Urban Study: London

Now that I've gotten back to work, I've had less time to read, write, and play video games. However I am still pressing on with my Assassin's Creed tour, and the past few weeks have undergone a British phase, much thanks to the game Assassin's Creed Syndicate (which I will soon have a full game review on). This game takes place in 1860s London, and highlights the grim industrial city that it once was. Actually my impression of London to this day is still a murky industrial city however with so much incredible monuments and history. In this post I'd like to make a deep cultural dive into the urban infrastructure of one the world's most iconic cities. 

If you've read my blog for some years now, it would be fair to claim that British history and culture are among my favorite topics. I suppose for me it began with my love of the Beatles as a teenager to later becoming familiar with their iconic literature (Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, George Orwell, JR Tolkein, and JK Rowling). The appreciation took a deeper level when I discovered the English Premier League, that has to this day become my favorite soccer league. Within the EPL I have become familiar with the teams, the cities, the vocabulary, and the customary traditions of England as a whole. Waking up to the EPL on the weekend mornings with a cup of coffee truly brings me joy. 

I also especially enjoy British history, and consider them as the founders and guardians of world order. By the 1500s in the age of discovery, they became the new world power ushered in by the golden age of Queen Elizabeth. Their empire later became one of the largest in the world, by which the sun never set. And from this empire was born the more powerful nation of the United States, which would later surpass their founders, however still accustomed to their fatherland. Consider to this day English remains the most popular language spoken in the world. And especially consider that it was England, who stood up to two of history's most atrocious conquerors Napoleon and Hitler, and saved Europe from complete submission. Thus in my opinion, England has always been the righteous guardians of the world. 

However I digress with this homage to British history and here I intend to specifically target the urban center of this culture. It is the city of London that has long been the headquarters of the British way and here in this iconic city resides many famous stories to share. I consider the city of London among my favorite historic cities on par with Paris, Rome, Boston, or Washington DC. I was glad to have visited the city in the spring of 2018 and seen some of the iconic monuments. However still I would like to spend more time there to get a more complete experience. In this post I'd like to highlight the timeline of the city's history with it's iconic landmarks. 

History of London

I suppose when it comes to the foundation of every major city it usually pertains to the area's geography. In the ancient days of natives and barbarians, civilizations always found greatest sustainability around riverbeds. In the case of London it is the River Thames that breaks inland from the North Sea. This river provided sufficient resources for it's earliest Celtic settlers as far back as 1100 BC. According to ancient legend the city of London was founded by Brutus of Troy, a descendant of the heroic Aeneas. This is of course on par with the fictional tales of  King Arthur, yet demonstrates Britain's early apperception for storytelling. 

In the Iron Age of the Roman Empire, the region was inhabited by a Celtic tribe known as the Trinovantes. However the settlement became overthrown by the Roman empire, during their conquest of Britain in the year 43 AD. The city was briefly recaptured by the Brittonic queen Boudica in 60 AD, however restored to Roman control ten years later. Under Roman authority the settlement thrived and became known as Londinium, the capital of Roman Britain. The city was often victim to Saxon pirate raids, however continued to expand under Roman control until it's decline in 500 AD. 

Following the fall of the Roman Empire, London became inhabited by Germanic tribes known as the Anglo-Saxons. The settlement of London became the center of the vast Saxon territory and was often referred to as Middle-Saxon (or Middlesex). In 604 AD King Saeberht of Essex converted the tribe to Christianity in accordance with the Roman Holy Sea. However despite it's thriving growth, the city was victim to constant viking attacks in the 9th century. The city was sacked in 842 AD by the Great Danish Heathen Army, and was not fully restored to British control until 886. Alfred the Great from Wessex restored the Saxon control of London and strengthened it's defenses. 

