Look out for the mosaic floors in the main entrance and stairwell. Fascinating. Work by the same artist can be seen at Tate Britain.
The glass and iron hall built here for the Great Exhibition of 1851 was nicknamed ‘the crystal palace’ by Punch magazine. In 1854 it was moved piece by piece to south London and rebuilt.
Even if you are not visiting one of the many exhibitions and events organised here throughout the year, come to sit in its beautiful and quiet neoclassical courtyard away from London’s busy streets.
The lion sculpture was once painted red and stood over the Red Lion Brewery on the South Bank in the 18th century. When the area was redeveloped in the 1950s the lion was saved and moved here.
Westminster Abbey was built by Edward the Confessor and completed just before his death in 1065. Since William the Conqueror all the kings & queens of England have been crowned here.
TRAVEL FACT: In British culture, the name implies a bussing about with people. Piccadilly Circus is referred to the Times Square of London.
