|
Traveling To The United Kingdom Little Known Facts About
London
There is far more
to the British capital than meets the eye, and there
is always something new and fascinating to learn about
historical and modern-day London.
Below, you'll find some little known
facts about the city:
What is "Big Ben"? Most people
think that it's the name of the world famous clock,
or perhaps the tower that houses it. Wrong! The name
actually refers to the thirteen ton bell, while the
tower is known as St. Stephen's Tower.
The Queen's official residence, Buckingham
Palace, was built in 1702... on the site of an infamous
brothel!
In 1870, due to the potato famines in
Ireland, there were more Irish living in London than
there were in Dublin. (At the time, there were also
more catholics living in London than there were in Rome.)
The Great Fire of London in 1666 caused
extensive damage across the city and raged for days,
causing parts of London to be rebuilt. However, only
around eight lives were lost in the catastrophe.
The city that is currently known as
London has gone through a variety of names during its
history. At the time of the Roman Invasion, it was called
Londinium. In Saxon times, it became known as Lundenwic.
And during the reign of Alfred the Great, the city was
known as Lundenburg.
The Thames is the oldest place name
in Britain, and the river is a combination of four other
rivers.
About 25% of all people currently living
in London were born abroad.
A culturally diverse and multi-ethnic
city, London houses people speaking over 300 different
languages.
There are over 19,000 listed buildings
in the British capital.
About sixteen percent of the UK's restaurants
are located in London, and there are more Michelin-rated
restaurants in London than in any other city except
for Paris.
Gaslight was introduced in London in
1807; prior to this, torchlight was used.
Her Majesty the Queen is not allowed
to enter the House of Commons (because she is not a
commoner).
Rumor has it that Windsor Castle is
haunted by a variety of ghosts, including King Henry
VIII, Queen Elizabeth I, Mad King George, and Charles
I.
London's underground system was the
first to be built in the world, and it is one of the
largest. Nowadays, however, it is one of the most unreliable
--and most expensive.
Each week, the 409 escalators in the
London underground cover a formidable distance: The
equivalent of several trips around the world!
1howto.com
--------------------------------------------------
Please
Share Your Tips with Us
|
