London Tourist Guide 🇬🇧 St. Paul's Cathedral and Piccadilly Circus

The Strand was originally just a little muddy track in London that ran east along the Thames, but by the early 16th century the well-to-do had settled in and built mansions down to the bank. The Strand soon became one of the most important streets in London, exactly halfway between the twin seats of power in Whitehall and the city. It was soon filled with coffee shops and drinking establishments, spreading news and gossip to the masses. Their style may be pure 13th century, but the Royal Courts of Justice were actually designed by George Edmund Street in the 1870s. The eleven architects competing for the contract for the law courts each submitted alternative designs with the view of the possible placing of the building on the Thames Embankment. The present site was chosen only after much debate. St. Paul's Cathedral is so much a part of the English character and heritage, and such a symbol of the City of London, that extraordinary efforts were taken to save it during the blitz bombings of World War II. The impressive façade consists of a large portico and pediment with a relief on the tympanum depicting the conversion of Paul. The statue of Queen Anne in Carrara marble that stands outside the west front depicts a monarch who ruled England at the time the cathedral was finally finished, in 1710. The current cathedral, the fourth to occupy this site, was designed by the court architect Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1675 and 1710, after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. Its architectural and artistic importance reflect the determination of the five monarchs who oversaw its building that London's leading church should be as beautiful and imposing as their private palaces. The dome reaches a height of 111 meters and weighs about 66,000 tons. Eight arches support the dome. Over the centuries, St. Paul's has changed to reflect shifting tastes and attitudes. Today the history of the nation is written in the carved stone of its pillars and arches and is celebrated in its works of art and monuments. In the heart of central London's busiest shopping district lies Oxford Street, which runs from Marble Arch to St. Giles Circus, crossing Tottenham Court Road and Charing Cross Road on the way. The street's present name comes from the Earl of Oxford, who in the 18th century bought up much of the surrounding land in order to develop it. This development continued until the early 20th century and resulted in the thriving shopping area we see today. London's landscape presents a wide variety of architectural styles imposed by changes in fashion, the rapid expansion of its population, and two major destructions of the city. The large-scale redevelopment of London since the war has created the typical atmosphere that welcomes visitors today. London is a large and busy city that needs an extensive public transport system to ferry its inhabitants around the urban area. London's distinctive buses and black taxis have been part of the urban fabric for over 100 years. The London Underground, or the Tube as Londoners call it, is normally the quickest and easiest way of getting around the city. With 275 stations conveniently dotted across the city, you are never far from a tube station. Piccadilly Circus is not only a road junction, but also one of the most popular tourist attractions in London. The prime location of this bustling London neighbourhood on the west side of the City of Westminster adds to the widespread notoriety of this particular attraction. Even those who have not visited the city have likely heard the words Piccadilly Circus. The west end of London has been a vibrant centre for culture, entertainment and the arts for some time, and the areas of Regent Street and Piccadilly Street are no exceptions. The red telephone box created by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott has long been considered a design icon, one of those items that instantly marks the nation's identity to overseas visitors. Constructed to improve accessibility in central London in the 1880s, Shaftesbury Avenue might be a new kid on the block of London's streetscape, but it still has a strange and marvellous tale to tell. Shaftesbury Avenue is a patchwork of old and new. Glass windows display open plan offices, juxtaposing the red brick and lacquer buildings that dominate the street. The original buildings lining Shaftesbury Avenue vary in height from four to six storeys and in frontage width, but almost all have poorly composed fronts dressed with confused details, the materials generally being red brick with stone or terracotta. At the very heart of theatre land, London's answer to Broadway, Shaftesbury Avenue has welcomed the foremost stars of the stage since opening night in June 1886. Today's dignified theatre-goers are a far cry from the urchins and scamps who dwelt amongst the fetid hovels that were demolished to make way for this great thoroughfare.