London history

The now sprawling London metropolis is a far cry from the scrabble of dwellings that first sprouted up to house river traders during their voyages towards the sea. It was the Romans who really kick-started the city, by establishing ‘Londinium' as an important fortress town, guarding the Thames.

Over the centuries, London has developed and expanded, despite the many dangers that might have defeated a lesser place - the Plague, the Great Fire, the bitter English Civil War, a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament, and the ‘Blitz' during WWII.

Walking the streets of London, or strolling through its parks, you realise that, in a city hailed for its ability to embrace modernity and change, the past is, however, never far away: there are four UNESCO World Heritage sites in London - the Palace of Westminster, the Tower of London, Maritime Greenwich and Kew Gardens - and some 40,000 listed buildings and structures.