks of the Thames.

It has a long history for bringing this obelisk to London, which took nearly 80 years. The British first began to consider appropriating this obelisk, after the French were defeated at the Battle of Alexandria in 1801. British Sir Ralph Abercromby acquired the obelisk from Egypt. [Other source says it's Nelson's victory over the French fleet at the Battle of the Nile in 1798. But I think this would be an wrong information.] Finally in the 1870s, the soldier-turned-writer General James Alexander took up the cause, and then he did serious efforts for this collection. Other people, particularly an engineer named John Dixson and a millionaire Sir James Erasmus (Sir Erasmus Wilson ?) performed important roles for this transportation project. After much negotiation and preliminary work, this obelisk was loaded aboard a special barge and departed Alexandria, on September 21st, 1877.

For more of the story, please click on the link below. Information courtesy of Shoji Okamoto.

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Address: Off the tube at Embankment Station
Website: http://members.aol.com/Sokamoto31/london.htm
Other Contact: Sokamoto31@aol.com

There are quite a few points of confusion in regard to what exactly Big Ben is. When most people refer to the structure that holds the clock next to the House of Parliment, they simply refer it as Big Ben. The British however just consider the actual bell itself to be Big Ben.

There are varied rumors as to what figure gave Big Ben its name, and here are the two most common.

1. It was named after Benjamin Caunt, who was a very popular heavyweight boxer in the UK.

2. It was named after Sir Benjamin Hill, who was known to carry many extra pounds, and was the Parliamentary Commisioner of Works.

I would guess number 2 is probably a little more accurate, but I would love to hear from someone across the pond as to the truth to either of these legends.

Big Ben Facts and Figures:

How Big is Ben? 9'-0" diameter, 7'-6" high, and weighing in at 13 tons 10 cwts 3 qtrs 15lbs (13,760 Kg)

When? Big Ben was cast on Saturday 10th April 1858, with the first chime rung in situ on 31st May 1859.

Where? Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London.

By Whom? George Mears, then the master bellfounder and owner of the foundry.

How Much? UKP 2,401 for casting the bell (However this was offset to the sum of UKP 1,829 by the metal reclaimed from a previous bell so that the actual invoice submitted, on 28th May 1858, was for UKP 572.

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Phone: 020 7219 4272
Website: http://www.londonnet.co.uk/ln/guide/about/gallbigb.html

It is only appropriate that London's premier ferris wheel would be operated by British Airways... after all what company is more responsible for launching that many Brits into the air every year!!

Instead of calling the trip a ride, like most carnivals, BA had to appropriately name their ride a flight!

UPDATE: I have learned from the website it in fact is not a Ferris Wheel:

No it isn't - for three reasons, firstly that its capsules are enclosed, secondly that they are positioned on the outside of the wheel and thirdly that the whole structure is supported by an A-Frame from one side only.

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Phone: +44 (0) 870 5000 600
Website: http://www.ba-londoneye.com

Better known to most people as Westminster Abbey, this unique piece of architecture is home to the coronations of every British monarch save two since 1066. Years upon years of history lay beneath these halls.

To go much deeper on this site would not do the Abbey justice, so I would highly recommend visiting the site.

If you would like some pre-reading on the history prior to your trip, please reference the link below!

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Phone: 0 20 7654 4900
Address: Deans Yard, SW1
Directions: St James's Park tube
Website: http://www.westminster-abbey.org

One of the most distinguishable landmarks on the Thames is the famous London Tower Bridge, which has stood since 1894.

If you get the opportunity to take the tour, you will learn more about how the engineering of this tower works, as well as interesting information on how to take pictures from it without being obscurred by glass!

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Phone: 0 20 7626 3065
Address: Tower Bridge Road, EC3/SE1
Directions: Tower Hill or London Bridge tubes
Website: http://www.towerbridge.org.uk

One of Britian's most decorated naval heroes is Admiral Nelson, who fought many battles for British interest.

His most noteable battle was against Napoleon's Navy near Trafalgar, which is not permanently enshrined in the hearts of Brits through Trafalgar Square.

As the centerpiece to this square, is a statue on top of a large column which overlooks the entire square.

This statue is of Admiral Nelson, which is 18 feet tall and mounted on a 180 ft column. Very impressive!

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Address: Trafalgar Square
Website: http://www.hotels-london-hotel.com/nelsons-column/

Within the common sight of Westminster Abbey is one of the most beautiful displays of church stained glass I have ever seen.

It belongs to St. Margaret's Church, which is also known as the Church of the House of Commons, which it has been since the early 1600s.

Although the structure was originally built in the 12th Century, there were many rennovations before it arrived at its current state.

This was really a beautiful building and worth a look!

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Address: Westminster
Directions: Open: Mon-Fri 09:30-17:30; Sat 09:00-14:00; Sun 13:00-17:30; Sunday service 11:00
Website: http://www.touruk.co.uk/london_churches/stmargaretswestminster_church1.htm

St. Martin-in-the-Fields is and always has been a very unique church.

People have come to this church for over 800 years now, and with its unique open door strategy, it has become increasingly popular with certain groups of people throughout the world.

It is currently listed as a church that accepts gays and lesbians, and is currently searching for answers as to whether alternate lifestyle bishops will be permitted.

There are many concerts that this congregation performs every year, so I would recommend checking out their website if this is of interest to you.

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Phone: 020 - 7766 1100
Address: St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, London
Website: http://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org
Other Contact: info@smitf.org

I would say that this may have been the People Watching Highlight of the day for me. During our trip to England, we certainly enjoyed watching all the people of the World looking up at Admiral Nelson's statue and also watching in awe as water spewed out of the fountain.

Great place to spend an hour just watching to see what will happen next!

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Address: Trafalgar Square, WC2
Directions: Charing Cross or Leicester Square tubes
Website: http://www.great-britain.co.uk/towns/london/trafalga.htm