London continued to thrive as the booming center of Britain, and became the capital of the newly established Kingdom of England in 927 AD. However still during the time Viking raids from the Scandinavian regions presumed. In 1042 Edward the Confessor was able to restore English authority in the region and commissioned the monumental Westminster Abbey in 1065. However a year later, the city of London became the epicenter of the Norman Conquest led by William the Conqueror. Thus this tribe from Normandy France, consisting of Norse Vikings from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark became the new inhabitants of London. William the Conqueror was crowned king in the newly built Westminster Abbey. 

Medieval London

From this point on the city of London began it's medieval age under the authority of the Norman dynasty. The iconic fortress of the Tower of London was erected in 1078 and later became an infamous prison. Other iconic buildings were later constructed such as the Westminster Palace, which was the early residence of the English Monarchy until the 1500s. In 1209 the Old London Bridge was built and stood for nearly 600 years as the main bridge across the Thames River, until it was replaced by a more modern design in the 1800s. During the 1200s the city was subject to Jewish persecutions, peasant uprisings, and French hostility. Following the First Barons War of 1215, the Magna Carta was signed as the new code of law for England.

By the year 1300 London continued to grow as a thriving metropolis with a population of nearly 80,000. However the city was severely affected by the Black Death from 1347-1351 which spread throughout Europe. This pandemic cost nearly 200 million lives, and to this day remains the deadliest pandemics in history. London however returned to prominence during the Renaissance and Reformation of the 1400s-1500s. The Tudor Dynasty strengthened the British economy and under Henry VIII completely changed the dynamics of  religious authority with the established of the Church of England. No longer did the British Crown answer to the Catholic Church, yet rather to it's own religious denomination on par with the Protestant Reformation.

During the Age of Discovery under Queen Elizabeth, London became a booming city of mercantile trade. The British East India Company became headquartered out of  London in the year 1600, and quickly expanded Britain's imperial might. Soon Britain was bringing in wealth from it's colonies in America, Africa, India, and Asia. By 1605 it had become the largest city in Europe, with a population of 225,000. Also during the time the arts began to flourish, and London became a center for theatrical entertainment, thanks to the popularity of the playwright William Shakespeare. 

During the English Civil War of 1642-1651, the city of London took the side of the Parliamentarians who sought to overthrow the monarchy and establish religious freedom. Oliver Cromwell successfully defeated the Royalist army and had King Charles I executed in 1649 in the northern district of Whitehall. The monarchy was later restored in 1660 after the death of Oliver Cromwell. During this time the city became vastly overpopulated and suffered another terrible pandemic known as the Great Plague in 1665 which killed nearly 100,000 people. 

Things got worse for the city of London in the year 1666 when the city was devastated by the Great Fire of London. The fire started on a windy night at a bakery in Pudding Lane and quickly spread throughout the entire city. The fire lasted for 4 days, and although did not cause many fatalities it destroyed nearly 60% of the city's buildings. This included 13,000 houses, 87 churches, and countless other buildings. The most devastating loss was the monumental Old Saint Paul Cathedral which stood for nearly 400 years as the landmark of the city. 

Following this devastating fire, the monarchy commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to restore the city's architectural wonder. In a span of 60 years after the great fire, Christopher Wren designed over 50 buildings and churches in London, including the construction of his masterpiece, Saint Paul's Cathedral. For this Christopher Wren is regarded as the greatest English architect of all time yet also as the architect of the city of London. By the 1690s London had recovered from the fire, and returned to economic prominence thanks to it's newly established Bank of England as well as the thriving East India Company.   

By the 18th century Britain's global power continued to grow with it's Act of Union in 1707 with Scotland. It continued it's firm grasp on the colonial Americas and it's prospering trade with India. During the 1750s, England succeeded in defeating the French during the Seven Years War and driving them out of colonial America. In 1761 King George III acquired Buckingham Palace as the new royal residence of the monarchy. The city experienced some minor economic setbacks from their defeat at the American Revolutionary War however bounced back quickly thanks to new ideals of Enlightenment. 

