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London History

Cleopatra’s Needle – The Curious Tale of the Obelisk That’s Travelled From Egypt to the Embankment

An Egyptian obelisk on the shores of the Thames at Embankment? Cleopatra’s Needle may well be London’s strangest landmark.  When we first stumbled across Cleopatra’s Needle, we had to do a double-take – it might just top the list of random London landmarks that barely make any sense. Which is saying a lot really, as …

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64 Fun and Interesting Facts about London You’ll Absolutely Love

London has a long and interesting history – so perhaps it’s no surprise that it has given rise to a number of weird and wonderful tales over the years. From forestry to fire, disaster to destitution, and one or two well-known facts that are actually red herrings. We’ve been dipping deep into the history books …

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The Curious Story Behind Crystal Palace Parks Iguanodons and Why They Don’t Look Quite Right

The history of the Iguanodons at Crystal Palace Park and the rapid discoveries that put them out of date almost immediately.  We’ve written before about our love of the Crystal Palace Park Dinosaurs. They’re a wonderful part of the rich history of London.  Even the members of our team who didn’t grow up in the …

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The History of London’s Roman Amphitheatre and the Unlikely Story of How it was Discovered

We explore the history of an astonishing discovery – that of London’s Roman amphitheatre.  Did you know London had a Roman amphitheatre? No one did until 1988. It was discovered, almost totally out of the blue underneath The Guildhall. The discovery shed new light on The Guildhall’s already very historic past, and on the city …

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The Murky History of Lincoln’s Inn – One of London’s Oldest Surviving Institutions

We pick through the murky origins of one of London’s oldest institutions – Lincoln’s Inn. Maybe you’ve heard of London’s Inns of Court. Made up of Gray’s Inn, Inner and Middle Temple Inns and Lincoln’s Inn, they’re a key part of Britain’s legal system. In fact, you can’t be a barrister in the UK without …

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Kingswood House: The Landed Home that Went From Country Estate to Council Estate

The history of a country house turned community centre in the heart of Dulwich.  London’s full of stately homes. It’s actually kind of staggering to think how much of it is still taken up by palaces, relatively speaking. Sometimes we get to thinking we wouldn’t mind a little bit of that land back… No, we’re …

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The Jewel Tower: Westminster’s 700-Year-Old Treasure Keep and Its Fascinating History

We explore the hidden secrets of The Jewel Tower – the lesser-known cousin of the Tower of London.  The Tower of London gets too much credit. What about the little guy? We think the Jewel Tower is way too easily overlooked. For example, if you walked through Westminster you probably wouldn’t even turn your head …

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Discover the Capital’s Incredible Past On Self-Guided History Walking Tour of London

A humungous history tour of London where all you’ll need is a healthy curiosity and a good pair of shoes. Lace up your boots, history buffs. We’re about to take you on a walk of London’s long and winding history. Today you’ll see slices of London dating right back to the city’s true inception under …

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The History of The Guildhall: The HQ of the World’s Oldest Democracy

We explore the history and the sights at London’s Guildhall – perhaps one of the most important buildings in the city.  London’s Guildhall is a pretty unique place. The Grade I Listed building sits on a site that’s been important to Londoners since this city was known as Londoninum, and as super ancient things go …

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