A married African-American couple who escaped enslavement in the US and fled to England in the mid-19th century has been honored with a blue plaque at their former London home. Ellen and William Craft lived at 26 Cambridge Grove, a mid-Victorian house in Hammersmith, after arriving in the country in December 1850. They had made a dangerous 1,000-mile journey from Georgia … [Read more...] about African-American abolitionists who escaped slavery honored with blue plaque in London
Architecture
Exploring the fascinating history of St Bride’s Church on Fleet Street – The Journalists’ Church
St Bride's Church on Fleet Street is a Christopher Wren church built after the Great Fire of London. It's the journalists' church, and the spire is the original inspiration for tiered wedding cakes. It is a City of London working parish church and welcomes visitors as a heritage attraction too. While open most days, it took Open House London to remind me that this would be a … [Read more...] about Exploring the fascinating history of St Bride’s Church on Fleet Street – The Journalists’ Church
Princess Diana honored with blue plaque at her former London flat
Diana, Princess of Wales, has been honored with a blue plaque at her former London flat. The princess lived at 60 Coleherne Court, a property in a mansion block close to the fashionable King’s Road in Chelsea when she settled in the capital as a young woman before marrying the Prince of Wales in 1981. She shared the flat with a number of girlfriends from 1979 to 1981, … [Read more...] about Princess Diana honored with blue plaque at her former London flat
Open House London: Exploring The Old Deanery – City of London
The Old Deanery is a Grade I seventeenth-century mansion house close to the West Front of St Paul’s Cathedral. Set back with its own courtyard, it is among a small handful of surviving secular buildings erected in the aftermath of the Great Fire of 1666. It is the office of the Bishop of London and recently underwent restoration. It's not somewhere we could usually see inside, … [Read more...] about Open House London: Exploring The Old Deanery – City of London
Open House London: Exploring Temple Church in the City of London – Built by the Knights Templar
I have meant to visit the Temple Church for years, so I was grateful for the encouragement when it was included in the annual Open House London. Regularly cited as a 'hidden gem,' this City of London church actually does fit the bill. It's certainly challenging to find and is a delight once discovered. The church sits between Fleet Street and the River Thames, within the … [Read more...] about Open House London: Exploring Temple Church in the City of London – Built by the Knights Templar
Ten Interesting Facts about Admiralty House
Admiralty House is part of the larger Whitehall government complex and has long had an association with the power of the United Kingdom government. Once the home to the First Lord of the Admiralty, today it serves as an event location and residential flats, but its history is more than being a place to live or hold a party. This remarkable 18th Century building has plenty of … [Read more...] about Ten Interesting Facts about Admiralty House
An Overview of Open House London
Open House London is an annual festival meant to celebrate the city’s architecture. It’s part of the larger Open City charity, an organization made up of fifty charities in various cities that focuses on architecture and design and how these affect our lives. Throughout the year, Open City puts on educational programs in schools, hosts a podcast, publishes books, and engages … [Read more...] about An Overview of Open House London
Hammersmith Bridge to reopen for pedestrians and cyclists only
West London’s Hammersmith Bridge is to partially reopen on Saturday after passing safety checks. Hammersmith and Fulham Council said pedestrians and cyclists will be permitted to use the 134-year-old cast-iron structure. Vessels on the River Thames will also be allowed to pass beneath it. Cracks in the pedestals have led to motor vehicles being prohibited … [Read more...] about Hammersmith Bridge to reopen for pedestrians and cyclists only
Ten Interesting Facts about St. James’s Palace
The most senior Royal Palace, St. James’s Palace, has been the seat of the British monarchy for centuries even though the Sovereign does not live there. As such, the gorgeous Tudor-style building has been a key part of history since its construction and has many interesting stories to tell. We’ve collected at least ten of these into the facts below, and they range from the … [Read more...] about Ten Interesting Facts about St. James’s Palace
Final tile laid as major restoration project in Britain’s Parliament ends
The final handmade tile in the restoration of a lobby at the heart of the Palace of Westminster has been laid. Almost 60,000 have been restored and replaced in the middle of Central Lobby, including original ones which were designed by Augustus Welby Pugin that would have carried the footsteps of Winston Churchill, William Gladstone, Margaret Thatcher, and countless other … [Read more...] about Final tile laid as major restoration project in Britain’s Parliament ends
Laura’s London: Exploring Copped Hall – A Stunning Abandoned Stately Home in Epping Forest
During lockdown, I've been enjoying getting to know Epping Forest. It's truly vast and stretches across northeast London and out into the Essex countryside. A friend gave me a tip to find a disused stately home that had been left empty but was now being renovated. Copped Hall is near to Epping in Essex. It is an 18th-century mansion situated on high ground at the end of a … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: Exploring Copped Hall – A Stunning Abandoned Stately Home in Epping Forest
Top 10 London: Ten War Memorials in London
War is a terrible business. For hundreds of years, they have required the utmost sacrifice from the United Kingdom’s men and women to protect freedom and the lives of innocent civilians. It is with that in mind that each conflict has seen a monument erected to those who served and those who fell. As the nation’s capital, London has more than its fair share of such memorials … [Read more...] about Top 10 London: Ten War Memorials in London
Through the Lens: Behind the Scenes of London’s (Closed) Theatres From New London Theatres Book
