14. London
The place of London has such a long, rich history since its founding in Roman times, with individual settlements and bridging across the River Thames.
After the Saxons came the Norman Conquest and construction of the Tower of London, which forms part of its early history.
Later, London and its closely associated City of Westminster became the seat of government with the Royal Palace at Whitehall and separate Parliament.
It was a great mediaeval city that emerged subsequently and was written about in detail in Shakespeare's time.
But it was the Great Fire of London in 1666, after which it was significantly rebuilt that led to the growth of the City of London itself, later to become known as the ‘Square Mile’ and along new street axes.
Expanding areas in the West End grew with major building projects under the Prince Regent.
Subsequently after this Georgian period came the Victorian period, a time of yet more significant change and development.
During this period industrialisation of the city really began but the extremes of wealth and poverty became much more evident.
As one modern author A.N. Wilson narrated in ‘The Victorians’ – as roads were widened and churches torn down:
“The greatest cause of demolition in the early and middle Victorian periods was expansion of the railways… The Midland Railway alone had to raise a whole slum, Agar Town, to make St. Pancras Station which is now the gateway to the European rail network… The railway stations of London are among the greatest of Victorian achievements – Paddington, Victoria, Charing Cross, Cannon Street, Ludgate Hill. With the railway also came that great Victorian phenomenon, the hotel… (At the same time) the new museums of the Albertopolis of South Kensington - the area where, in the wake of, and with money raised by the Great Exhibition of 1851, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum were constructed… Because London has always run to extremes, the contrast between rich and poor, would have been overwhelming for any of those visitors who chose to leave spacious and well planted parks, new-built department stores, the theatres and hotels of the West End and head east. (With the Workhouses and unhealthy River Thames) which was an open sewer… but with all their resourcefulness the Metropolitan Commission of Sewers enlisted great engineers – notably Joseph Bazalgette – to build a network of huge brick tunnel sewers and efficient pumping system. Until the Second World War London was in essence the same city that the Victorians left”. *
He goes on to record how in his opinion two of the greatest changes to affect the City of London were, firstly, the modernist architecture that was applied in the reconstruction of parts of the city after the Blitz of World War II.
Secondly, ethnic mixing – whilst continuously London has been the first port of call for immigrants and notably settling in the East End, from Huguenots and Jews, this has extended to Afro-Caribbeans after the Windrush arrival and subsequent migrants escaping wars and persecution.
This change in population profile corresponded with the decline in manufacturing and exodus of production facilities to be replaced by financial services after the deregulation of the Stock Market and ‘Big Bang’ of 1986.
As shipping had left the Port of London, the whole of the former ‘Docklands’ was to be rebuilt with commercial towers replacing former warehouses as typified by the Canary Wharf development.
Another significant development was the gradual improvement of infrastructure with the new Victoria, Jubilee and most recent Elizabeth ‘Underground’ lines that has improved access to the east of London.
Whilst the 2012 Olympics left some legacy facilities, the challenge of affordable housing remains across the city both east and west.
The construction of the Thames Barrier at Woolwich has afforded some protection to the riverside inhabitants since 1982 but the effects of climate change are leading to higher propensity and intensity of storm events that remains challenging.
Urban road transport has only been slightly alleviated by the Congestion Charging cordon, and air quality levels are stubbornly high.
With its historic features and differing neighbourhoods, it will need ongoing investment and continuing resourcefulness to retain its urban attractiveness and quality of life of each community.
*A.N. Wilson – The Victorians – Arrow Books, 2003.
