A few great reasons to visit LONDON. We have fascinating monuments For example…

A few great reasons to visit

LONDON

We have fascinating monuments

For example…

The Houses of Parliament

This is where laws are made

There is a huge bell called Big Ben inside the clock tower

They are in Westminster, on the North bank of the River Thames

They are made up of the House of Commons and the House of Lords

Buckingham Palace

This is one of the Queen’s homes

It’s in St James’s Park, in Central London

For the Queen’s official birthday, in June, the Palace Guards and the armed forces do a parade in front of the palace

The guards wear hats called beefeaters

The Tower of London

In the past, Kings and Queens put their enemies in prison here

It is situated on the North bank of the Thames, in East LondonMany royals have been executed here. It was still used for executions until the 20th Century

It is famous for its ravens and for housing the Crown Jewels

The heads of executed people were put on sticks outside the Tower

Hampton Court

A Tudor royal residence

It was built by Cardinal Wolsey and later given to Henry VIII

They say that the ghost of Catherine Howard, Henry VIII’s fifth wife, runs screaming through the galleries

It is famous for its maze

St Paul’s Cathedral

It is situated in the City of London (the financial district), near the river Thames

You can go up to the top of the dome on a guided tour

It burnt down in the Fire of London in 1666 and was rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren in the 1670s

The London Eye

You can see for miles from the top of this giant Ferris wheel on the bank of the River

Thames

It is situated on the South bank of the Thames, not far from the Houses of Parliament

It was built in the year 2000 to celebrate the new millennium

Great places to shop…

Harrods

A very expensive department store

You can buy anything here, from sofas to hamsters

It’s located in Knightsbridge, in West London

Its famous green and gold façade is lit up with gold lights at Christmas

Covent Garden

You can buy lots of tasty food, pretty jewellery and unusual clothes at this busy market

You will be entertained by street performers juggling with knives, eating fire and playing musical instruments while you shop for presents

We also have beautiful parks

Such as…

Hyde Park

Where you can row in the Serpentine River. There is a tradition of swimming

in the river on Christmas Day!

St James’s Park

A beautiful patch of green, right in the centre of the city

Two royal residences, Buckingham Palace and St James’s Palace are situated in St James’s Park

It is in central London, North of the river

Richmond Park

An enormous park on the edge of London, where you can find lots of deer

Richmond is in South West London, at the end of the district line on the underground

The park is great for picnics and horse riding

London is buzzing with culture

Don’t miss…

The museums

The Science Museum: full of all the greatest inventions.

There are lots of interactive exhibits

The Natural History Museum, with terrifying dinosaurs and enormous whales

The V&A: home to art and fashions from the past centuries. It was the country’s first free public museum, set up by Queen Victoria in the 19th Century

A West End show

The Lion King

Wicked

The Sound of Music

The capital is famous for its theatres in the “West End”, situated around Shaftsbury Avenue and Aldwych. They show both serious plays and musicals.

The Globe

A replica of Shakespeare’s theatre

The original theatre burnt down when a canon was fired during a play and set fire to the thatched roof

It is open-air, so if it rains you get wet

Just like in Shakespeare’s time, you can stand in front of the stage, or pay more for a seat

Shakespeare’s plays are still performed here

Have a great trip!