The city of westminster

Fleet Street and the Strand have been the main routes from the City to Westminster for nearly a thousand years. The Strand, so named because it followed the northern bank (or the strand) of the Thames, is the main street. Fleet Street became "a newspaper centre" only in the 18th century.

The City of Westminster is the wealthiest of any borough in the kingdom. It includes some of the most desirable residential properties

Westminster is one thousand years younger than the City. Old Westminster is London at its grandest the place where kings and queens are crowned, where they lived and often were buried.

As, during the Middle Ages, London increased in size and wealth, the Old City and the area round the Royal Palace at Westminster became the two chief centres. The nobles, bishops, judges and others who were connected with the Court, lived in or near Westminster. The Court moved to St.James's in the eighteenth century, and to Buckingham Palace - in the nineteenth century.

The area contains the principal governmental offices, New Scotland Yard and the most important shopping districts. Here, and farther west, are the finest theatres, cinemas and concert halls, luxurious hotels, Madame Tussauds's waxworks museum, and four museums of art, two at least of world rank - the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square and the Tate Gallery built on the river near Vauxhall Bridge.

Tower of London Tower Hill

In 1067 the Normans built temporary fortifications in the south-east corner of the Roman wall enclosing the City of London.

Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester was given the task of building the keep in 1078. He used white stone from Caen to build an impressive royal residence, including a chapel and great hall, 90 feet high with 15 feet thick walls.

This was the tallest building in London and became known as the White Tower. William II completed the work started by William the Conqueror and in 1097 built a wall around the Tower.

During the 12th century further buildings were added to the castle but it wasn't until the reign of Henry III. Henry III carried out major rebuilding and redecoration of the royal residence. The internal rooms were whitewashed and so was the outside of the Tower.

Edward I was responsible for building the outer curtain wall and towers and the digging of the moat which were completed in 1281. He also built the river entrance known as Traitors' Gate. By now the site had expanded to 12 acres including an embankment built along the river. It was at this time that the Royal Mint was set up in the Tower and remained there until 1811.

Henry VIII was mostly responsible that the appearance of the Tower of London today. He also built a half-timbered royal residence known as the King's House and the angle turrets on the White Tower. During the 1530s the Tower ceased to be a royal residence and after the Civil War the ancient palace was demolished.

Although a royal residence the Tower was used as a prison from its early beginnings up to the 20th century.

The last prisoner held here was Rudolf Hess in 1941. Many prisoners were executed on Tower Hill just outside the castle and the last execution took place in 1747.

The atmosphere of the Tower at the present date is the result of restoration carried out by the architect Salvin in the 19th century. In 1875 the Tower was opened to the public for the first time.

Today the Tower houses the Crown Jewels and the Royal Armouries. 40 Yeoman Warders in Tudor regalia guard the Tower and one of these, the Ravenmaster, looks after the famous ravens.