Alternative Ways of Discovering London and Its History
Visitors and locals love checking out the traditional London highlights, which include some of the planet’s most popular tourist attractions. Yet, there are also some alternative ways to discover interesting spots in the city while learning about its fascinating history.
Discover the Financial History of The City
London has long enjoyed a reputation as one of the world’s leading financial centres. The City of London area is the best place to start, with Canary Wharf firmly established as the main business region in the country now. This area formed the original settlement of Londinium, established by the Romans in the first century BCE. Most of the attractions here are relatively modern though, as many major financial companies have headquarters in the City. It’s often shown on our screens with Love Actually, 28 Days Later and Skyfall are among the many movies filmed here.
The London Stock Exchange (LSE) is located in the City but since deregulation it can’t be visited as it no longer has the classic trading floor. The thrill of the stock market can still be found in popular culture such as movies and TV shows. If you play live casino games, you’ll see Stock Market by Evolution. This game involves trying to predict whether the market goes up or down and is based on the sort of fast-paced action we associate with the LSE. Each player bets on ‘up’ or ‘down’ and waits to see how the trading session ends.
The Bank of England is also based here and it has a museum you can visit for free to find out about its history from its establishment in 1694. You’ll find historic banknotes and information relating to some of the most famous customers throughout this bank’s long history. Inside the Bank of England is a 2018 TV mini-series presented by Lesley Sharp that gives us a closer look at the inner workings of this institution and is worth watching if you want to find out even more.
Great Fire Walks and Tours
Few moments have had an impact on London like the Great Fire that occurred in 1666. Three-quarters of the city was destroyed and this led to the city being transformed into its modern form. The impact of the event was also seen in the way it provided a huge impulse for the insurance and fire-fighting industries.
The fire began in Pudding Lane and you can visit this location by travelling on the Underground to Monument station. A London’s Burning monument is located here. Even more impressive is the Great Fire of London monument created by Sir Christopher Wren and Dr Robert Hooke. Classed as the tallest isolated stone column in the world, it sits at the meeting point between Monument Street and Fish Street Hill. You can discover more of the sites linked to this event by joining a Great Fire guided walk tour.
These attractions might not be at the top of the list for most visitors to London. However, they provide a fascinating glimpse at the past and present of this city, giving us different ways of seeing how it has grown into the place it is now.