Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
it was rebuilt, the resident population has dwindled to insignificance. Yet this remains
one of the great financial centres of the world, with the most prominent landmarks these
days being the hi-tech
skyscrapers
of banks and insurance companies. However, the
Square Mile, as it's known, boasts its fair share of historic sights too, notably the
Tower of
London
and a fine cache of Wren churches that includes the mighty St Paul's Cathedral.
East of the City, the
East End
and
Docklands
are equally notorious, but in entirely different
ways. Traditionally working-class, the East End is not conventional tourist territory, but its
long history of immigration is as fascinating as is its more recent emergence as a bolthole for
artists. With its converted warehouse apartments and hubristic tower blocks, Docklands is
the converse of the edgy East End, with the
Canary Wharf
tower - for three decades the
country's tallest building - epitomizing the pretensions of the 1980s' Thatcherite dream.
he
South Bank
,
Bankside
and
Southwark
together make up the small slice of central
London that lies south of the Thames. The Southbank Centre itself, London's concrete
culture bunker, is enjoying something of a renaissance - thanks, in part, to the nearby
London Eye, which spins gracefully over the Thames. Bankside is also going from
strength to strength, with the Millennium Bridge linking St Paul's Cathedral with the
former power station that's home to
Tate Modern
, London's museum of modern art.
In
Hyde Park
and
Kensington Gardens
you'll find a large segment of greenery that
separates wealthy west London from the city centre. The museums of
South Kensington
- the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum
- are a must, and if you have shopping on your agenda you may well want to investigate
the hive of plush stores in the vicinity of Harrods, superstore to the upper echelons.
Some of the most appealing parts of
north London
are clustered around the Regent's
Canal, which skirts the northern edge of
Regent's Park
and serves as the focus for the
capital's busiest weekend market, held around
Camden Lock
. Further out, in the chic
literary suburbs of Hampstead and Highgate, there are unbeatable views across the city
from half-wild
Hampstead Heath
, the favourite parkland of thousands of Londoners.
The glory of south London is
Greenwich
, with its nautical associations, royal park and
observatory (not to mention its Dome). Finally, there are plenty of rewarding day-trips
up the Thames, southwest of the city centre from
Chiswick
to
Hampton Court
, an area
that is liberally peppered with the stately homes and grounds of the country's royalty and
former aristocracy, from Syon and
Kew
, to
Richmond
and Ham.
When to go
Considering how temperate the London
climate
is (see p.27), it's amazing how much
mileage the locals get out of the subject. The truth is that summers rarely get really hot
and the winters aren't very cold. In fact, it's impossible to say with any certainty what the
weather will be like in any given month. May might be wet and grey one year and
gloriously sunny the next; November stands an equal chance of being crisp and clear or
foggy and grim. So, whatever time of year you come, be prepared for all eventualities,
and bring a pair of comfortable shoes, as, inevitably, you'll be doing a lot of walking.
FROM TOP
LITTLE VENICE; GUARDS OUTSIDE BUCKINGHAM PALACE; COVENT GARDEN PIAZZA
