Let's visit London!

The capital city of the UK

London is the capital of England. It is also the capital of the United Kingdom.

It is an interesting city, with many places to visit and many exciting things to do.

The Houses of Parliament

These are the Houses of Parliament, the seat of the British government.

They are by the river Thames. The bridge is called Westminster Bridge.

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament

Big Ben is one of the most famous clocks in the world. It is also very exact.

It is named after Sir Benjamin Hall and it is actually the bell that gives the name to the clock tower.

The London Eye

Opposite the Houses of Parliament is the London Eye. It was built on the south of the river as part of the millenium celebrations.

It is 125 metres high and you can see London for miles around!

A typical image of London is Tower Bridge. It is the only bridge in London that opens up to the river traffic. The bascules are raised around 1,000 times a year.

Tower Bridge

Buckingham Palace

This is Buckingham Palace. Queen Elisabeth I lives here with her husband Prince Phillip and her dogs.

The Palace is open to the public in the summer.

This is Regent Street, a very elegant street in the centre of London. It was built for commercial purposes so there are no gardens in it.

There are many expensive clothes and jewellery shops here.

Regent street joins Picadilly Circus and Oxford Ctircus.

Regent Street

Typical London buses

This is a typical London bus. It is called a double decker bus because it has two floors.

The first double decker buses had no door. People hopped on and off when they wanted.

The black cabs

This a typical London taxi. These traditional taxis are called cabs. They are black but these days there are pink cabs driven by women cab drivers.

The telephone and post boxes

The London bobbies

The London police force was created by Sir Robert Peel. This is why the London policemen are called “bobbies”.

Bobbies go in pairs and walk the streets. They don't carry guns.

The Royal guards

The guards at Buckingham Palace are famous. Many tourists go to see the changing of the guard.

They look quite funny with their tall black hats.

Wembley Stadium

Wembley Stadium was built in 2007 to replace the old Wembley. It has capacity for 90,000 people and it is England national stadium.

Tower of London

It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman conquest. Its central tower was built by William the Conqueror. The Tower has served as a prison and as royal residence.

London tube

This is London Tube. It is the oldest underground railway in the world starting in 1863. It is also the first one to operate electric trains in 1890.

Picadilly Circus

This is one of the most popular sights in Central London. Tourists and young people gather at this round junction famous for its video displays and neo signs on the buildings.

The City of London

The City of London is one of the most important financial centres in the world. There are many banks and financial companies there. The City skykine, with its skyscrapers, is very different from the rest of London.