London is one of the most visited places in the United Kingdom and there is a lot of information about the city. Many people visit the city for the world class shopping, the history and the modern attractions. However, there are also a lot of facts that people do not know about which could change the way you view this capital.
Rethink Big Ben
It is easy to argue that Big Ben is the most famous landmark in London, but there are many people who do not know that the landmark itself is not actually called Big Ben. The tower that people associate with the name is actually called The Clock Tower. The name Big Ben is actually the name that has been given to the bell inside the clock tower. Another interesting fact about the bell is that the chime is in the note E.
The Largest Palace In The UK
When people think about palaces in London, they immediately think about Buckingham Palace. However, this is not the largest palace in the capital or even the country. The largest palace is actually the Houses of Parliament which is officially known as the Palace of Westminster. The location of the Houses of Parliament is also strategic as it sits along the river to ensure that it could never be surrounded by an angry mob.
Great Ormond Street And Peter Pan
The Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital actually owns the copyright of Peter Pan. The copyright was gifted to the hospital by the creator of Peter Pan J.M Barrie. This was due to the fact that Barrie never had children of his own and wanted to ensure that the hospital was able to continue working by receiving all the royalties from associated works and performances of Peter Pan.
The Mini Mice
London is full of grand monuments to historic events, but it also has an official smallest statute. The smallest statue in London can be found on Philpot Lane and is of 2 mice eating cheese. The statue is dedicated to 2 builders who fell to their deaths while building the monument. There is little information about who built the statute, but it is known that the builders fell after getting into an argument over a missing sandwich which they blamed each other for. The real culprit was actually a mice infestation.
The Small City Of London
When people think about London and size, they would not think that the city is small. However, the City of London is technically one of the smallest in the UK. The city only has just over 7000 residents, but the Great London administrative district has approximately 8.3 million residents. The area that this district covers is also about 4 times that of New York.
The Number Of Museums
London has over 170 different museums that you could visit. They range from the massive British museum which is one of London’s top attractions to a tiny Fan museum located in Greenwich. This large number of museums means that there is something for everyone to see in the city.
The Buildings Of St Thomas Hospital
St Thomas Hospital in London today stands by the new WBSA building. However, this hospital used to have 7 different buildings that made up the main hospital wings. Each of these buildings was used for a different day of the week. It is believed that this was done to ensure that people working at the hospital knew which day a patient was admitted. Today, only 2 of the original 7 buildings still remain, which is probably for the best.