Things to do in London - An Introduction to London's most famous landmarks

Dive into the fascinating world of London's iconic landmarks. Drawing inspiration from their popular article on the UK Travel Planning website, Tracy and Doug share their personal favourites among the 22 landmarks featured. From the historic Tower of London to the bustling Trafalgar Square, they cover a wide range of famous attractions that often find a place in every visitor's itinerary.

Whether you're a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveller, get ready for an engaging discussion as our hosts take you on a journey through London's most iconic places.

So come along and let's explore the timeless wonders of London together.

Show notes - Episode 74

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:03

Welcome to the UK Travel Planning Podcast. Your host is the founder of the UK Travel Planning website, tracey Collins. In this podcast, tracey shares destination guides, travel tips and itinerary ideas, as well as interviews with a variety of guests who share their knowledge and experience of UK travel to help you plan your perfect UK vacation. Join us as we explore the UK from cosmopolitan cities to quaint villages, from historic castles to beautiful islands, and from the picturesque countryside to seaside towns.

Speaker 2: 0:41

Hello and welcome to episode 74 of the UK Travel Planning Podcast. This week, doug and I thought we would share some of our favourite London landmarks we always try to visit whenever we are in the capital. So we've based this episode on our 22 famous London landmarks article on the UK Travel Planning website. So do check out that article to find out what other landmarks we recommend visiting in London, because we didn't want to do all 22 in this episode, otherwise we'd be here for about two hours, so, yeah, so if you're looking for some travel inspiration for London, this is the episode for you.

Speaker 2: 1:19

While we recognise that everyone's interests are different, most of these landmarks do tend to feature a most first-time visitors itineraries. So if you're returning to London, you will enjoy an upcoming episode where we explore some of London's hidden gems, but for this week we'll focus on well-known landmarks. Note, we define the term landmark as referring to any feature, object, building that makes a place easily recognisable. So my first choice and is the Tower of London, and anyone who's listened to any of our podcasts about London will know how much I love visiting the Tower of London. I've been incredibly lucky to have witnessed both the opening ceremony and the closing ceremony, which is the historic ceremony of the keys. The Tower of London is London's top landmark attraction with over three million visitors a year, so there's a lot to see there, including the famous beef eaters or yeoman warders. The white towel, which was constructed by William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Speaker 3: 2:20

Yeah, and you can also see Henry VIII's suit of armours there, which got bigger as he gets bigger. That's true, yeah absolutely.

Speaker 2: 2:28

And then don't miss the Royal Chapel of St Peter at Venkola, where two of Henry VIII's wives were buried after their execution, so Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, and, of course, the famous Ravens. You can listen to my rave review of Walks v RP ceremony of the keys to an episode 54 of the podcast. By the way, it really is one of the most special things I've ever experienced. So number two is Trafalgar Square. So this famous public square in central London is recognised as a site of protest and of celebration. It's where demonstrations are often held. Plus, it is the main gathering point for New Year's Eve celebrations. So in this centre, surrounded by fountains, is the 169 foot, or 51 meter tall Nelson's column. So Admiral Nelson was, of course, famous as the victor of the naval sea battle against the French and Spanish at Trafalgar, even though he was actually fatally wounded during the battle. The four famous lions that you'll see at the foot of the column are cast in bronze and were apparently made from the cannons taken from the defeated French and Spanish fleets after Trafalgar.

Speaker 3: 3:37

You can actually see Admiral Nelson's flagship, the HMS Victory, that's kept at Portsmouth Harbour, and the historic dockyards there, which is a fantastic place to visit if you get the chance. The dockyards also has Henry VIII's flagship, the Mary Rose, which sank in strange circumstances in 1545 and was actually brought back to the service in 1982.

