UK: The medieval splendour of London
A magical historic tour of the old city of London
Huge stone walls and splendid towers, dampened by the
humidity of the river Thames, and paved, narrow streets leading to old pubs,
abbeys and stone coats, as well as magnificent cathedrals, all of them a vivid
reminder of the birth of the city of London: A small commercial city on the
banks the Thames was destined to become, hundreds of years later, the center of
the industrial revolution and the great metropolis that we all know. However,
one just needs to wander around the streets of the old city of London and
immediately he will come face to face with its bewildering past and the medieval
atmosphere, witnessing this historic transition that affected not only the
United Kingdom but the entire Western culture, and the whole world.
The Tower Bridge and the Tower of London
Your first stop in this “medieval tour” should be the prominent
Tower of London, on the banks of Thames, with the Traitor's Gate resembling open
dark jaws, where once the prisoners of the Tudor dynasty were being escorted. Its
name has been associated with cries of agony, wars and blood, and has been the
centerpiece of developments in the Middle Ages functioning both as a palace as
well as a dreaded prison.
In order to behold all of its majestic splendor, you should
head to the Tower Bridge Road subway station and from there walk towards the
impressive Tower Bridge, built in 1887, with the two Gothic towers rising above
the river. Looking across the river and as you head towards the bridge, you
will be able to see the impressive walls of the Tower of London and get a
glimpse of the majestic White Tower, from which the castle actually took its
name. Crossing the bridge will allow you to enjoy the contrast of this vivid city,
where the symbolic modern buildings like the shining Shard and the
"phallic" Gherkin in the background, blend with the stern shape of
the Tower of London on the opposite bank. |
| The Tower Bridge |
Making a short stop on the bridge, not only for the unique
view it offers, you will have the chance to visit a very interesting exhibition
with important elements of its construction, as well as the Victorian rooms
that accommodate the bridge's mechanisms. By paying an 8 euro ticket you can
enter the exhibition, where through interesting pictures and documents the various
accidents and misfortunes that have happened during the construction are documented.
However, the most interesting part is the glass floor, where you practically
walk over the river, with the ability to see the astonishing mechanism of that
era, and the famous gates that open and close to allow ships to pass through the
river!
Once you reach
the opposite bank of the river, the huge tourist crowd implies that you are on your
way to the gates of one of the darkest towers in the medieval history of
Europe. Being one of the most important attractions in London and England, you
are likely to meet long queues so it is better if you already purchase your
ticket online, and it would be even better to buy the London Pass that gives
you entry to major attractions of the city with important discounts, saving you the long queues.
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| The White Tower |
By paying the, somewhat expensive, 25 euro ticket, you can
visit the entire castle and venture into its turbulent history, exploring both
the Royal Residences and the torture chambers, or even learning interesting facts
about the wildlife, from all corners of the earth, in the zoo hosted by Henry
III of England in his court! Basically the Tower was initially built as a
fortress and castle by the Normans, but eventually it came to be considered the
creation of William the Conqueror, as the famous White Tower, the symbol of
oppression, was built by him. The reputation of the Tower as a place of cruel
treatment for the prisoners began in the era of the Reformation by Henry VIII,
who was overwhelmed by the fear of the usurpation of his throne and did not
hesitate to execute even his relatives. The thousands of prisoners who have
spent their miserable lives in the Tower, left their traces behind, carving
small drawings on the cold walls, and if you ask one of the guides, they can
show you some of them that otherwise you might miss within the labyrinthine
corridors of the castle.
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| Royal Residences |
Perhaps the most interesting collection in the castle is the
Crown Jewelry of England, and especially the imperial crown with the 2,800
diamonds in the White Tower, where you can admire the mind-blowing talent of
the craftsmen who gave new impetus to the precious stones, - some of the
world's most famous diamonds belong to this collection -, that adorn the
crowns, the scepters and other royal power symbols. The world's largest diamond
of unparalleled quality, Kulinan I,
is really a unique exhibit of exceptional beauty, but I would not say that the
same applies to the representations of medieval life in the castle, executed by
actors, basically making it look like a medieval Disneyland.
The Temple Church
Continuing your tour on the medieval history of Londinium, and upon exiting the Tower you
can enjoy the amazing scenery of the Thames River by taking the boat from the
Tower Pier, a few meters down the bank, and after a short cruise down the river
you will reach Blackfriars Pier. A short walk from there you will find a
milestone of the birth of the Order of Solomon's Temple, widely known as
Knights Templar, who changed the course of the history of mankind with their
famous Crusades. The Temple Church, located between Fleet Street and the Thames,
with its simple and rigorous lines as appropriate to this war battalion, was
one of the most important buildings in the history of the Order, as the young
Templar Knights were baptized in its bosom. The authentic building of the 12th
-century, the Circular Church, with its serene beauty, along with its
later expansion constitutes an important landmark in the medieval history of
the great Order. Moreover, we have to mention that this temple along with the
impressive Prince Henry's Room, a little further down at No. 17 on Fleet
Street, are some of the few buildings that survived the Great Fire of London in
1666 that completely destroyed the city. Also, if you desire a moment of relaxation
right next to the river then you won’t find a better place then the beautiful
flowerbeds with roses in the gardens just behind the Temple.
St. Paul's Cathedral
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| St. Paul's Cathedral |
With images filling your mind, of those darker yet glorified times of yore, you can continue walking up Fleet Street until you reach number 145, where one of the most famous and old London pub is waiting for you. Ye Old Cheshire Cheese pub, after burning in the Big Fire of London, was rebuilt in 1667 and has since been a deeply rooted piece of old London. Wood and stone dominate this historic tavern, where you can sit and enjoy traditional recipes of centuries in the same sturdy 17th -century wooden table, in which Charles Dickens was eating with other famous colleagues of his time! After browsing through the various rooms and pampering the stuffed parrot behind the bar, the famous Polly, you can cool off with a great variety of good beers or even try the roast dish of the day.
Ending this wonderful historic route, a few meters farther,
we will come upon the magnificent dome of St. Paul's Cathedral, one of
England's largest cathedrals, rebuilt from its ashes since the Big Fire of
London of 1666. The old cathedral, built by the Normans, was the third largest
cathedral in Europe, and in its ashes the new Cathedral was built, an
impressive baroque building with an exceptional decoration, especially the
woodcut stones which are considered to be the finest to date. This temple in
fact possesses one the largest crypt in Europe, where the great Duke of
Wellington who defeated Napoleon is buried together with famous artists of the
time, as well as the Cathedral architect himself, Christopher Ren, for whom it
is believed that when he finished the Cathedral he then died in it!
Finally, we have to add that at a very short distance from
the Cathedral one can find Museum of London (London Wall, 150, which, though
not having the reputation of other museums in London, nevertheless is the most
appropriate place for a comprehensive look at the fascinating history of this
wonderful city, - the stagecoaches of old London have been reproduced in natural
size along with their horses! In the halls of the museum one might be able to
listen to the sounds of a forgotten London, the bells of the wagon as it is engulfed
in the mist, and the sound of the wheels on the paved road fading away in a
cold, wet night, lost in time.
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| The old and the new |
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