London photographer Peter Dazeley's beautiful photos of London's Theatres were released in a book a few years ago and as a fan of London, architecture and pretty pictures, I loved the book. Well, this year, the publisher has issued a new edition, with ten additional theatres included. Peter has contacted us and offered to let us share a selection of the pictures from this … [Read more...] about Through the Lens: Behind the Scenes of London’s (Closed) Theatres From New London Theatres Book
Buck House: A History of Buckingham Palace – Long Read
Editor's Note: You're going to want to brew a cuppa and read this one! While it has a much longer history, Buckingham Palace only became the London residence of Britain's sovereigns in 1837. The Palace is the administrative headquarters of the monarchy and the royal family. (The Queen refers to Buckingham Palace as "the office" as it's where she works rather than … [Read more...] about Buck House: A History of Buckingham Palace – Long Read
The Fiver – Five More Tudor Buildings in London
Last year we covered some of the buildings that remain in London from the Tudor architectural style. Popular from the end of the medieval period through the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (for whom there is a subset of this design style), the Tudor style is characterized by hammer-beam roofs, long chimneys, timber framing, and brick masonry. While in the past we covered such … [Read more...] about The Fiver – Five More Tudor Buildings in London
London Long Read: A History of London’s 35 Bridges Over The Thames
Did you know, there are 35 bridges over The Thames in London? No, me neither so this was a really interesting article to research. From Hampton Court Bridge in the west (just within the Greater London boundary) through to Tower Bridge there are road bridges, railway bridges and footbridges too. Have a read through, admire the photos, then let us know which is your favourite. … [Read more...] about London Long Read: A History of London’s 35 Bridges Over The Thames
Out of Austerity: The Festival of Britain 1951 – A History and Examination
The 1951 Festival of Britain was a post-war state-sponsored exhibition. At the time, rationing continued and austerity gripped the nation. London was shabby, rundown and gloomy so this bright and playful spectacular was a 'tonic for the nation' to promote the feeling of recovery. The city was scarred with bombsites and buildings hadn't been painted for ten years so the Festival … [Read more...] about Out of Austerity: The Festival of Britain 1951 – A History and Examination
City of London Postman’s Park – London’s Special Memorial to Everyday Heroes
The City of London has over 150 open spaces from city gardens to pocket parks. Many are former graveyards, and Postman's Park fits that category. It is a shady garden with plenty of benches to stop with your takeaway lunch and enjoy the calm away from the City streets. It's also a pleasant cut-through from King Edward Street to St Martin' s-le-Grand, close to the Museum of … [Read more...] about City of London Postman’s Park – London’s Special Memorial to Everyday Heroes
London’s Social History: The History of Public Housing in London
Also referred to Social Housing or Council Housing, public housing has long been an issue of greater interest in the United Kingdom and especially in the capital city of London. Prior to the Victorian era, the government had never thought to provide housing to lower-income citizens. Prior to this, the need for housing fell on the Church or private entities. Since the 10th … [Read more...] about London’s Social History: The History of Public Housing in London
STRAWBERRY HILL HOUSE: London’s Gothic Revival Masterpiece
Created by Horace Walpole as his summer retreat riverside villa, Strawberry Hill House is Britain’s finest example of Georgian Gothic Revival architecture. After a £10 million repair and restoration programme, twenty rooms now appear as Walpole left them when he died at the end of the eighteenth century. Throughout his 50 years at Strawberry Hill, between 1747 and 1797, Horace … [Read more...] about STRAWBERRY HILL HOUSE: London’s Gothic Revival Masterpiece
THE ALBERT MEMORIAL: A Close-up Look at Victoria’s Tribute to Her Prince
When Queen Victoria's husband died unexpectedly, it was not just the monarch that mourned as the nation too was consumed with grief along with a certain amount of guilt at not having appreciated Prince Albert and everything he had done. A grand and complex memorial was built to place Albert in the centre of arts and sciences of the 1860s. PRINCE ALBERT Prince Albert of … [Read more...] about THE ALBERT MEMORIAL: A Close-up Look at Victoria’s Tribute to Her Prince
Laura’s London: Exploring Lambeth Palace Library
Lambeth Palace Library has been kept within Lambeth Palace for 400 years, but things are changing as a new Library is currently under construction. ABOUT LAMBETH PALACE Across the river Thames from the Houses of Parliament (Palace of Westminster), Lambeth Palace is a working palace and for over 800 years has been the Archbishop of Canterbury's residence. In 1197 land was … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: Exploring Lambeth Palace Library
Tudor London: Top 10 Tudor Buildings in London
Tudor architecture came about as the final building design style of the medieval period. While the style’s name is attached to the dynasty that began with King Henry VI and ended with Queen Elizabeth, Tudor architecture doesn’t have quite as long a period covering the years from 1500 to 1560 and Elizabethan Style beginning thereafter. There are many hallmarks of Tudor … [Read more...] about Tudor London: Top 10 Tudor Buildings in London
Exploring London Mercantile History at the Lloyd’s Register Building
While you may have seen the Lloyd's of London building in the City of London designed by Richard Rogers, do you know about the Collcutt building? As part of Heritage Open Days, I went to visit the Lloyd's Register building on Fenchurch Street. Designed by Thomas Collcutt, this late-Victorian office opened in 1901 as a statement building and a sign of prosperity. Lloyd's … [Read more...] about Exploring London Mercantile History at the Lloyd’s Register Building
First Look at the Proposed Designs for the new Museum of London
The Museum of London is moving in a few years, in a deal that has long been in the works. They're moving to the abandoned Smithfield Market, which has been derelict for a few years. It's going to be an amazing project that will transform an iconic London landmark and save it from demolition. As they begin the planning application process to get approval for the new museum, the … [Read more...] about First Look at the Proposed Designs for the new Museum of London
Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!