Speaker 2: 4:04

We are actually planning an upcoming episode to talk a little bit more in detail about visiting the historic dockyard in Portsmouth, because we know it's a really popular destination. So back to Trafalgar Square. So don't forget to check out the four plinths at each corner of the square. The fourth plinth was left empty, but it's now famously used to showcase temporary works of art, also with popping into if you are in Trafalgar Square. So obviously I'm going to mention the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery are also on Trafalgar Square, so do go and visit them free art museums. So yeah, also would recommend that you pop into a cafe in the crypt which is at St Martin's in the Fields, which is on Trafalgar Square. So we usually pop in there for a further lunch or a cup of tea and a piece of cake, don't we?

Speaker 3: 4:49

We do. It's a nice place to visit.

Speaker 2: 4:50

Yeah, so that's highly recommended if you're looking for somewhere to just have a rest for a little while, if you're in Trafalgar Square. So number three is Westminster Abbey. So, dating back to 960 AD, westminster Abbey is one of the most famous churches in the world. 17 British monarchs are buried there, including Queen Mary and her half-sister, queen Elizabeth I, the two daughters of Henry VIII. It is also where the coronation of British monarchs has been held since 1066, most recently being King Charles III in May 2023.

Speaker 2: 5:24

Don't miss the coronation chair on the right as you enter the abbey, which was first used in 1308 and for every subsequent coronation, including King Charles III's coronation this year. It's also a famous wedding venue, of course, and it's where William and Kate married in 2011. My tip for visiting is to go early and take a tour. I do recommend walk small group tour so you can skip the line. Also, do not miss the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries, which house some fantastic treasures. The galleries are located 16 meters or 52 feet above the floor of the abbey, so you get to see amazing views. Of course, I can't talk about Westminster Abbey without mentioning some of the other very famous people buried there. Poets Corner, in particular, is a place of pilgrimage for literature lovers, with more than 100 poets and writers buried there, or have more orials there.

Speaker 3: 6:18

So number four is the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. The Palace of Westminster, or Houses of Parliament, is home to the British government, where you will find the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and you'll also find the recently renovated Elizabeth Tower and Clockface, which houses the very famous bell, big Ben. Of course, most people refer to it all as Big Ben, which is absolutely fine.

Speaker 2: 6:45

Yeah, we've had a few people being pedantic about it when we've said Big Ben and they've said, well, that's just the bell and yes, we totally get that. But to be honest, everybody I would say most people, 99.9% of people in the UK will just call it all Big Ben.

Speaker 3: 6:59

That's true, and also last year, we took a tour of the Houses of Parliament, with walks which included the Great Hall, which we really enjoyed, didn't we? Yeah, we did Not long before Queen Elizabeth II passed away. On the floor you'll see quite a few commemorative plaques where they've all lain in state.

Speaker 2: 7:19

Yeah, it actually shows, doesn't it, where they actually laid in state, and it was quite poignant for us because we did that tour I think that was in about end of July, beginning of August and obviously, sadly, the Queen passed away in September and we actually saw the Great Hall where we toured around. So number five is Covent Garden. Covent Garden is a popular with locals and visitors alike and is one of my favourite places to visit and stay in London. It's home to a covered market street, entertainers and pedestrianised streets, plus lots of shops, pubs and restaurants. It's also near many of London's theatres.

Speaker 2: 7:55

It's best not to have too much of a plan in mind when visiting Covent Garden, I find just simply wander around, dip in and out of the shop, stroll through the market, watch the entertainers and stop for a pint at the Punch and Judy, a cosy 18th century pub on Henrietta Street. The light-filled market with its characteristic glass ceiling still bears the original Apple market sign, which date back to the times when fruit and vegetables were sold here. On Mondays, the space is devoted to collectible and antique items, while between Tuesday and Sunday clothing, jewelry, arts and crafts are sold. So Covent Garden is a wonderful place to visit any time of the year, but it's truly magical at Christmas with all the festive decorations.

