Behind the capital’s most photographed sights and attractions lie little details that even lifelong Londoners miss. But can you spot the quirky facts from the urban myths?
1. Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square might be a well-known tribute to one of Britain’s most celebrated naval commanders. But next time you’re wandering down The Mall from Admiralty Arch to Buckingham Palace, look up! You’ll notice that every lamppost is topped with a small, bronze galleon-like ship, said to be in tribute to Vice-Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson’s fleet (although they could just be a celebration of Britain’s naval history!).
2. Thanks to a special licence granted to The Market Porter so it could serve night-shift workers and traders at Borough Market, you can drink a pint of beer at 6am (weekdays only, though)!
3. A theatre has stood on the site of Theatre Royal Drury Lane (currently home to Disney’s musical Hercules) for more than 300 years, making it the oldest continuously used theatre site in the capital. Side note: Drury Lane, the London Palladium and the Lyceum are all famously haunted. Some actors believe the ghosts bring good luck.
4. Tower Bridge got its patriotic red, white and blue paint job in 1977 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee. But when it opened in 1894, it was originally chocolate brown (rumoured to be Queen Victoria’s favourite colour and still visible in the stairwells of each tower).
5. The ruins of a Roman amphitheatre where gladiators once fought lie under Guildhall Yard. You can see the original Roman walls in the basement of the Guildhall Art Gallery.
6. Thanks to a statute dating to 1313 that’s still in force today, it’s against the law to wear a suit of armour in the Houses of Parliament.
7. Superstitious? You can breathe a sigh of relief while enjoying the panoramic views afforded by the London Eye. Because while its pods are numbered 1 to 33, there are actually only 32 of them (one for each of the London boroughs). Number 13 is missing!
8. Next time you’re charging through Piccadilly Circus Tube station, see if you can spot the World Time Linear Clock. Ticking away since the 1920s, it shows every time zone on Earth at once.
9. In 1252, the King of Norway gifted King Henry III a white bear (believed to be a polar bear). Housed on a long chain in the Royal Menagerie at the Tower of London, the bear was able to swim and fish in the River Thames.
10. Order, order! Been on a river tour, yet? Did you spot the colours of the bridges en route? They have more meaning than you might think. Westminster Bridge is painted verdigris (a blue-green shade) to match the leather benches of the House of Commons; Lambeth Bridge, meanwhile, is red to match the seats in the House of Lords.
11. Thanks to an abundance of trees, parks and green spaces – such as the tranquil Culpeper Community Garden in Islington – London meets the United Nations’ definition of a forest. The capital was also designated the world’s first National Park City in 2019.
12. Made from oak dating to 1032 AD and constructed in the 1050s, Britain’s oldest door can be found in Westminster Abbey, in the vestibule leading to the Chapter House.
13. Celebrating its 350th anniversary this year, Lock & Co on St James’s Street is the oldest shop in London and the oldest hat shop in the world.
14. You might know that a whisper on one side of the Whispering Gallery in St Paul’s Cathedral can be heard perfectly on the other. But atop the cathedral’s two bell towers sit gilded copper pineapples encircled by gilded flames that point in the direction the wind blew the Great Fire of London.
15. You can ride a Mail Rail train under the city.
16. In the small museum at Twinings’ flagship store on the Strand, you’ll find a wooden box labelled TIP. Customers would drop a penny into the box ‘to improve promptness’ of service. Hence the term ‘paying a tip’.
17. Veeraswamy is celebrating its centenary this year. As Britain’s oldest Indian restaurant, it has hosted everyone from Queen Elizabeth II and Jawaharlal Nehru to Charlie Chaplin and Marlon Brando.
