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 Long Reads
London History: The East End Match Girls’ Strike of 1888
In nineteenth-century London, labour was cheap and expendable. The Industrial Revolution brought millions of people from the country to the cities as agricultural mechanisation took away their jobs. With so many wanting (and needing) a job, there was little incentive for industrialists to treat their workforce well. At this time, London's East End was notorious as a place of … [Read more...] about London History: The East End Match Girls’ Strike of 1888
Another London Mapping Wonder: Taking a Close Look at MacDonald Gill’s 1914 London Wonderground Map
Do you remember the days when we stood waiting for a train before we had mobile phones to distract us? Some read the paper and some simply stared into space daydreaming and avoiding eye contact with any strangers. Back in the early twentieth century, Frank Pick from the London Underground had the idea to commission a detailed illustrative map for passengers on platforms to … [Read more...] about Another London Mapping Wonder: Taking a Close Look at MacDonald Gill’s 1914 London Wonderground Map
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
HIDDEN LONDON: The Lost Tunnels of Euston Station
London Transport Museum’s ‘Hidden London’ tours are great to know about as you get access to tunnels and stations on the London transport network that are not usually open to the public. In Londontopia magazine issue #1 I reported back about the hidden tunnels at Charing Cross station. So it was a treat to join another tour, this time at Euston station. This one was a treat … [Read more...] about HIDDEN LONDON: The Lost Tunnels of Euston Station
A Changing Heathrow: My Personal Relationship With the Gateway to Britain
When I first arrived at Heathrow Airport on my first trip to Britain in 2001, I was not impressed. The airport was over capacity even then, and our plane arrived late, so we had no gate for the plane to park at. We parked out on the tarmac, far away from the terminal. We had to queue for a bus, which then took us on a circuitous route to the terminal. While parking on the … [Read more...] about A Changing Heathrow: My Personal Relationship With the Gateway to Britain
Florence Nightingale in 200 Objects, People and Places – New Special Exhibition at the Florence Nightingale Museum
Florence Nightingale (12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was born in Florence, Italy, to a wealthy British family. In her bicentenary year, London's Florence Nightingale Museum is celebrating the life and legacy of the lesser-known aspects of her life with a special exhibition. The museum tells the story of this deeply religious woman who broke social conventions. Nightingale in … [Read more...] about Florence Nightingale in 200 Objects, People and Places – New Special Exhibition at the Florence Nightingale Museum
London’s Non-Free Museums: Your Guide to London’s Museums That Charge Admission
While London has many fantastic free museums and galleries there are some that have an admission charge. This list is by no means exhaustive but these are the ‘pay for’ London museums we would like to highlight. We’ve tried to focus on the best museums and have avoided listing common tourist traps. When you have to pay to get into a museum, especially in London where most … [Read more...] about London’s Non-Free Museums: Your Guide to London’s Museums That Charge Admission
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
London History: A Guide to Metroland – The Suburban Expansion of London Brought On By The Tube
Also known as Metro-land, this suburban area north-west of London was a major project by the railway to transform unused land into a series of residential communities. Metroland wasn’t the first time a rail company was instrumental in growing London. In truth, the continued influx of people from the countryside to London in the 19th Century had caused the city’s metropolitan … [Read more...] about London History: A Guide to Metroland – The Suburban Expansion of London Brought On By The Tube
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
London Exhibition Report: Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing – Blockbuster New Exhibition at Buckingham Palace
Marking the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci, this exhibition at the Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, brings together more than 200 of the Renaissance master's greatest drawings in the Royal Collection. As the Royal Collection has more drawings by Leonardo da Vinci than any other Renaissance artist, it forms the largest exhibition of his work in over 65 … [Read more...] about London Exhibition Report: Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing – Blockbuster New Exhibition at Buckingham Palace
Exhibition Report: The New Secret Rivers Exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands
The latest free exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands is Secret Rivers. Open from 24 May to 27 October 2019, it combines art and archaeology with mudlarking, photography, film and much more to uncover the mysteries of London's rivers – both those that flow above ground and those that have been buried beneath our feet. A large wall map shows us the routes of the hidden … [Read more...] about Exhibition Report: The New Secret Rivers Exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands
London Exhibition Report: A Look at the Blockbuster Queen Victoria 200th Anniversary Exhibition at Kensington Palace
24 May 2019 is the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria's birth at Kensington Palace. To mark the bicentenary of this historic event there is a new visitor route, Victoria: A Royal Childhood, through the suite of rooms she would have known well. And over in the Palace's Pigott Gallery, there is a new temporary exhibition, Victoria: Woman and Crown, that considers the private … [Read more...] about London Exhibition Report: A Look at the Blockbuster Queen Victoria 200th Anniversary Exhibition at Kensington Palace
Laura’s London: Four New Permanent Galleries at the National Maritime Museum – Here’s Our First Look!
