Cathedral in London next to Big Ben. Buckingham Palace, Tower Fortress and Westminster Abbey are the three main diamonds of the London tiara. All about Big Ben: history and description

We all know from school that the most famous bridge London is Tower Bridge. Its unusual appearance makes it easily recognizable: two towers stand on imposing river pillars. gothic style, which are connected by drawbridges and pedestrian galleries.

Its main difference from other bridges is that it is a drawbridge and the lowest located above the Thames. It got its name due to its proximity to the Tower, which is located on the north side.

Short story

For a long time, the Thames was crossed by one bridge, the London Bridge. However, the sharp economic recovery and population growth that began in the 19th century showed the need for the construction of additional bridges, which were supposed to help solve the capital’s transport problem.

Over the course of several years, more than one bridge was built, but problems with traffic flow did not decrease. Soon a committee was created that studied dozens of projects, and only in 1884 the project of John Wolf Bury and Horace Johnsan was approved.

More than 400 workers worked on the construction of the bridge for 8 years. The opening took place on June 30, 1894, and was attended by Prince Edward of Wales and his wife Princess Alexandra.

The bridge was made in the Gothic style, but using a number of innovative developments. Thanks to the presence of a hydraulic system, just a couple of minutes are enough to ensure free passage for a sailing vessel. Until 1974, the bridge was raised by the operation of steam engines, in the furnaces of which coal was burned, which drove the pumps. They pumped water into reservoirs, storing energy. But progress did not stand still, and the entire mechanism was replaced with an electro-hydraulic system, which significantly saved time and costs. Now the bridge was raised not according to schedule, but out of necessity.

Over the years, Tower Bridge along with Big Ben have become real symbols and one of the main attractions of London.

Today, Tower Bridge is one of the most visited attractions in England. Many tourists coming here consider it an honor to take a walk along legendary building, especially since many London hotels offer very informative and comprehensive city tours.

Information for visitors

Address: Tower Bridge Road, London SE1 2UP, United Kingdom

You can take a walk along Tower Bridge:

  • during the summer season (from April 1 to September 30) - from 10:00 to 18:30 (last entry at 17:30);
  • during the winter season (from October 1 to March 31) - from 09:30 to 18:00 (last entry at 17:00).

Ticket prices:

You can buy tickets at

Let's start with the most famous ones, such as Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster. Even those who have never been to London have heard about them, but not everyone knows that the Parliament is located in the Palace of Westminster, about the history of this palace, about the changes that it has undergone over the centuries.

Tours are available even when Parliament is in session, for both British citizens and foreigners. Some centuries-old traditions have been preserved here. After the election of a new Speaker of the House of Commons, other members of Parliament literally force him to the Speaker's chair. In the old days, the Speaker of the House of Commons, who did not find a common language with the House of Lords, lost not only his job, but also his life. One day they cut off the heads of two speakers in one day. Now heads are no longer cut off, and in parliament, with its bicameral system of checks and balances, disputes are resolved through debate.

Big Ben was added to the building after a fire in 1834, and after the first bell cracked while still being tested, a second one was raised up the bell tower and sounded for the first time in July 1859. This too soon cracked, so it was turned to the hammer of another side, instead of changing the bell itself.

Another well-known building is Buckingham Palace, which everyone who visits London should see. Buckingham Palace has been the official residence of the English queen and the royal family since the late 18th century. It's in Westminster and easy to get to public transport, as it is one of the most frequently visited places in London by tourists.

Every year in August and September, visitors can see the main hall. It contains priceless paintings by great artists, beautiful sculptures and some of the most remarkable furniture in the world. Many also want to see the changing of the guard of the royal guard.

Tower of London in different historical eras it was a palace, a fortress, and a prison. Perhaps its current purpose - a museum - is the best of all. Its defensive walls and towers were built by the various kings who resided here. The fortress moat, which received water from the Thames, was drained in 1830. William the Conqueror began building the Tower, but it was never completed during his lifetime.

