TRAVEL TO UNITED KINGDOM - LONDON

The City of Victoria in London is a city with alarming contrasts. Rich and developing new building go hand in hand with the slum where people lived terrible congestion in the worst conditions. The population grew in the 19th century, around 1 million in 1800 to over 6 million a century later. This growth far exceeded London's ability to ensure the basic needs of citizens.

A combination of charcoal stoves and poor sanitation made the air heavy and smelly. Large quantities of untreated sewage is dumped directly into the Thames. Even royalty was not immune from the plague in London - when Queen Victoria occupied their apartments at Buckingham Palace were ventilated through the common sewer, a fact which was not discovered until some 40 years later.

After this stage reached an entirely unlikely, an engineer named Joseph Bazalgette. Bazalgette was responsible for construction of 2,100 km of tunnels and pipes to divert sewage outside the city. This made a dramatic impact on mortality and outbreaks of cholera dropped dramatically after the work was completed Bazlgette. For an encore, Bazalgette also was responsible for the design of the dam, and Battersea, Hammersmith, and Albert Bridges.

Before engineering triumphs came Bazalgette Architecture George IV wins favorite designer, John Nash. Nash designed the wide roads of Regent Street <, Piccadilly Circus, Carlton House Terrace, and Oxford Circus, and the continued development of the conversion of Buckingham House in Buckingham Palace a worthy monarch.

In 1829 Sir Robert Peel founded the Metropolitan Police to tackle law and order in areas outside the city proper. These officers are known as "Bobbie" after its founder.

Just behind Buckingham Palace Grosvenor family developed the aristocratic Belgrave Square. In 1830 to the ground just east of the castle was removed from the royal stables to create Trafalgar Square and the new National Gallery there was only two years later.

The first part of the 19th century was the golden age of steam. The first railway was built in London, from London Bridge to Greenwich in 1836, and a great railway boom followed. Stations were built at Euston (1837), Paddington (1838), Fenchurch Street (1841), Waterloo (1848) and King's Cross (1850).

In 1834 the Houses of Parliament at Westminster Palace burned down. They were gradually replaced by the triumphant model Gothic Houses of Parliament designed by Charles Barry and AW Pugin.


The clock tower of the Houses of Parliament, mistakenly known as Big Ben, was built in 1859. The name Big Ben are some inconsistencies, but there is no argument, calling the name refers to the bells in the tower itself is not the big clock.

In 1848 the great Potato Famine struck Ireland hernia. What does this have to do with the history of London? Abundance. Over 100,000 impoverished Irish fled their homeland and settled in London, while constituting 20% of the total population in the city.

Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria was largely responsible for one of the most important moments in the era that bears the name of his wife, the great exhibition in 1851. This was the first great world fair, a showcase of technology and manufacturing countries worldwide. The exhibition was held in Hyde Park and the Center was Joseph Paxton's revolutionary iron and glass floor called the "Crystal Palace".

The exhibition was a great success, with over 200,000 participants. After the event, Crystal Palace was moved to Sydenham, in south London, where he remained until it burned to the ground in 1936. The proceeds of the exhibition is devoted to the creation of two new permanent exhibitions, which became the Science Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum.

The year 1863 was the conclusion of the first subway in London, from Paddington to Farringdon Road. The project was so successful that other lines soon followed.

But an extension of the movement is not limited to land. As the center of the British Empire, the Thames was clogged with ships from around the world, and London had more yards than any place on the planet.

Of all the economic expansion during the Industrial Revolution, living conditions among the poor in London was terrible. 5 Children are often put to work begging or sweeping chimneys. Campaigns such as Charles Dickens did much to make the situation of poor people in London know that the literacy classes with his novels, including Oliver Twist. In 1870, the efforts bore some fruit with the passage of laws that prescribe mandatory schooling for children between 5 and 12

Top London Attractions :-

London Eye

When the Millennium Commission announced their intention to build an observation wheel that would stand 135 metres over the city of London, people were initially cynical. But the British Airways London Eye has turned out to be the finest and most popular new attraction in London since Queen Victoria's Great Exhibition. The London Eye now welcomes between 3.5 and 4 million guests every year. Conceived and designed by Marks Barfield Architects, the London Eye is a feat of modern engineering, both beautiful to look at and from. It is the tallest observation wheel in the world, allowing you to see one of the world's most exciting cities from a completely new perspective.