Industrial London

After several years of intense war with Napoleon's France, Britain once again emerged victorious in the early 1800s. This ushered in a new era of Industrial Revolution by which London became the most populated city in the world with over 1 million residents. This number multiplied to 6.7 million by 1900, thus demonstrating the booming metropolis that it had become. The city became a center for industry yet also great poverty during the 1850s (a setting demonstrated in Assassin's Creed Syndicate and the literary works of Charles Dickens). This was an era before child labor laws, in which many children were forced to work in factories. The crime and slums of London were a defining part of the city's working-class industrial machine.     

One can only imagine London in the 1850s-1900s, perhaps on par with the industrial wastelands of Gary or New Jersey. In 1858 The Great Stink took a hold of the city, a terrible smell of sewage that caused outbreaks of cholera. Furthermore the city become a refuge for Irish immigrants recovering from the Great Famine. In response to the wasteland the city was becoming, the civil engineer Joseph Bazalgette established a proper sewage system by the 1860s. Further urban renovations continued to restore London's allure such as the monumental House of Parliament with it's iconic clock tower of Big Ben. Also there was the construction of the Tower Bridge which opened in 1886 as a new landmark in the city. 

Modern day London

By the 20th century, London's economic superiority was surpassed by the booming industry of America and challenged by other up-and-comers in Europe. At the time Germany had also become a major industrial producer and sought to establish superiority in Europe. The outbreak of the First World War in 1914 was primarily fought between the two superpowers of Europe, England and Germany. London endured it's first ever aerial bombings by German Zepplins during WWI causing nearly 700 deaths. England however endured as the victors of WWI and brought new harsh regulation on Germany. 

During the 1930s, London suffered from the global economic Great Depression and experienced heightened numbers of unemployment and poverty. This gave way to rising new political ideals such as Communism from Russia and Fascism from Germany. As always though England remained steadfast, even at the outbreak of WWII. In the face of German aggression under the Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, Winston Churchill arose to lead the British people. The people of London were again the victims of terrible German Aerial bombardments at the Battle of Britain in 1940-1941. This German Blitz caused severe damage to the city including a second great fire and over 40,000 civilian causalities. However the Cathedral of Saint Paul stood amidst the wreckage and the British people endured the German assault and later responded with victory in 1945. 

London was slow to rebuild after the devastation of World War II and took the backseat while new global superpowers emerged such as the United States and Russia. At this point Queen Elizabeth II began her reign in 1953, still reigning to this day as the longest ever British monarch. London still remained a populated industrial city and by the 1960s had once again emerged as a cultural center. The success of British rock musicians such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, gave way to a new youth culture that spread into America and throughout the world. Britain was once again the trendsetters and experienced a new subculture within the city of London.  

The city began a new modernization phase in the 2000s with iconic constructions such as the Millennium Dome, the London Eye, th3 30 Saint Mary building, and the Shard. Furthermore it's hosting of the Olympics in 2012 brought the city once again to global attention. The city has unfortunately been the site of various terrorist attacks in the modern age. However it continues to thrive as one of Europe's most historic cultural centers. It has an impressive population of 9.3 million and is the 4th biggest city in Europe (behind Istanbul, Moscow, and Paris). 

   

Architecture- Key Landmarks 

Westminster Abbey

• Construction: 1060
  
• Purpose: Abbey church
• Significance: It was built by Edward the Confessor as the first major landmark of London shortly before the Norman Conquest of 1066. The building was first designated as a great monastery for the Catholic Church until the 1500s when it was transformed by King Henry VIII into a Church of England. It's tower cathedral structure is very similar to that of Notre Dame in Paris and is one of London's most royal sites. It has been the ceremonial site for the monarch's coronation since it's construction. It's Gothic architecture makes it a very awe-inspiring site in the city of London, a style that was copied for the iconic House of Parliament. 

Windsor Castle

• Construction: 1076
• Purpose: Residence of the English Monarchy
• Significance: It was built by William the Conqueror on the outskirts of London as the primary residence of the monarchy. The castle estate is similar to the Palace of Versailles outside of Paris, that provides the monarchy a secluded location away from the public. The castle was renovated and expanded various times throughout the middle ages. It was later replaced by Buckingham Palace in the 1700s yet still remains to this day one of the monarchy's primary residences.    