Many famous captives were held here for years, so now it is possible to regale tourists with chilling ghost stories. Tower Bridge and each of the towers has its own story. Here you can also see the crown treasures. The Tower also serves as a zoo and an arsenal.

St Paul's Cathedral The first service was celebrated back in 1697. This is the fourth cathedral that stands on this site. The first St. Paul's Cathedral was built back in the 7th century. The third was destroyed during the Great Fire of London. The present cathedral took 35 years to build according to the design of Christopher Wren. He was obsessed with the idea that main church London is meant to amaze the imagination, and now every corner of the cathedral, including the organ, lives up to its expectations.

The official name of Westminster Abbey is Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, but in the world it is better known unofficially. Since the Battle of Hastings back in the 11th century. Almost all coronations took place here, and it is still the site of all important national events. Previously there was a Benedictine monastery here, but now it is no longer there.

The building at the intersection of Whitehall and Downeen Streets has been strongly associated with the English Prime Minister since 1730. The house was originally given as a gift to Prime Minister Robert Walpole, but he refused the gift and insisted that the building be used by future First Lords of the Treasury. This building is the heart of the British government.

Attempts by contemporaries to contribute to the architecture of London evoked a variety of responses. Ferris wheel, which was named "London Eye" was received positively because it offers magnificent views of the River Thames.

And here Millennium Dome in Greenwich, from an architectural point of view, it was not received as well, but as the largest premises in England for exhibitions, shops, restaurants and other entertainment venues, it was to the taste of Londoners.

These are just a few of the huge amount interesting and remarkable places London. New or old, they all attract tourists who want to see for themselves what they previously only saw on TV. Even if you only see a small portion of London's historic buildings and structures, you'll know you've spent your time and money well-spent.

Generally. However, the capital of Great Britain is so rich in terms of historical and cultural attractions that it is simply unrealistic to fit everything into one article. In principle, the same as seeing the main “delicacies” of the city in one day.

If you, my dear reader, on the first day of your stay in London, probably ran to see, the second day was simply created for going to the cult fortress -.

Over the 900 years of its history, the Tower of London has been a palace, a prison, a treasure repository, an observatory, and even a zoo. Since then, the appearance of the fortress has remained virtually unchanged. Today the Tower building houses a museum and treasure repository. british crown. There are also private apartments in the building where high-ranking guests are received, and service personnel also live here.


It is better to visit the fortress in the morning if you plan to have time to see a lot in the Tower itself and in the surrounding area. Entrance to the Tower is paid, ticket for adults - 25 pounds sterling at the box office (23 pounds online, on the official website), children (5-15 years old) - 12 pounds (10.75).

Next to the Tower Fortress there is another iconic object of London -. Designers in the 19th century had to work hard on the project in order to new bridge across the river became not just an overpass for the rapidly increasing flow of traffic, but also a structure that would harmoniously fit into the architectural style of the capital. Now it’s hard to believe, but at the end of the 19th century Tower Bridge turned out to be the only place in the city center, where you could move from one bank of the Thames to the other.

Construction of the bridge took 8 years, and in 1894 the 265-meter long bridge was finally completed. Many Londoners initially disliked the bridge for its Victorian Gothic design, but gradually they got used to it, and over time it became one of the main symbols of London.

In the area of ​​Tower Bridge there is an excellent embankment with modern residential buildings and office buildings, on the ground floors of which there are many restaurants and cafes with a summer terrace. Rumor has it that this part of London has the most expensive real estate in the city per square meter.

On the other side of the Thames I came across this unusual monument. According to unconfirmed information, the idea of ​​this creation was embodied by a local architect, impressed by the masterpiece Igor Nikolaev heard - “Dolphin and the Mermaid”.

If you want to see where the British Queen lives, go to. A significant portion of official royal ceremonies are held here, such as receptions of foreign heads of state or appointed foreign ambassadors. More than 50 thousand people every year are invited to state banquets, lunches, dinners and official receptions, including the royal one. The Queen also holds weekly meetings with the Prime Minister here.

