A walk around the historic center of London.
(51K) 432 x 645 | Southwark Cathedral (Anglican), built in the 1200s but deconsecrated after the Reformation, yet remains as a reminder of the midievil Church (although the interior was mostly rebuilt in the 19th century). |
(45K) 432 x 645 | An ancient ship (actually a replica) alongside the river |
(36K) 645 x 432 | View of "The City", the historic and financial center of London, from accross the Thames river. (That's London Bridge - its not falling.) |
(31K) 645 x 432 | Another view of the Southwark Cathedral, which for over 500 years was a Augustinian priory (St. Marys) before being dissolved by the King in 1540, then claimed by the city and called St. Savior's |
(33K) 432 x 645 | The monument to the great fire of London which destroyed 80% of the city in 1666. |
(25K) 645 x 432 | St. Stephen Walbrook - one of the many Churches built by the architect Sir Christopher Wren after the fire (he also designed the monument). The original dated from the 1430s. It is famous for its architecture and the dome, copied by many others. |
(46K) 645 x 432 | Archaeological sight of a temple of Mithras - a reminder how Londan began as a colony of the Roman Empire, build in the 2nd Century AD. |
(38K) 645 x 432 | View of St. Paul's Cathedral in the distance. Note the dome's similarity to St Stephen Walbrook |
(41K) 645 x 432 | Royal Exchange, founded in 1566 as an exchange for mechants, the current building dates to 1838. The memorial is to the soldiers who died in the two World Wars. |
(48K) 645 x 432 | Bank of England, originally established in 1694. The current building dates from 1939. |
(35K) 645 x 432 | Or maybe this was the bank - I got confused. |
(51K) 432 x 645 | Just walking down a quaint narrow street of historic London. And there looms the NatWest tower, London's tallest, and second in all of Europe. |
(71K) 645 x 432 | Cardinal Newman was part of the Oxford Movement, who greatly reformed the Anglican Church, before becoming a Catholic in 1845 and a Cardinal in 1879. He died in 1890. (On the wall of the Stock Exchange). |
(28K) 432 x 645 | The Royal Exchange buildings, which are near the Church of St. Benet Fink, where John Newman was baptized an Anglican, Apr. 9, 1801. |
(44K) 432 x 645 | Parish Church of St. Michael's Cornhill nearby, one of the oldest parishes in the city, in what was a main trading center / market in the middle ages. |
(32K) 432 x 645 | St. Peter-upon-Cornhill, tradition says that a church was founded here in 179 AD by King Lucius. More likely, the villa on this sight had a Christian chapel, where some Roman citizens lived who had converted to Christianity in Rome before coming to London. |
(51K) 432 x 645 | Here is a view from behind St. Michael's Cornhill, where the parish cemetary was (is?) - today just a garden. |
(32K) 432 x 645 | St. Mary on Abchurch Lane (?), the Church was first mentioned in the 12th century. |
(47K) 645 x 432 | The "London Stone" (behind the grill), probably a Roman stone used to mark distances from the city. It is a famous landmark, even mentioned by Shakespeare (Henry VI, part 2). |
(37K) 432 x 645 | St. Paul's Cathedral, Sir Christopher's Wren's masterpiece, the only Cathedral in Engand with a dome. Also known as the site of Charles and Diana's wedding, state funerals, and an inspiration for Londononers who survived the WWII bombings. |
(58K) 645 x 432 | Various views from the Dome of St. Paul's. |
(55K) 645 x 432 | A nice view of the city center. The cone shaped building is Lloyd's of London, built in 1986 for the the famous insurer. |
(26K) 645 x 432 | A little view of the River Thames and Blackfriars bridge. |
(36K) 432 x 645 | St. Paul's churchyard, in midevil times, was known for its printshops and booksellers. |
(48K) 645 x 432 |
(44K) 645 x 432 | The building and entrance on the left are Lincoln's Inn, originally where the Dominican's arrived in 1221. It was once also the home of St. Thomas More. | |
(50K) 645 x 432 | It was somewhere here along Chancery Lane that St. Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln died Nov. 17, 1200. |
(40K) 432 x 645 | The Royal Court of Justice, held here since the 13th century, the current building built in the 19th century. At the top center is a statue of Christ blessing, on the right Solomon, known for his Temple and wisdom, and on the left King Alfred (848-901), the founder of English Law. |
(70K) 645 x 432 | The Royal Courts include over 1000 rooms, two miles of cooridors, and cost 1.4 million pounds when opened Dec. 4th 1882. |
(48K) 645 x 432 | Lincoln's Inns Fields, a large park, which was a popular place for executions (i.e. martyrdoms) in the 16th century. Now a little shelter marks the spot of the gallows. |
(42K) 645 x 432 | A view of the front of Lincoln's Inn. The chapel dates from the 17th century and the Old Hall dates from 1490 and remained almost unaltered. |
(49K) 645 x 432 | The plaque on the wall recalls how the Ship Inn dates from 1549, and was used to hide many Catholic priests and bishops in its large cellars. |
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