London – City of Treasures

Posted: April 26, 2008

London has a deserved reputation as one of the world’s great cities. As well as being a major centre for finance and fashion, it’s rich in historical and contemporary treasures.

The most obvious treasure is the Crown Jewels. Housed in an enormous vault within the Tower of London, they comprise thousands of diamonds and other gems set in crowns and orbs, sceptres and swords.

The original Tower dates from 1078. It was built by William the Conqueror, partly to defend London from attack, but more to protect the Normans from the English.

Adjacent to the Tower stands one of the world’s great bridges, Tower Bridge. It provides a familiar picture postcard crossing of the Thames.

Downstream lies Greenwich. With a world heritage listing, Greenwich has been recognised as a treasure in itself, but it’s worth the trip just to visit the Harrison clocks at the Royal Observatory. John Harrison’s final clock, H4, has been described as the most important clock ever made. It solved the problem of keeping accurate time at sea, thus making it possible for ships to work out an accurate position. H4 looks like an oversized pocket watch, so it is H4’s larger predecessors that perhaps hold greater interest. They are kept running constantly, and their visible inner workings reveal a man who took his craft far beyond what was necessary to produce works of both stunning beauty and amazing precision.

The collection at the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square will make any art lover swoon. It’s filled with works by the big names in art from across the centuries. Visitors can start at 1250, and travel forwards in time to 1900. Look out for “The Madonna of the Pinks”. A small but exquisite painting by Raphael, it was purchased by the gallery in 2004 for £22,000,000!

A more contemporary treasure is the London Eye. The thirty minute “flight” takes passengers 135 metres above the Thames, and provides spectacular views of London. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament are close by, and on a clear day Windsor Castle can be seen over 30 km away.

That’s just scratching the surface. The British Museum and the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace are also must sees. Then there’s shopping, from the craft and clothing stalls of Camden Market (beware of pickpockets) to the elegance of Harrods (beware of the price tags). And to get around, don’t forget London’s subterranean treasure, the London Underground.