National Gallery

The National Gallery is visible in its full glory in the heart of the newly pedestrianised Trafalgar Square. Its permanent collection houses some of the world’s most important paintings from as far back as the 13th century. Gaze upon the works of greats such as Titian, da Vinci, Rembrandt, Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Raphael and Van Gogh. Built in 1832-1833, in an attempt to outshine Paris’s Louvre, it aspires to make art accessible to all with free admission, a central location and extended opening hours. The important thing in planning your visit is not to try and see everything. You could spend a week wandering through its hallowed halls, and still miss many of the greatest works of European art.

Tate Modern

Tate Modern is London's most visited and innovative gallery, housed in a former power station the space itself is as much as an attraction as its collections and exhibitions. The journey there is an adventure in itself, take the tube to Blackfriars, cross the river on the 'Blade of Light' Millennium Bridge, and admire the startling contrast between historic St Paul's Cathedral and this uber modern art gallery. The interior is a glorious, unpretentious playground of modern art, as appealing to children and amateurs as it is to adults and art experts. Permanent collections includes works by Bacon, Matisse, Rothko and Andy Warhol as well as the best of contemporary British art.

St Paul's Cathedral

Sir Christopher Wren's mighty cathedral draws the eye like nothing else in London, even though the City's skyscrapers now tower above it. The centrepiece of the great reconstruction of London after the great fire of 1666, it is still the spiritual focus of Great Britain. Royal weddings and birthdays, the funerals of Britain's leaders and services to celebrate the ends of wars all take place beneath the famous dome. The cathedral miraculously survived the Blitz in World War II and served as an inspirational symbol of strength. Explore the medieval relics in the crypt, the gorgeous Victorian mosaics, and up to the staggering views of London from the top of the dome.

South Bank Centre

Love it or loathe its modernist architecture, the Southbank Centre is the capital's cultural epicentre. A prime example of 1960's concrete 'carbuncle' design, the centre offers three theatres, three concert halls, two art galleries, two cinemas, cafes, bars, shops, a Saturday book market, wicked spaces for skateboarding and BMXing and stunning views of the river. Listen to some of the world's best live music at The Royal Festival Hall. Watch a 3-D movie or blockbuster at the London IMAX cinema, or catch a cinematic classic at the BFI (formerly the National Film Theatre). Enjoy first class theatre at the National Theatre and soak up the atmosphere as live music and street theatre take place on the riverside.

British Museum

Founded in 1753, when Sir Hans Sloane left his collection of 71,000 objects of interest, the British Museum's charter insists that it be open free of charge "to all studious and curious persons." The museum expanded rapidly in the nineteenth century, and now contains around 7 million objects, some more than 10,000 years old. Spend an afternoon exploring the relics of ancient Egyptian and Greek empires and come face to face with mankind's greatest cultural achievements. Wander the seemingly endless corridors and displays. The museum is a treasure trove of objects from the whole world and the entire span of human history and prehistory.

Natural History Museum

Originally designed as an offshoot of the British Museum, the Natural History Museum is a fascinating and impressive place to visit. This beautiful gothic building houses one of the world's largest collection of dinosaur skeletons. These fantastic creatures dominate the main halls, towering above the awed faces of visitors and are a source of endless fascination to all ages. As well as these the museum offers exhibitions and activities, a collection of over 70 million natural history specimens, some of which are kept on display to the public, and the revamped geology museum, with its exciting interactive displays. Great fun for adults and a must see for kids.

Tower of London

For a thousand years the Tower of London has protected, threatened, imprisoned and occasionally executed the people of London. Originally the fortress of the hated Norman conquerors, built with imported white stone from France, it has been through many different incarnations in its life; the bloody tower where Richard III allegedly murdered his nephews, a patriotic symbol, home to British monarchs and armies, a prison and in modern times a treasury museum and UNESCO World Heritage site. The biggest draw for visitors is the crown jewels: crowns, sceptres, plate, and the two largest cut diamonds in the world are among the objects in the collection. The medieval palace, traitors gate, the beefeaters, and the ravens make visits wonderfully atmospheric.

Westminster Abbey

The setting for every coronation since 1066 and the burial ground for kings, statesmen, scientists, musicians and poets, Westminster Abbey is a true Medieval masterpiece. Stunning gothic architecture, the fascinating literary history represented by poets corner, the artistic talent that went into the statues, murals, paintings and tombs, and the fantastic stained glass, combine to make Westminster Abbey the most enduringly stunning of London's churches.