Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus derives its name from a frilly collar that was popular in the seventeenth century. A dressmaker who made the item became wealthy and bought property in the area.
One of the most noted landmarks in Piccadilly Circus is the sculpture of Eros, the pagan god of love. The sculpture was originally called the Shaftsbury Monument after Lord Shaftsbury. Though the fountain is made of Bronze, the form of Eros itself is constructed from Aluminium, a rare and unusual material for the time.
Piccadilly Circus is promptly recognisable due to the extravagant neon signs, and is one of London most vibrant entertainment areas. The area has many pubs, clubs, cinemas and restaurants. Piccadilly Circus was originally part of the institute for the Regent road area by John Nash but has been distorted over the years.
The pedestrianised area of Piccadilly Circus conceals a maze of shops and some shopping malls, some of which are secret behind the facing of the London Pavilion, a once significant music venue.
Piccadilly Circus is the most visited part of London and is the junction for five major streets. Carnaby Street, Soho, Trafalgar square and Leicester square are also all within close nearnessy to Piccadilly and it is because of this position at the crossroads of so many areas that has led to it being dubbed 'the hub of London.' Piccadilly Circus has its own secret Station.
Royal Courts of Justice
Located on the beach is the England's former civil court, the Royal Courts of Justice. Housed within a magnificent Gothic building, the courts deal with many of the nation's most serious civil, libel and appeals cases. The construction was the last Gothic revival construction to be built in London and was designed by G E Street, it is view that the strain of construction such an colossal task led to Streets untimely death. Queen Victoria officially opened the Royal Courts of Justice in 1882.
Consisting of more than three miles of corridors and containing more than one thousand rooms, the architectural scale of the courts is breathtaking, the interior of the construction every bit as lavish and impressive as the exterior. The public are permitted to view, unsupervised, all 88 court rooms, though Judges have been known to reprimand those who would interrupt proceedings.
As well as marvelling at the features and scale of the building, visitors are invited to view an exhibition on the former court attire. The ornate Central Hall informs visitors of the cases currently being heard and their progress. The Royal Courts of Justice are categorically accessed from Charing Cross secret center and admittance is free of charge.
Smithfield Market
Meat has been bought and sold at Smithfield for more than eight hundred years, production it one of the oldest markets in London. Eighty-five thousand tones of produce pass straight through the shop each year together with meat, poultry, cheese, pies and savouries. The prices negotiated at Smithfield directly influence the costs of meat and poultry throughout the United Kingdom.
Many of the best restaurants and hotels buy their meat at Smithfield and the site is famed for the ability of the produce available.
Recently the shop has undergone a seventy million pound refurbishment and is now thought about the most modern meat shop in Europe. The construction itself is a huge Victorian grade Ii listed building. The name Smithfield comes from the first documented narrative of the market, described as a 'smooth field'. Edward Iii granted the site shop status in 1327.
In 1860 Parliament granted permission to institute more structure on the Smithfield site. In 1866 construction began on the east and west structure directly over the railway lines so that meat could be delivered directly by train. The structure were designed by Sir Horace Jones. There was additional expansion in 1875 when a specific poultry shop was added, though it was destroyed by fire in 1958.
There have been up to 162 stalls over the east and west structure in the past and are currently forty-three temperature controlled areas for customers to visit.
The Smithfield shop is an institution that is as significant today as it has all the time been and is worthy of a passing visit on the way to St Paul's or before trying one of the popular bars and restaurants in the Farringdon area which has industrialized a trendy credit over the past few years.
Farringdon or Barbican stations are only a few minutes walk from the market.
Somerset House
Somerset House was built on the site of the Palace of the Dukes of Somerset in the late eighteenth century by William Chambers.
Until the nineteenth century Somerset House reached the waters edge, but this was changed with the construction of the embankment though the southern face of the construction still features boat moorings.
Apart from housing part of the Inland wage and the register of births, deaths and marriages, Somerset House is now also home to the Courtauld Gallery, with the most impressive variety of paintings on display anywhere in London together with works by Rubens, Bottecilli, Renoir, Manet and many, many more. Also housed here is the Gillbert Collection, an impressive museum of decorative art that first opened in 2000. The Hermitage Rooms normally highlight exhibitions from the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.
The central courtyard was, until 2001, used a car-parking facility for visitors- this is now normally used as a venue for cultural events. This area is now known as Fountain Court features an ice-skating rink in winter months which proves so popular that tickets are often sold out well in advance!
Waterloo Bridge connects to the River Terrace which has a café and is often used to display sculpture. Admission to each museum is charged separately, although admission to Fountain Court is free of charge. Somerset House itself is open until 6pm, though the courtyard is accessible until 11pm daily.
Southwark Cathedral
There has been a place of worship on the site of Southwark Cathedral for more than 1,000 years, a fire destroyed the former construction in 1206 and the earliest surviving parts of the Cathedral date from this time. Southwark is London's oldest Gothic construction and is thought about an architectural treasure.
The construction itself stands below road level and is surrounded by warehouses and a rail viaduct near London Bridge. In the seventeenth century the churches parishioners bought the construction from King James I and restored it to previous splendour. Any way by the mid nineteenth century the construction had once again fallen into disrepair and was being thought about for demolition and although the nave was demolished the choir and retrochoir was restored.
In the late nineteenth century the church was premium to become a cathedral of a new London diocese and the construction was extended and refurbished extensively. The title of Cathedral was bestowed upon Southwark in 1905. While its lifetime Southwark Cathedral has had many noted visitors. John Harvard, founder of Harvard University, was baptised here. Poet John Gower and Bishop Lancelot Andrews are both entombed at Southwark.
Admission to Southwark Cathedral is free of charge. The Cathedral is an architectural marvel, a place of worship and a living historical monument. The Cathedral is categorically accessed via London Bridge secret station.
London's Landmarks Part 5