Speaker 3: 8:35

Most definitely, yes, a lovely atmosphere. Okay, so number six is Pudding Lane and the monument to the Great Fire of London. It has a tube station named after it and marks one of London's worst disasters ever seen in 1666. Yes, it's the monument to the Great Fire of London, found near the northern end of London Bridge. It's positioned on the corner where Fish Street Hill meets Monument Street Light, st Paul's Cathedral and Dome. The monument was designed by Christopher Wren In 2007. It closed for 18 months to allow for a period of repair and restoration. This included gold leaf being added to the structure's copper orb. The monument is located around 200 feet from where the Great Fire of London began at a bakery in Pudding Lane in 1666. It comprises a fluted column made from Portland stone and an inside staircase with over 300 steps which lead to the viewing platform at the top.

Speaker 2: 9:39

So number seven is Buckingham Callis. The official resident of the British Monarch is instantly recognisable. However, touring the state rooms is only possible at certain times of year. I was looking off to take a small group tour in April this year. It was fantastic and amazing to see what I only ever seen on TV or in photos. So if this is something you're keen to do, check out our article about planning a visit to Buckingham Palace. Also, don't miss the changing of the guard ceremony which takes place outside the palace. This is very popular to see and British tradition, pomp and ceremony at its best.

Speaker 3: 10:14

And so number eight is the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, located at the south of the River Thames in Greenwich, which is totally worth the day anyway, as there is so much to see there, including the cutty salt, the Painter Gallery in the Old Royal Naval College and the Queen's House. The Royal Observatory is where you can stand on the prime meridian, with one foot in the west and one foot in the eastern hemisphere. If you're there at 1pm, don't miss the dropping of the red time ball on top of Flamsted House. It is one of the world's earliest public time signals and it's still in action today.

Speaker 2: 10:52

Definitely don't miss the museum as well, because it's really interesting to have a look around and you won't be able to miss, when you get into Greenwich, the actual onion dome over the Royal Observatory. It is a bit of a steep walk, isn't it, up the hill.

Speaker 3: 11:06

Oh, for the last 20 minutes or so. Yeah, it's quite steep.

Speaker 2: 11:09

Yeah, but it's definitely worth going to, and I highly recommend adding Greenwich into your itinerary because it's one of our favourite places to visit. So number nine is St Paul's Cathedral. So it's instantly recognised because of the dome, which is one of the largest in the world and is visible across London skyline. The Anglican Cathedral was designed by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London in 1666. To recommend that you don't miss the crypt which is the burial place of many famous people, including Admiral Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, joseph Turner and Sir Alexander Fleming. If you wish to attend a service at St Paul's, the Coral Even Song Service is particularly popular and lasts around 45 minutes. So our tip for visiting St Paul's is to walk across a Millennium Bridge, because you get wonderful views, don't you?

Speaker 3: 11:57

Yeah, wonderful views, yeah yeah yeah.

Speaker 2: 11:59

So that's a great place to take some fantastic pictures, where you've got the Millennium Bridge and St Paul's in the background.

Speaker 3: 12:05

That's great. Yeah, and then number 10 is the famous river itself. We couldn't miss the River Thames off the list, could we really? No, and you really should consider taking a boat trip, whether that is on an Uber boat, which is a fast-clip service, or a more leisurely cruise, which you've done. A couple of those.

Speaker 3: 12:25

Yeah, yeah, absolutely yeah, so we have an article which compares 20 various cruise options along the Thames. You do get great views as well along the Thames on the cruises from the river, including the bridges the fabulous view of the Tower Bridge.

Speaker 2: 12:39

Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 3: 12:41

Also consider taking a stroll along the river. You got great views from the South Bank towards Big Ben or the Elizabeth Tower and the Houses of Parliament.

Speaker 2: 12:50

So we're sure this episode has provided lots of inspiration for your trip to London. Don't forget to check out the full article for another 12 London landmark suggestions. We also have available our London travel guide and itinerary planner ebook, which is designed to help you make the most of your time in this incredible city. So you'll find a link to the article and the ebook in this week's show notes, which can be found at uktravelplanetcom. Forward slash, episode 74. So that just leaves both myself and Doug to say until next week.

Speaker 3: 13:20

Happy UK travel planning.