London: a brief history (2, 000)

London has nearly 2,000 years of recorded history. It was founded, as Londinium, by the Romans, following their invasion in A.D. 43. They built the first, wooden, bridge and, in A.D. 120, began the construction of the defensive walls, fragments of which can still be seen today. The Romans left in the 5th century and the city was largely abandoned, though by the 8th century it was again a busy trading centre, and in the 11th century it became the capital of England.

Edward the Confessor built a palace and abbey at Westminster, thus creating twin centres which still exist today, the government being based at Westminster while the City, which developed largely within the old walls, is the commercial and financial centre. The Norman period saw the construction of the Tower, old St. Paul’s Cathedral and many churches and monasteries, as well as the first Stonebridge over the Thames.

Medieval London grew in importance as a trading centre and in 1215, with the sealing by King John of Magna Carta, its citizens won the right to elect their own leader, or Lord Mayor. Rapid growth during the Tudor and Stuart periods led to new buildings outside the walls in areas such as Lincoln’s Inn and Covent Garden.

The Great Fire of 1666 destroyed three quarters of the City and, although the rebuilding followed the Medieval street plan, the old timber houses were replaced by buildings of brick in order to reduce any future fire risk. Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt St. Paul’s Cathedral and designed 51 new churches, of which 23 still stand. In the 18th century new wealth created by trade and investment led to further expansion into areas such as Mayfair, though the poor continued to live in appalling conditions. During the 19th century London spread rapidly into the suburbs, swallowing up villages and countryside, and new forms of transport were developed, such as buses and railways, including the underground railway system. Britain was then at the height of her Imperial powers and this confidence is expressed in buildings such as the Houses of Parliament and St. Pancras Station.

Large areas of London were destroyed by bombs during the Second World War and the rebuilding that followed was of mixed quality. Like all great cities, London refuses to stand still and new, often controversial, buildings continue to appear alongside the heritage of past centuries, mirroring the way the needs of the modern city co-exist with the traditions and pageantry.

Notes

1) Covent Garden – театр Ковент Гарден;

2) Mayfair – район Лондона;

3) pageantry – пышное зрелище.