Our city has so much life and history in it, we’re constantly discovering new things and finding more and more to love about our home. We thought it would be nice to share some of our favourite 10 fun facts about London.
Big Ben isn’t what you think
As one of London’s most popular attractions, we thought it made sense to share this fact with you… you’re not really looking at Big Ben! The building is actually The Clock Tower. Big Ben is the bell inside it.
London still has sheriffs
Just not the ones that might have come to mind when we said Sheriff. They don’t protect the city from lawlessness like the ones from Westerns, London Sheriffs carry out the instructions from the High Court of Justice and support the Mayor.
Check out these strange driving laws you might have broken already today. Don’t worry, we won’t tell the sheriff…
Fancy a beach day? Find your closest sandy beach and plan your trip!
We’ve had a deadly beer tidal wave
In 1814, a brewery accident caused a huge tidal wave of beer to sweep through the town. The neighbourhood of St Giles was particularly hard hit and the force of the wave caused houses to collapse. Their were eight fatalities.
Steam powered underground
When it was first built in 1863, the London underground ran steam trains along its tracks. It was a real effort for engineers to figure out how to reduce the steam and smoke output and keep all rail users safe.
Norway gifts us a Christmas tree every year
Every winter, the tree in Trafalgar Square comes from Norway as a gift. It’s a tradition that began as a thanks for the UK’s support in World War Two and continues on to this day. We decorate it in traditional Norwegian style with hundreds of white lights.
Ravens must always roost in the Tower of London
Legend tells that there must always be six ravens in the Tower of London. If they were to leave, it’s said that the Tower, and the Kingdom, will fall to ruin. We employ a special Ravenmaster to care for the birds and make sure they’re happy to call the Tower home.
Looking for your next getaway? See what we think are must-do UK road trips.
Want to go somewhere new? Take a look at our favourite London day trips.
London is technically a forest
With London being the capital city, it’s no surprise people aren’t always familiar with our green spaces. The density of trees in London per square meter technically qualifies it as a forest under the United Nations definition.
We’ve had polar bear swimming in the River Thames
Yes, you read that right, we’ve had a polar bear swimming in the River Thames. Henry III was given a polar bear 1252 which was allowed to swim and hunt in the river.
We have false houses
One of our favourite London facts is that two houses in Leinster Gardens aren’t houses at all! They look like the other buildings on the terraced street, but numbers 23 and 24 are actually just facades. Behind the carefully constructed frontage is an exposed section of the underground railway.
Winnie-the-Pooh lived in London Zoo
Winnie was a female black bear. She was given to the zoo by a Canadian regiment in World War One. When AA Milne brought his son, Christopher Robin, to see the animals, Winnie quickly became his favourite and was the inspiration for the beloved story.
Have we surprised you with any of these 10 fun facts about London? Share your own with us on Twitter!