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  • The City of London: The Square Mile

    The City of London — the Square Mile — is legally and historically distinct from Greater London. It has its own elected government (the City of London Corporation, which has existed in some form since the 12th century), its own police force, and its own ancient institutions. It is also the most economically powerful square mile on earth.

    The Financial Heart

    The Bank of England, the London Stock Exchange, Lloyd’s of London, and hundreds of global financial institutions are headquartered here. During the week, around 500,000 people work in the Square Mile. On weekends, the population drops to around 8,000. Walking through on a Sunday morning, when the glass-and-steel towers stand silent, is one of London’s stranger experiences.

    Roman and Medieval London

    The City occupies almost exactly the same footprint as Roman Londinium. Fragments of the Roman Wall can be seen at Tower Hill, Noble Street, and in the basement of the Museum of London. The medieval street pattern — narrow lanes, alleys, and courts — still underlies the modern city, giving it a maze-like quality that no amount of modern building has quite eliminated.

    Wren’s Churches

    Twenty-three of Christopher Wren’s City churches survive and are scattered through the Square Mile. Most are open on weekdays for visitors and lunchtime recitals. St Bride’s Fleet Street, St Stephen Walbrook, and St Mary-le-Bow are the most celebrated. They are among the finest small ecclesiastical spaces in the world.

  • Tower Bridge: Everything You Need to Know

    Tower Bridge spans the Thames just downstream of the Tower of London, and is so synonymous with Britain that it appears on everything from biscuit tins to passport covers. It took eight years to build, used 11,000 tonnes of steel, and was opened by the Prince of Wales in June 1894.

    How the Bridge Works

    Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge. The two bascules — each weighing over 1,000 tonnes — can be raised in about five minutes to allow tall vessels through. This happens around 800 times a year. You can check the schedule on the official site and watch from the banks for free.

    The Tower Bridge Exhibition

    The Tower Bridge Exhibition takes you through the Victorian engine rooms and up into the high-level walkways, where a glass floor gives vertigo-inducing views down to the river. The engine rooms still contain the original Victorian steam engines, now displayed rather than operated.

    Getting There

    The nearest Tube stations are Tower Hill on the Circle and District lines. It is a ten-minute walk from London Bridge station. The Tower of London is directly adjacent — combining both visits in a single morning makes excellent sense.

  • Every Thames Bridge in London: The Definitive Guide

    London’s relationship with the Thames is defined by its bridges. There are 35 bridges across Greater London, ranging from the medieval London Bridge to the pedestrian Millennium Bridge opened in 2000. Each one tells a story.

    The Most Famous: Tower Bridge

    Tower Bridge is the most recognisable bridge in the world — and, contrary to popular belief, it is not London Bridge. Opened in 1894, it is a bascule bridge that still lifts to allow tall ships through, hundreds of times a year.

    The Most Surprising: Albert Bridge

    Albert Bridge at night — festooned with 4,000 light bulbs — is one of London’s most romantic sights. It connects Chelsea to Battersea and is so delicate that soldiers are ordered to break step when crossing.

    Walking the Bridges: A Thames Path Guide

    The Thames Path runs the length of the river through London. Walking between bridges is one of the best ways to see the city — especially the stretch from Millennium Bridge east to Tower Bridge, with views of St Paul’s Cathedral and the City skyline.

    Bridges by the Numbers

    The longest road bridge is Waterloo Bridge at 381 metres. The oldest surviving is Richmond Bridge, built in 1777. The newest is Rotherhithe Bridge, a pedestrian and cycle crossing currently under construction. The busiest is Waterloo Bridge, carrying over 55,000 vehicles a day.

  • Ghost Stations: The Abandoned Underground

    The London Underground has over 40 disused or “ghost” stations — stops that were closed, relocated or bypassed over more than 160 years of operation. Some are sealed and silent. Others have been repurposed, appearing as filming locations or in popular culture.

    Aldwych: The Most Famous Ghost Station

    Aldwych, on a short branch of the Piccadilly line, closed to regular passengers in 1994 but is preserved and used regularly as a filming location. It has appeared in countless films, TV series and music videos. TfL occasionally runs heritage open days here.

    Down Street: Churchill’s Wartime Bunker

    Down Street station on the Piccadilly line closed in 1932, but found an extraordinary second life during the Second World War when it served as the Railway Executive Committee’s headquarters and, for a time, as a retreat for Winston Churchill. It connects to a remarkable chapter of London’s wartime history.

    How to Visit

    The London Transport Museum runs Hidden London tours of several ghost stations, including Aldwych, Down Street, and Charing Cross. Tickets sell out quickly — book months in advance.