One of my favorite places in London is Trafalgar Square. Local architecture cannot but please the eye. There are always a lot of tourists here. Locals also like to make appointments here. In the middle of the square is the 56-meter Nelson's Column with a statue of Admiral Nelson on top.

There is a rather nice fountain nearby, and in the background on the right you can already see Big Ben, which is about five minutes on foot from here.

On Trafalgar Square London is also located National Gallery- third most visited Art Museum in the world. There are more than 2,000 paintings on display here, including works by Rubens, Titian, Van Dyck and other great artists.

Monument to some general. Even if you knew which one, it is unlikely that this information would remain with you for longer than a second after reading these lines.


Walking around London, one gets the impression that this city is endless. Monuments, ancient buildings, parks. You turn right - beauty, left - beauty, back, forward - the same thing. And so on, kilometer after kilometer, until the moon replaces the sun. It even gets kind of boring. No garbage, no dull five-story Khrushchev buildings, no rude salespeople. No, well, I’ll still find the weak points of this city, you won’t get off that easy, London!

Big Ben, the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey are considered one of the visiting cards of London. A huge number of tourists flock here just to capture these beautiful and majestic sights of the capital of Great Britain, as well as themselves against their background. To see at least with one eye everything that was written in the articles that had to be memorized in English lessons at school.

Many articles have been written on the topic of Big Ben, the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey, and to be honest, I don’t want to tritely repeat what’s already great for everyone known information. If you want, open Wikipedia, other articles from the search and go ahead for dry statistics.

I want to tell you about something that is not so well known to the general mass of tourists. In this article I will operate historical facts, I will surprise and intrigue, and also try to uncover the secrets of Big Ben, the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey in London.

It will be interesting, I promise. Go!

BIG BEN (BigBen)

1. I want to shock you right away. Big Ben is not the tower of the Palace of Westminster. And not even a four-sided clock. This is the bell that is located behind the clock dial and which sounded for the last time at exactly noon on August 21, 2017, and fell silent for four whole years. It was disconnected in order to restore both the clock and the tower.

So long term Big Ben's silence caused cognitive dissonance among the public and in the House of Commons. The latter even announced that the period of silence of the bell would be revised.

In the meantime, Big Ben is covered with tiles. No, not all 96 meters of this giant, but only the lower part.

We managed to capture this exciting and quite important moment for London.

As for me, the restoration will only benefit old Ben. Moreover, they promise to install elevators, new bathrooms, a kitchen and other tourist delights in the tower.

And it will finally be possible to climb to the very top of the tower (previously only a select few enjoyed this right).

English teachers will be delighted. There will be something new to tell about Big Ben. New cramming topics are coming!

2. Why is it called Big Ben?! There are two legends about this.

According to one of them, the name of the clock was given by parliament. It so happened that when this burning issue was discussed, the loudest rant in the room was construction supervisor Benjamin Hall, who had the funny nickname “Big Ben.”

Almost no one listened to him, but after another not very smart remark from Hall, someone from the audience could not stand it and suggested: “Sirs, let’s call the bell Big Ben and go home!”

At first the audience laughed, but then they thought deeply.

According to another legend, Big Ben was named after the then popular boxer Benjamin Count.

2. The bell in the tower weighs 13.5 tons. It took 18 hours to raise it.

3. The clock in the tower is one of the most accurate and largest in the world. Moreover, what is noteworthy is that the accuracy of their movement is regulated using... an ordinary 1 penny coin (if necessary, the coin is placed on the pendulum and its movement slows down by 0.4 seconds per day).

4. At the base of each of the 7 meter clock dials of the tower there is the inscription “Domine Salvam fac Reginam nostram Victoriam primam”, which is translated from Latin as: “God save our Queen Victoria the First”.

Along the perimeter of the tower, to the right and left of the clock, is another phrase in Latin - “Laus Deo” (“Glory to God” or “Praise the Lord”).

