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Key Attractions British Airways London Eye Towering 135m (444ft) into the heavens, right in the heart of London, the BA London Eye is literally an unmissable attraction. The initial engineering problems have long been forgotten and the world’s tallest observation wheel has emerged as one of the city’s most popular attractions. Its unparalleled views of the city, which are particularly impressive in the evening, reach as far away as 40km (25 miles). The experience is one revolution of the wheel, lasting approximately 30 minutes. In 2002, digitally programmed audio guides were introduced, offering a description of the attractions seen from the capsules. Jubilee Gardens, South Bank, SE1 Tel: (0870) 500 0600 (booking line). Website: www.ba-londoneye.com Transport: London Underground Waterloo or Embankment. Opening hours: Daily 0930-1800. Admission: £10.50. Tate Gallery of Modern Art and Bankside Opened in 2000, the Tate Modern is a £130-million project that is regarded as a model of urban regeneration, with the disused Bankside power station transformed into an avant-garde space dedicated to 20th-century art. The permanent exhibition changes biannually so that much of the Tate Gallery’s collection of modern work can be on show, displayed thematically rather than chronologically. This includes major works by Matisse, Picasso, Rothko and Warhol, as well as contemporary pieces. The Bankside area itself is becoming one of the most exciting corners of the capital. The £14-million Millennium Bridge, the first new River Thames crossing in London for more than a century, has finally opened following major teething problems. Designed by Lord Foster, it provides a pedestrian link from St Paul’s Cathedral to the Tate Modern. Bankside’s cultural regeneration harks back to the area’s Golden Age as the centre of the Elizabethan theatre scene. Shakespeare’s plays were originally performed at the Globe Theatre here and can now be seen at the beautifully reconstructed Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre & Exhibition. Other attractions along the river, past Southwark Bridge towards London Bridge, include Vinopolis, an interactive celebration of wine, and the Golden Hinde, a replica of Sir Francis Drake’s flagship. Southwark Cathedral, with its new Visitor Centre and Exhibition, nestled under London Bridge, on the edge of the nearby Borough Market (website: www.boroughmarket.org.uk), a heaven for gourmets on Saturdays. Tate Modern Bankside, SE1 Tel: (020) 7887 8000 or 8008 (recorded information line). E-mail: boxoffice@tate.org.uk Website: www.tate.org.uk Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 1000-1800, Fri and Sat 1000-2200. Admission: Free (donations welcome). Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre & Exhibition Bankside, SE1 Tel: (020) 7902 1400. Website: www.shakespeares-globe.org Opening hours: Oct-Apr daily 1000-1700 (exhibition and theatre tour). May-Sep daily 0900-1200 (exhibition and theatre tour) and 1230-1600 (exhibition only). Admission: £8. Vinopolis 1 Bank End, Bankside, SE1 Tel: (0870) 444 4777. Website: www.vinopolis.co.uk Opening hours: Daily 1200-1800 (until 2100 Mon, Fri and Sat). Admission: £11.50. Golden Hinde St Mary Overie Dock, Cathedral Street, SE1 Tel: (020) 7403 0123 or (0870) 011 8700. Website: www.goldenhinde.co.uk Opening hours: Daily, hours vary. Admission: £2.75. Southwark Cathedral Montague Close, SE1 Tel: (020) 7407 3708. Website: www.dswark.org/cathedral Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1800, Sun 1100-1700. Admission: £3 (exhibition). Transport: London Underground Southwark, Blackfriars or London Bridge. Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster contains the Houses of Parliament, part of which is, of course, one of the city’s most famous landmarks. Big Ben is not (as many believe) the impressive London landmark rising above the seat of British government but it is actually just the huge bell inside, whose tolling tune is instantly recognisable, while the clock tower itself is called St Stephen’s. The most ancient part of the whole Palace, Westminster Hall, is 900 years old. After almost total destruction by fire, the rest of the palace was rebuilt during the 19th century, to designs by Charles Barry, in neo-Gothic style. All year round, free tours of the Palace of Westminster are available to UK residents if they contact their MP who can arrange them. Overseas visitors can also arrange small group tours by applying to the Parliament Education Unit. However, this is only possible outside of August and September, when the Summer Opening of the Palace of Westminster takes place. This means that, while Parliament is in recess, extensive guided tours, lasting about 75 minutes and including the Royal Robing Rooms, the House of Lords and the House of Commons and Westminster Hall are offered. These are not free and they must be booked in advance (in person or from Firstcall). All visitors who want to watch Parliament at work, rather than tour the Palace, can watch from the Strangers’ Gallery. When Parliament is in session, there are two long queues (one for the Lords and one for the Commons) outside the Palace. Parliament Square, SW1 Tel: (020) 7219 4272. Fax: (020) 7219 5839. Website: www.parliament.uk Transport: London Underground Westminster. Summer Opening of the Palace of Westminster Tel: (0870) 906 3773 (Firstcall). Website: www.firstcalltickets.com Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0915-1630. Admission: £7 (plus £2 for foreign-language guide). Parliament Education Unit Norman Shaw Building (North), London SW1A 2TT, UK Tel: (020) 7219 2105). Westminster Abbey Across Parliament Square is Westminster Abbey – a magnificent Gothic structure where innumerable members of the British royal family have been christened, married, crowned and interred. Consecrated in the 11th century, under Edward the Confessor, it was rebuilt over the next four centuries in Gothic style. Highlights include Henry VII’s Chapel, Poet’s Corner and the Coronation Chair. Parliament Square, SW1 Tel: (020) 7222 7110. Fax: (020) 7233 2072. Website: www.westminster-abbey.org Transport: London Underground Westminster. Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1645 and Sat 0930-1445 (sightseeing; last admission one hour before closing); all day Sun (religious services only). Admission: £6 (concessions available); £5 (pre-booked guided groups); services free. Trafalgar Square It’s all change at Trafalgar Square as London Mayor Ken Livingstone’s plans for a ‘world-class square’ get underway. Although Admiral Nelson is still overseeing everything from the top of his column, he should see less traffic than he is used to and more relaxed tourists and locals. But he won’t be accompanied by as many of his famous pigeon friends. Construction has started on the increased pedestrianisation of the square, which should be completed in spring 2003, and Ken has banned seed-sellers from the square in an attempt to banish what he sees as a nuisance. The pedestrianisation will link Nelson’s Column in the centre with the north side of the square, where one of the world’s greatest galleries, the National Gallery, is to be found. It houses an incredible collection of Western paintings from the 13th to the early 20th century, as well as frequent special exhibitions. Round the corner, the National Portrait Gallery displays the country’s famous, infamous and forgotten in the media of oil, watercolour, marble and photography. In 2000, the Queen officially opened the new Ondaatje Wing (which includes a lecture theatre and restaurant) as part of a wider project to make the gallery more spacious and the art more enjoyable and accessible. Opposite the gallery is the beautiful 18th-century neo-classical church, St Martin-in-the-Fields, which hosts regular concerts and has a café in the crypt. National Gallery Trafalgar Square, WC2 Tel: (020) 7747 2885. Website: www.nationalgallery.org.uk Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800 (Wed until 2100). Admission: Free. National Portrait Gallery 2 St Martin’s Place, WC2 Tel: (020) 7306 0055. Website: www.npg.org.uk Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800 (Thurs and Fri until 2100). Admission: Free. St Martin-in-the-Fields Trafalgar Square, WC2 Tel: (020) 7766 1100. Website: www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org Transport: London Underground Charing Cross or Leicester Square. Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace may charge exorbitant entry fees but, as the London home of the Queen, it draws millions of tourists each year. They flock to witness royal pageantry dating back centuries at the Changing of the Guard ceremony at 1130 daily April to July (alternate days at other times of the year), and for the rare chance to see inside a royal residence. The building, by John Nash and Edward Blore, was built in the 19th century around the shell of the older Buckingham House. The rather drab façade was added in 1913. The State Rooms of the Palace, including the Throne Room and the Picture Gallery, are only open to the public in summer. Buckingham Palace Road, SW1 Tel: (020) 7321 2233. Fax: (020) 7930 9625. Website: www.royal.gov.uk Transport: London Underground Green Park, Victoria or Hyde Park Corner. Opening hours: Daily 0930-1615 (6 Aug-3 Oct only). Admission: £11.50 (concessions available). Tower Hill The infamous royal fortress on Tower Hill, the Tower of London, was begun in 1078 by William the Conqueror and remained a royal residence until the mid-16th century. Today, it houses the priceless Crown Jewels and the Royal Armouries. The history of the tower is a catalogue of intrigue and bloodshed – key historical figures, including members of the royal family, were imprisoned, tortured and/or executed here. There are hour-long tours of the main sights. Meanwhile, the nearby Tower Bridge – a prime example of Victorian architecture and engineering – spans the River Thames. Hydraulic machinery, hidden in twin neo-Gothic towers, lifts the central section to allow ships in and out of the Pool of London. Visitors can learn about the bridge in the Tower Bridge Experience or enjoy the excellent views towards Canary Wharf and the City of London. On the northeast side, the harbour at St Katharine’s Dock marks the beginning of the London Docklands, while the warehouses to the south house the stylish Design Museum. Tower of London Tower Hill, EC3 Tel: (0870) 756 6060 (information) or (0870) 756 6060 (tickets). Website: www.tower-of-london.org.uk Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1800 and Sun 1000-1800 (Mar-Oct); Mon-Sat 0900-1700 and Sun 1000-1700 (Nov-Feb); last admission one hour before closing. Admission: £11.50 (concessions available). Tower Bridge Experience Tower Hill, EC3 Tel: (020) 7403 3761. Website: www.towerbridge.org.uk Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800 (last admission 1700). Admission: £4.50 (concessions available). Design Museum 28 Shad Thames Tel: (020) 7940 8790. Website: www.designmuseum.org Opening hours: Daily 1000-1745 (Fri until 2100). Admission: £6 (concessions available). Transport: London Underground Tower Hill. St Paul’s Cathedral The dome of St Paul’s Cathedral is the third largest in the world and one of the most distinctive features of the London skyline. The present building, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, was completed in 1710, on the site of the original cathedral that was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. On the inside of the dome, the Whispering Gallery, named for its incredible acoustics, offers a close-up of the frescoes of the life of St Paul that decorate the interior of the dome. From there, visitors can climb higher, up to two further galleries, which are outdoors and which offer magnificent views across the whole of London. Guided tours are also available Monday to Saturday. The main religious services are held at 1030 and 1130 on Sunday. Paternoster Square, EC4 Tel: (020) 7236 4128 or 7246 8348 (information line). Fax: (020) 7248 3104. Website: www.stpauls.co.uk Transport: London Underground St Paul’s. Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0715-1800 and Sun 0745-1700 (worship); Mon-Sat 0830-1600, galleries from 0930 (sightseeing). Sightseeing is restricted on Sun and religious holidays. Admission: £6 (cathedral, galleries and crypt); concessions available. British Museum After the completion of a lengthy refurbishment programme – the centrepiece of which is the construction of Lord Foster’s ambitious glass-roofed Great Court – the British Museum is back in place as one of the world’s finest museums. Visitors to the British Museum must contend with a mind-boggling six million artefacts plucked (or plundered) by collectors from all corners of the globe. The awesome scale of the museum means it is essential to select just a few of the 94 galleries for close attention. Highlights include the Rosetta Stone, a copy of the Magna Carta and the controversial Elgin Marbles, taken from the Parthenon in Athens, which Greece want back before the 2004 Olympic Games. A new British Museum souvenir shop next to the museum opened in 2000, but the museum’s ongoing financial tribulations are still headline news. Great Russell Street, WC1 Tel: (020) 7323 8299. Website: www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk Transport: London Underground Russell Square. Opening hours: Daily 1000-1730 (until 2030 Thurs and Fri). Admission: Free. South Kensington Museums The Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) is one of three major museums in South Kensington – the others being the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. Founded in the 19th century as a museum of the decorative arts, the V&A’s 11km (seven miles) of corridors trace a path through paintings, jewellery, furniture and textiles dating from 3000BC to the present day. Highlights include the Raphael Cartoons, the sculpture court, the collection of vintage costumes and the ‘British Galleries 1500-1900’ – a comprehensive history of Britain’s design and art. The Science Museum has been voted London Visitor Attraction of the Year in 2001 and 2002. It offers interactive exhibits on all kinds of scientific topics, from Space, Time or Weather to Agriculture or Food, from Computing or Mathematics to Nuclear Physics or Veterinary History. One key gallery is ‘Making the Modern World’, which includes objects like early computers and early cars. The incredible Victorian building that is the Natural History Museum is divided into Earth Galleries and Life Galleries. The Earth Galleries explore our planet, while the Life Galleries explore the creatures that have inhabited it, from the dinosaurs to creepy crawlies. For live specimens, there is the Wildlife Garden outside. In autumn 2002, the first phase of the new Darwin Centre opens. The Darwin Centre will house the museum’s extensive collections of specimens, which date as far back as the 16th century but also include recent new species discoveries. It will also allow visitors to interact with the scientists using the collections and carrying out current research. V&A Museum Cromwell Road, SW7 Tel: (020) 7942 2000 or (0870) 442 0808. Website: www.vam.ac.uk Opening hours: Daily 1000-1745 (Wed until 2200). Admission: Free. Science Museum Exhibition Road, SW7 Tel: (020) 7942 4000 or (0870) 870 4771. Website: www.sciencemuseum.org.uk Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800. Admission: Free. Natural History Museum Tel: (020) 7942 5000 or 7942 5011. Website: www.nhm.ac.uk Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1750, Sun 1100-1750. Admission: Free. Transport: London Underground South Kensington. Tate Britain The Gallery of Modern British Art opened in 1897, around the collection of sugar merchant Henry Tate, and now holds an unrivalled collection of English paintings from 1500 to the present day. Much 20th-century art has moved to the Tate Modern (see above), however, some remains here, from Gaudier Brzeska to Gilbert and George. The magnificent Turner Bequest is housed in the purpose-built Clore Gallery. Millbank, SW1 Tel: (020) 7887 8000 or 8008. Fax: (020) 7887 8788. Website: www.tate.org.uk Transport: London Underground Pimlico. Opening hours: Daily 1000-1750. Admission: Free (except for temporary exhibitions). City Hall City Hall, the new home of London’s mayoral government, occupies a prime site close to Tower Bridge on the banks of the Thames. The glass globe design is the work of celebrated British architect Lord Foster, using the same principle as Foster’s Reichstag in Berlin, where the glass symbolises the supposed transparency of government. The viewing level at the top, dubbed ‘London’s Living Room’, affords some sweeping views of the River Thames and the city and is designated as a public-access space, although the times have not yet been detailed. The Queen’s Walk, SW1 Tel: (020) 7983 4000. Fax: (020) 7983 4458. Website: www.london.gov.uk Transport: London Underground London Bridge. Opening hours: To be confirmed. Admission: Free. |
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