Tower of London

• Construction: 1078
  
• Purpose: Fortification, armory, prison
• Significance: One of the first major constructions in the city of London by the Norman conquest of William the Conqueror. The building was designed as a major fortification along the Thames River to defend the newly acquired Norman territory. The fortress' most iconic structure is the White Tower which served as an Armory and later a prison for over 700 years. During the Tudor reign it housed various iconic monarchs such as Queen Elizabeth and Anne Boleyn before she was beheaded. 

Saint Paul's Cathedral

• Construction: 1675-1710
  
• Purpose: The mother church of London
• Significance: The original Old Saint Pauls Cathedral was first built in 1087 and served as an iconic landmark of medieval London. However it was later tragically burnt during the devastating fire of 1666. The Cathedral was later replaced by the design of Christopher Wren with a baroque, neo-classical element that was completed in 1710. The building's white color and massive dome, later went on the influence the construction of the US Capitol. It stands today as a proud structure of London, that endured the German bombings of WWI and most notably the blitz of WWII.  

Buckingham Palace

• Construction: 1703
• Purpose: Royal residence of the Monarchy
• Significance: The building was originally built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703, yet later became a royal residence when King George III acquired it in 1761. The building then underwent various expansion and became the primary house of residence for Queen Victoria during the 1800s. It serves today as the royal residence of the monarchy on par with the White House of Washington DC. Perhaps it's most iconic feature is it's golden gate, and the guards dressed in red with their big fluffy black hats.  

Trafalgar Square

• Construction: 1840
  
• Purpose: Town square and historical commemoration
• Significance: The town square was designed to commemorate Britain's victory against Napoleon France at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The square consists of fountains, statues of lions, and it's most iconic structure the Nelson Column. This impressive obelisk stands tall at 169 feet and commemorates Britain's greatest military commander, Admiral Horatio Nelson who died at the Battle of Trafalgar. 

Westminster Palace

• 
  Construction: 1840
• Purpose: House of Parliament
• Significance: It was originally built in 1016 as a royal residence in the district of Westminster, yet later evolved into the House of Parliament in the 1500s. The original building was later burnt by a fire in 1834 and fully replaced by the monument that we see today. It's replacement incorporated the similar Gothic architecture of it's neighboring landmark, the Westminster Abbey. In 1859 it's building's most iconic feature was completed, that of the Big Ben clock tower. The building is without question the most iconic landmark in the city of London on par with the Eiffel tower of Paris or the Colosseum of Rome.    

Tower Bridge

• Construction: 1886-1894
  
• Purpose: Bridge across the Thames River
• Significance: While it is often mistaken with the famous London Bridge, the Tower Bridge stands over the River Thames as the most architecturally impressive bridge in London. It resembles it's neighboring medieval structure of the Tower of London with it's giant white towers. Also the blue suspension rigs give this bridge a modern modern appeal. This is one of my favorite bridges in the world on par with the Brooklyn Bridge or the Golden Gate Bridge. 

30 Saint Mary Axe

• Construction: 2004
• Purpose: Business skyscraper
• Significance: Also known as the Gherkin (the British pickle) this building has a very unique design with its wide and round circumference. It's modern structure stands at an impressive 591 feet and has become an iconic feature of the London skyline. Although it is only the 18th tallest building in London, it's structural design makes it one of the most distinctive. 

The Shard

• Construction: 2012
  
• Purpose: Business skyscraper
• Significance: It is the tallest structure in London and demonstrates the modern day skyline of a booming city. The building has a modern day glass-like structure to it, resembling other modern skyscrapers such as the Shanghai Tower or One World Trade Center. It towers over the city near the River Thames at an impressive 1016 feet. I'll never forget seeing this building for the first time while riding the London Underground subway. It glimmered at night with a modern day appeal like a giant pyramid overlooking the historical city.