5. Almost all UK news programs begin with a photograph of the tower.

6. The official name of the tower is “Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster”, and it is also called “St Stephen’s Tower”.

7. Once upon a time, Big Ben was a prison for parliamentarians who behaved inappropriately during meetings. What is noteworthy is that during the entire short history of its existence, only one person sat in the tower. Emmeline Pankhurst, who zealously defended women's rights. In her honor, a monument was erected in Parliament Square, where Big Ben stands.

8. Big Ben was designed by three people: amateur watchmaker Edmund Beckett Denison, lawyer George Airey, and Her Majesty's astronomer.

But the mechanism was assembled by a professional - watchmaker Edward John Dent. In 1854 the work was completed.

9. Since 1912, the clocks have been illuminated by gas jets, which were later replaced by electric lamps.

10. Very often you can see our Ukrainian tourist car near the tower.

11. Next to Big Ben is a monument to Winston Churchill. Old Churchill looks thoughtfully at the tower and remembers the long-gone times of his youth.

12. The view of Big Ben from the London Eye is beautiful!

Although I still don't recommend visiting the London Eye. Why - I already told in this article.

If you walk around the monument and look closely at Winston’s face, you can clearly read in his gaze: “Don’t waste time, gentlemen!”

12. Big Ben is one of the towers of Westminster Palace.

WESTMINSTERCASTLE(Palace of Westminster)

The palace itself is very beautiful.

It was rebuilt in the neo-Gothic style in 1840 after a terrible fire that almost completely destroyed the building in 1834.

Let me tell you, all these patterns, lintels, arches and stained glass windows are simply stunning.

What is noteworthy is that immediately after the fire, King William IV offered parliament the almost completed Buckingham Palace, but the sovereign's servants refused the gift and decided to stay in the Palace of Westminster.

This is where the British Parliament currently meets.

The palace has 1,100 rooms, 100 staircases and 5 kilometers of corridors. Of the palace towers, the most famous is Big Ben (or clock tower Elizabeth).

Another interesting thing is that next to the Palace of Westminster there is a small three-story building called the “Jewel Tower”. As you probably guessed, the building was specially built (in 1365-66) to store the jewelry of Emperor Edward III.

Moreover, for security purposes, the turret was surrounded by a moat with water.

But time passed. There were fewer and fewer valuables, and then, after a fire in 1512, they were completely taken out of there.

At the end of the 16th century, the Tower began to be used to store the archives of the House of Lords, thanks to which these archives survived the fire of 1834, unlike the archives of the House of Commons.

After World War II, the building was restored and became open to tourists.

WESTMINSTER ABBEY (WestminsterAbbey)

Across the road from the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben is Westminster Abbey. To be precise - St. Peter's Collegiate Church in Westminster.

According to legend, at the beginning of the 7th century, Saint Peter (the patron saint of fishermen) appeared to a local fisherman named Aldrich and pointed to the place where the church was soon founded. The church was named West Minster (from the English west - west and minster - monastery church).

Interestingly, in the Middle Ages, fishermen from nearby villages paid salmon tax to the abbey, and it is quite possible that the legend was invented precisely to justify the extortions.

But the history of the appearance of Westminster Abbey is associated with Edward the Confessor, who reigned from 1042 to 1065. He was known as a very pious man. So it is not surprising that he began a large-scale restructuring old church West Minster to Grand architectural structure for the purpose of using it as a royal tomb.

By order of Edward, the Benedictine community received the status of an abbey (Catholic monastery) and good land. Also thanks to his contribution, a Royal Palace.

Later, the Abbey was rebuilt several times. But at the same time it always remained a very rich monastery. For example, in 1535 his annual income was £2,800, equivalent to £1.5 million today.

It is not surprising that Westminster Abbey regularly hosts concerts of sacred and secular music. Both memorial events (September 6, 1997, the funeral ceremony of Princess Diana took place. Moreover, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Lord Charles Dickens and others rest here) and celebrations (April 29, 2011, the wedding ceremony of Prince William and Kate Middleton took place in the Abbey ).

