CITY SAFARI - London & Partners

victoria & Albert MuseumSt Paul’s CathedralHampton Court Palaceitinerary:London’s historical sightsGDocklandsWith nearly 2,000 years of history under its belt, one of London’s great joys is theway architecture from different eras jostles together in a pleasing melée.By Hermione Crawford1 ROMAN (AD43-410)started by the romans in 43ad, thecity of londinium lasted just 17 yearsbefore being sacked by boudicca,Queen of the iceni tribe. rebuilt andheavily fortified, by 100ad it was athriving capital. amazingly you can stillsee traces of the old London Wall,most notably around Ë tower hill.See also: Guildhall (p. 61) for theremains of londinium’s amphitheatre.the Museum Of London hasincredible artefacts (p. 63).2 MeDievAL (1066-1485)in 1066, william i of normandyinvaded england and wrested controlfrom king alfred. in order to stamphis mark on a resentful population,he set about building the greatestfortress the country had ever seen:the Tower of London (p. 49). thewhite tower, which was finished in1100, still stands.See also: Westminster Abbey(p. 49), and the Jewel Tower (p. 31).3 TuDOR (1485-1603)Hampton Court Palace (p. 30) wastransformed from an unassuminghome to one of the greatest palacesin europe when cardinal wolseytook it over in 1514 and built a vastcomplex here. it was so splendid thatwhen henry viii took it in 1528, hecontinued the work, turning hamptoninto a dazzling pleasure palace.See also: Queen elizabeth’sHunting Lodge (8 ranger’s road,e4. % 020 8529 6681. : cityoflondon.gov.uk T chingford. off map.)4 CAROLiNe AND GeORGiAN(1625-1830)St Paul’s Cathedral (p. 46) is sirchristopher wren’s masterpiece.it easily rates as one of the mostbeautiful cathedrals in europe,and is an unmissable example ofneoclassical architecture. startedafter the great Fire of london in1666, and reconsecrated in 1708,it adds remarkable grace to thecity’s skyline.See also: Somerset House(p. 69). the neoclassical aspects ofthe British Museum (p. 56).5 viCTORiAN/eDWARDiAN(1837-1910)From the 1850s-1910s britainwas the most powerful nation onearth and london entered a newphase of construction, throwing upstreets, public buildings, parks andmuch more – you need only lookaround to see the wealth and powerof the nation at this time. designedto be a cultural epicentre, it is fairto say that the architects of thesouth kensington area succeededfully. before entering the victoriaand Albert Museum (p. 70) orthe Natural History Museum(p. 65), look up at the incredibleornamentation on their vast façadesand enjoy their majestic halls.See also: Battersea Park (p. 26).5 MODeRN (1945-2000)there may be some low points inlondon’s 20th-century architecture,particularly from the post-war periodwhen we rushed to rebuild, buta definite high point are the vastskyscrapers at canary wharf(p. 10). equally lovely is the delicatemillennium Footbridge (map c8).See also: The O 2 , a startling, originaland balloon-like dome (p. 26).5 iNTO THe 21ST CeNTuRyafter all the monumental buildingsof yesteryear, a recent trend hasbeen for temporary structures. thereare pop-up shops, bars and more,utilising london’s forgotten and offbeatspaces. a brilliant example isPontoon. open for the summer only,this champagne and seafood bar willfloat in st katharine docks (e1.% 020 3137 3938. : evensus.com Ë tower hill. off map).See also: not that we have given upon vast skyscrapers – look south tosee the Shard taking shape (map d9).Pontoonvictoria and albert museum, st Paul’s cathedral and docklands © istockPhoto; cooking in hamPton court Palace’s tudor kitchens© hrP/newsteam; Pontoon courtesy evensus12| visitlondon.com | LONDON PLANNER | June 2011