Day 3: London

APRIL 6 - Headed to the Tower of London first. Ended up quite a ways west at Waterloo Station and walked about 5 km east.

On the way, stop at a monument dedicated to memory of the Great Fire of 1666, which destroyed a large part of London. The monument is 202 feet tall, standing that same distance from the point at which the fire began.

All Hallows-by-the-tower church. This is claimed to be the oldest in England, founded in 675 AD (some debate exists about this date). It was only slightly damaged by the Great Fire of 1666, but was partly destroyed during the Great Blitz of WWII (1940-41). The latter destruction is strange, considering the real target surely would have been the nearby Tower Bridge (which was not hit).

In the basement crypt of All Hallows, an older Roman-era floor is still preserved. During Roman times, this location would have been at the very south east corner of the walled city perimeter.

On to the nearby Tower of London. This structure, originally constructed by William the Conqueror after the Norman Conquest of 1066 AD, has served many purposes: a prison, armory, treasury, royal residence, and mint.

From the north side.

From the south side.

Near the Tower of London is the Tower Bridge, which began construction in 1886. The lower span for vehicles was originally opened and closed by coal powered hydraulic system. It was converted to an electric hydraulic system in 1972.

School lesson for today was ‘how does the Tower Bridge work?’

Storms move in late afternoon, so we head back north on the Gray Line. Later eat at Slim Chickens while the torrents fall.

United Kingdom (England) I