But perhaps the most surprising thing is that Westminster Abbey houses a very interesting exhibit. A wooden throne made for Edward I back in 1300. This throne contains the legendary Skunk Stone, or as it is also called the “Stone of Destiny.”

According to legends, this stone has protective properties and also grants long youth and a rich life to its owners.

Maybe it's true.

During World War II, not a single shell hit Westminster Abbey, while the Palace of Westminster was pretty battered.

The abbey has a small museum dedicated to the history of Westminster, pretty gardens and beautiful church Saint Margaret.

As for me, Big Ben, the Palace of Westminster, and Westminster Abbey are worthy of a visit on the very first day of your stay in London. It is beautiful, majestic and monumental. And these three attractions are located next to each other.

Additional information about Big Ben, the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey: where they are, how to get there

Location: London, Parliament Square
Address: Palace of Westminster, Old Palace Yard, London SW1
Nearest metro station: Westminster on the Circle, District and Jubilee lines
How to get there by bus: to Parliament Square or to the Whitehall Street (Trafalgar Square) stop.

Be sure to take advantage Oyster Card to pay for your trips (valid in London on all types of public transport).

Can also be reached by buses

The capital of Great Britain is London, it is one of the largest capitals peace. The city's population exceeds 12 million people and the same number of guests and tourists come to London every year to see its attractions.
The sights of London are historical monuments And architectural ensembles, magnificent art galleries and world-famous museums, exquisite shady parks and royal traditions.
In the article "London Guide", there is an incomplete list of London attractions, which will now be discussed.

London Attractions

Her Majesty's Fortress and Royal Palace, historical castle, located in the city center.
The fortress, built in the chivalric centuries to protect the city and the borders of the country, later, for many years, served as a prison where prisoners of high rank and noble birth were kept.
Now the Tower is a treasury where royal regalia and jewels are kept, where tourists can see exquisite jewelry and the royal scepter, crowned with the Cullinan Diamond. One of the attractions of the Tower was the “beefeaters” - the ceremonial guard and honor guard of the Tower.
The literal translation of the word beefeater means beef eater. Local crows are considered beef eaters; they are fed and their wings are clipped so that they cannot fly away. Otherwise, as the legend says, “If the ravens leave the Tower, the fortress and the kingdom will fall.”

One of the most beautiful and majestic bridges in the world. Built in 1894, the bridge was not to the taste of many and was given various unpleasant names; now, a hundred years later, the Gothic silhouette of the bridge has become a symbol of London. The construction of the bridge was a necessity of that time; it was made as a drawbridge for the passage of merchant ships, and at the same time pedestrians could cross it along the upper galleries.
Now in the upper galleries there is a small museum and an exhibition about the history of the bridge from where it opens beautiful view to the city.
The thousand-ton spans of the Tower Bridge rise in 90 seconds, at any time and in no more than 10 minutes. An application for the passage of a vessel with a height of more than 9 meters is submitted one day before the passage and the time of passage does not matter. Tourists like this tradition; it allows you to take some wonderful pictures of the bridge with its spans separated.

Since 1837, the residence of the royal dynasty in London, this palace complex forms a square of four buildings with a courtyard.
The palace has more than 770 rooms, of which: 52 are royal and guest bedrooms; 19 - state rooms; 78 - bathrooms; 280 - office premises and rooms for service personnel.

Every year, Buckingham Palace is visited by more than 50 thousand guests, officially invited to dinners, banquets and garden receptions. The presence of a member of the Royal Family is signaled by the raising of the Royal Standard above the roof of the palace.

One or two months a year, in the absence of a member of the royal family, some rooms of the palace are open to visitors, during which time you can see the Throne Room, where receptions are held on special occasions, and see the Ballroom, for receptions and concerts.
One of the attractions of Buckingham Palace is the daily changing of the guard.

 

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