Following a major £12.6M redevelopment project, The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich has new permanent galleries open from 20 September 2018. 1,000m2 of space in the Museum's East Wing, previously closed to visitors, has been converted to public use adding an additional 40% of gallery space. And just like the rest of the Museum, these galleries are free to visit. The … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: Four New Permanent Galleries at the National Maritime Museum – Here’s Our First Look!
Laura’s London: A Look at the Courtauld Impressionists at The National Gallery – From Manet to Cézanne
For the first time in London for 70 years, the National Gallery is displaying major Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterworks from the Courtauld Gallery, purchased in the 1920s by Samuel Courtauld (1876–1947). These are shown alongside paintings from the National Gallery's own collection which the businessman and philanthropist financed and helped acquire. Courtauld … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: A Look at the Courtauld Impressionists at The National Gallery – From Manet to Cézanne
London Bookshop Dreams: Adventures in Buying More Books Than My Luggage Can Carry
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the Anglotopia Print Magazine is 2017. Support great long-form writing about Britain by subscribing to the Anglotopia Print Magazine. Subscribe here. Books are my favorite souvenir from my travels in England. I love picking up new books about England for my library back home. Each book is a tangible reminder of the trip and … [Read more...] about London Bookshop Dreams: Adventures in Buying More Books Than My Luggage Can Carry
More Secret London – Twenty Hidden Places in London for You to Explore
There are plenty of places in London you may not know exist unless someone points them out. You might have to go behind a door or down an alley to find them. You may walk past them all the time without seeing what’s right in front of you. Even so, you may know about them, but not know exactly what they keep hidden from the public. Fortunately, we here at Londontopia will … [Read more...] about More Secret London – Twenty Hidden Places in London for You to Explore
Laura’s London: Exploring Clapham South Subterranean Shelter – Hidden London – From the Blitz to the Windrush
We all know there are tube train tunnels under London's streets, and we could guess there are some service tunnels for pipes, but it's still always a surprise to head down underground and find enough space for a village to live safely below. And that's what there is at the Clapham South Subterranean Shelter. This deep-level shelter had room for 8,000 people, and it only took … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: Exploring Clapham South Subterranean Shelter – Hidden London – From the Blitz to the Windrush
Fit for a Queen: A Traveler’s Guide to Royal London
London has been a seat of power since the Romans made it their capital in 50 A.D. After they abandoned the settlement in the 5th Century, it would not become a seat of leadership again until Alfred the Great retook control in 886, rebuilding the fortifications, adding new defenses, and transforming the old Roman city into a new population centre for his kingdom. It was from … [Read more...] about Fit for a Queen: A Traveler’s Guide to Royal London
Laura’s London: A Look Behind the Scenes of the New Royal Academy of Arts Renovations Opening This Weekend
The Royal Academy of Arts is hardly new. In fact, it's celebrating it's 250th anniversary this year. But to mark the occasion the RA has undergone an enormous transformation and expansion. And the new Royal Academy is opening on Saturday 19 May 2018. About The Royal Academy The RA was founded in 1768 by a group of 40 artists and architects who became the first Royal … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: A Look Behind the Scenes of the New Royal Academy of Arts Renovations Opening This Weekend
London Fog: London and the Great Smog of 1952 – The True Story
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in Issue #6 of the Anglotopia Magazine in 2017. Support great long from writing about UK Travel, Culture, and History by subscribing to the Anglotopia Print Magazine. As Christmas drew near in London in 1952, a strange phenomenon like something out of a Quatermass story became all too real for the city’s residents. Under a … [Read more...] about London Fog: London and the Great Smog of 1952 – The True Story
Laura’s London: New Exhibition Report – Charles II: Art and Power at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace
After over a decade of austere Cromwellian rule, the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 led to a resurgence of the arts in England. The court of Charles II became the centre for the patronage of leading artists and the collecting of great works of art. This served not only as decoration for the royal apartments but also as a means of glorifying the restored monarchy and … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: New Exhibition Report – Charles II: Art and Power at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace
Laura’s London: Exploring London’s Newest Museum – The Secret Mail Rail and The Postal Museum
Mail Rail is London's newest subterranean heritage attraction. Open from 4 September 2017; the disused postal railway tunnels have been brought back to life as a visitor ride for the first time in their 100 year history. This miniature railway was the world's first driverless, electric railway and was never intended for passengers. While The Postal Museum opened on 28 … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: Exploring London’s Newest Museum – The Secret Mail Rail and The Postal Museum
Riding in Black Taxis: A Personal History of a London Icon – London Long Read
In most major cities, taxis don’t really get much love or affection - that’s why the phone app Uber is so popular now. But then most cities aren’t like London—a city that loves its iconic black taxis and appreciates the work it takes to learn The Knowledge (the name for the training all London Cabbies go through). I’ve been riding in London taxis for more than 15 years, and … [Read more...] about Riding in Black Taxis: A Personal History of a London Icon – London Long Read
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!