LONDON Form 8 I Love English 6

The sights of London

Westminster Abbey …is one of the oldest buildings in London. It is a very large cathedral in the centre of London.

Westminster Abbey Many kings, queens and famous people are buried there. Since the 12 th century all the kings and queens have been crowned in Westminster Abbey.

St Paul’s Cathedral …was built between 1675 and 1711 by Sir Christopher Wren. It is known for its big dome. At the dome’s base is the Whispering Gallery.A whisper to the wall on one side can be heard on the other.

The Houses of Parliament The Palace of Westminster was built by Edward the Confessor and rebuilt by William the Conqueror. Now it is known as the Houses of Parliament. The Houses of Parliament are the seat of the British Parliament.

Big Ben Big Ben is the large bell in the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament. It is often used as a symbol of London or Britain.

British Airways London Eye …is the highest observation wheel in the world. It was built to celebrate the Millennium.

The Globe The Globe is the famous theatre on the bank of the River Thames. Shakespeare’s plays were first performed there. It was destroyed in the 17th century. And was rebuilt exactly as it was in the 1990s.

The Tower of London …was begun by William the Conqueror in 1078 as a castle and a palace. Since then it has been used as a royal palace, a zoo, a fortress and a prison. Now it is a museum.

The Tower of London The Tower of London contains 20 towers. The White Tower at its centre is the oldest. The Tower of London is home to the English Crown Jewels.

Buckingham Palace …is the home of the British royal family. It lies in the centre of London next to Green Park. Tourists love the colourful ceremony of the Changing the Guard, which takes place at the Palace.

Buckingham Palace There are about 600 rooms in the Palace, the Queen has 12 private rooms. 18 rooms open to the public during the summer. When the Queen is at the palace, a flag flies on top of the building.

Queen Victoria Memorial Queen Victoria was the first monarch to live in Buckingham Palace. In front of the Palace there is the famous Queen Victoria Memorial.

London’s bridges Thirty- five bridges span the Thames in Greater London. The oldest is London Bridge. Tower Bridge was comlpeted in 1894.

See you in London! The famous saying of the 18 th century writer Samuel Johnson was: “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.”