  • Night Tube: London’s 24-Hour Underground Service

    The Night Tube launched on 19 August 2016 on the Central and Victoria lines, with the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines following shortly after. It runs on Friday and Saturday nights, giving Londoners and visitors a way to travel the city after the last regular service.

    Which Lines Run at Night?

    Central, Victoria, Jubilee, Northern, and Piccadilly lines all operate Night Tube services. The Elizabeth line later joined with its own late-night service. The Bakerloo and District lines do not currently offer overnight running.

    Fares and Tips

    Normal fares apply — there is no Night Tube surcharge. Your Oyster or contactless card works exactly as it does during the day. The same zone system applies, and the daily cap still accrues from 04:30 the following morning.

  • The London Underground Map: A Design Icon

    In 1933, an unemployed engineering draughtsman named Harry Beck submitted an unsolicited redesign of the London Underground map to London Transport. They were sceptical, ran a limited print run as a trial — and the response was overwhelming. The map has barely changed in concept since.

    Beck’s Radical Insight

    Beck realised that underground passengers don’t need geographic accuracy — they need to know which station comes next and where to change lines. He distorted geography entirely, straightening all lines to 45° or 90° angles, placing stations at equal intervals regardless of real distance.

    The Map Today

    Today’s map includes the Elizabeth line, the Overground, the DLR, and the cable car. It has been copied by transit systems in cities from New York to Tokyo. The original artwork is held at the London Transport Museum, which is one of the best museums in London for design enthusiasts.

  • The District Line: West London’s Workhorse

    The District line is green on the map and sprawling in reality — it splits into multiple branches in both the west and east, serving everything from Wimbledon in the south-west to Upminster in the east.

    South Kensington and the Museum Mile

    South Kensington station is the gateway to one of London’s greatest cultural concentrations. Step off and within minutes you can reach the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the Science Museum — all free, all world-class.

    Notting Hill and Portobello Road

    Notting Hill Gate station puts you at the doorstep of Portobello Road Market, famous for antiques every Saturday. The neighbourhood hosts the Notting Hill Carnival every August Bank Holiday.

  • The Central Line: East–West Across London

    The Central line stretches 74 kilometres from Epping in the north-east to Ealing Broadway and West Ruislip in the west — making it the longest line on the network. Its red colour is unmistakable on the Tube map.

    Through the Heart of the City

    Bank and St Paul’s stations put you directly in the City of London. Oxford Circus is the great shopping interchange. Notting Hill Gate drops you at the edge of one of London’s most colourful neighbourhoods.

    East London via the Central Line

    Stratford, Bethnal Green, Mile End — the east end of the Central line runs through neighbourhoods that have changed dramatically over the past two decades. Stratford is now anchored by the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, legacy of the 2012 Olympic Games.

  • The Jubilee Line: London’s Most Modern Tube Route

    Opened in 1979 and extended to Stratford in 1999 for the Millennium, the Jubilee line is the youngest of the deep-level tube lines. Its silver colouring reflects its relative modernity, and its stations — designed by top architects — are among the most visually impressive in the world.

    The Architecture of the Extension

    When the Jubilee line extension opened in 1999, it brought with it a series of civic-minded, expansive stations. Canary Wharf station by Norman Foster, Bermondsey by Ian Ritchie, and Waterloo by Nicholas Grimshaw are all worth visiting even if you’re not catching a train.

    Key Connections

    At London Bridge you can connect to the Northern and other lines, and cross London Bridge itself on foot. At Westminster, the station’s raw concrete engineering is famously visible from the platforms.

  • The Bakerloo Line: A Traveller’s Guide

    The Bakerloo line is one of the Tube’s older deep-level lines, opened in 1906. Its distinctive brown colour on the map runs from Elephant & Castle in the south through the heart of the West End and up to Harrow & Wealdstone in the north-west.

    Key Stations

    Oxford Circus connects you to the Central line and the shopping heart of London. Waterloo is one of the busiest interchanges, connecting to National Rail and the Jubilee and Northern lines. Paddington gives you onward connections across the network.

    Notable Neighbourhoods Along the Route

    Brixton may not be on the Bakerloo line, but Elephant & Castle is the gateway to south London’s creative scene. Maida Vale, further north, is a quiet, leafy neighbourhood known for the BBC Maida Vale Studios. Paddington and Little Venice are well worth a detour.

    Future Extension Plans

    TfL has long planned to extend the Bakerloo line south-east through New Cross, Lewisham and Hayes. Funding and planning have made progress slow, but the extension remains in TfL’s long-term strategy.