Historic London

Childhood home of Queen Victoria, and more recently the dwelling of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the elegant Kensington Palace on the western edge of London's Kensington Gardens has been a royal residence for over 300 years. Much of this working Royal Palace including the lavishly decorated State Apartments is open to the public.

London’s Guildhall is the complex of buildings that, when its predecessors are included, has served for over 800 years as the administrative headquarters of what is now the City of London Corporation, the local authority responsible for the “Square Mile”....

The history of London’s Iconic St. Paul’s Cathedral dates back to its consecration in 604. It was destroyed several times through the centuries–by Vikings and by fire twice–before its 1668 redesign by Christopher Wren. It then survived the Blitz, becoming...

Central London’s Westminster Abbey has been deeply engrained in Britain’s history since 960AD. It has played the role of coronation host since 1066, has been the site of 16 royal weddings, and is the final burial place of many kings,...

Tucked away in the greenery of West London’s Kew Gardens, the 17th century Kew Palace is considered small and humble as far as palace standards are concerned, an idyllic and private place where Georgian royalty could focus on living lives...

This huge stone fortress on the North Bank of the River Thames was built by William the Conqueror shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Its fascinating history has captured the imagination of millions, and 950 years after...

In 1970, American actor and director Sam Wanamaker followed his mission to build a replica of William Shakespeare’s original 1599 performance space to educate, entertain, and celebrate the impact of the playwright’s work on the world. The building on Bankside,...

Top-secret during WWII, the underground Churchill War Rooms––now preserved to resemble as closely as possible their authentic state in the 1940s––were the command centre from which Winston Churchill directed Britain’s efforts in the war. The rooms and corridors, once walked...

One of the most recognisable bridges in the world, Tower Bridge was constructed across the Thames in the late 1800s. Designed by Sir Horace Jones, it was one of the most sophisticated designs of its kind at the time, lifting...

Situated on the site of the former Greenwich Palace, birthplace of Henry VIII and his daughters, Queens Mary, and Elizabeth, the building that is today the Old Royal Naval College was designed by Sir Christopher Wren, on the orders of...