London Tour Part 2

Since it was erected in 1892 as a memorial to the Earl of Shaftesbury, the fountain at the center of Piccadilly Circus, has become a meeting place for the people of London. It is here we gathered after a short break before continuing on our tour.

From Piccadilly Circus we made our way down to the Houses of Parliament. Originally the seats of parliament were in the Palace of Westminster established in 1512. Called the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Only Westminster Hall, the building with the sloped roof, remains of the palace.

At the north end of the Houses of Parliament stands Big Ben. Big Ben refers not to the 320-ft tower but to the vast bell at the towers summit. The four 24 ft in diameter dials on the sides of the tower make it the biggest clock in Britain. The great bell was hung in 1858 and chimes on the hour, while four smaller bells ring on the quarter hour.

Across from the Houses of Parliament we enter Westminster Abbey. The resting place of monarchs and the setting for coronations and pageants.The two towers of the West Front were designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor and built from 1734 to 1745.

Next to the abbey is the Sanctuary, a medieval safe place for those escaping the law.

Within Westminster Abbey is the Cloisters. They were built in the 13th and 14th centuriesand serve as a link between the Abbey church and the other buildings.

The Albert Memorial at the edge of Kensington Gardens. It was built by Queen Victoria in memory of her consort, Prince Albert, after he died in 1861 from typhoid. They had been happily married for 21 years and had nine children whem he died at age 41.

Kensington Palace is both a royal residence ( Princess Margaret has apartments here) and open to the public. It was bought by William III and his wife Mary and refurbished by Christopher Wren.

In the foreground is the finely crafted gate.

The statue of Queen Victoria stands out the palace in Kensington Gardeens. It was commisioned by Princess Louise, the queen's daughter.

Kensington Gardens became a public park in 1841 and now merged imperceptly into Hyde Park . Among the flower displays and ornamental fountains in the gardens, is the charming statue of Peter Pan. Playing his pipes, J.M.Barrie's boy who never grew up, plays to the bronze fairies and small animals that cling to the column below him.