Greater London Civic Centre

London, Capital of Great Britain
Guide Notes

London has been the most important city in Great Britain since the 9th century when King Alfred made the city the capital of his kingdom.

GLVCC has compiled some useful information to guide you through your virtual tour of this fascinating city.

[ Location, Structure, Demography ] [ Government in London ] [ Economic Profile ] [ Places of Interest ]

Location, Structure and Demography

London is located in South East England, at the head of the Thames River Estuary, in the direction of the North Sea. It is one of Europe's largest seaports. It is also an equally important air route with most of the world's major airlines having a presence at Heathrow International Airport to the west, Gatwick International Airport to the south, or at London Luton and Stansfield to the north. The opening of the Eurotunnel linking London with continental Europe by high-speed rail has added to the city's accessibility, and to its status as a major transport link.

The 1991 census (prelim.) recorded the population at: 6,378,600. The inner urban areas contain a significant settlement of ethnic minorities from Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Ireland and the Mediterranean, making London one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world.

The city is one of the world's most important financial and cultural centers. It is renowned for its exchange and commodity markets, insurance and banking functions, museums, performing arts, as well as a multitude of specialized services.

Traditionally the term 'City of London' or 'The City' is applied only to a small area that was the original settlement (ancient Londinium) and is now part of the business and financial district of the surrounding metropolis.

The City of London and 32 surrounding boroughs form Greater London which has an area of 1579 sq km (610 sq miles).

The 13 inner boroughs are Camden, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth, and the City of Westminster.

The 19 outer boroughs are Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Sutton, and Waltham Forest.

Government in London

The London Government Act (1963) authorized the creation of a two-tier government, consisting of 32 borough councils and the Greater London Council (GLC). The GLC was abolished in 1986 but has since been replaced by the Greater London Assembly (GLA) and a directly elected Executive Mayor as per the Greater London Authority Act 1999.

Each borough council contains a number of wards, and each ward is represented by a locally elected Councillor. The local head of the political party with the largest number of elected Councillors automatically becomes Council Leader with prime responsibility for implementing manifesto policies. Council chambers as a whole also appoint a ceremonial Mayor to represent the borough at social functions. Borough councils are responsible for local services and some, or part of, statutory functions such as Collection of Local Taxes, Education, Social Services, Housing, Public Libraries, and Waste Disposal.

The historic Corporation of the City of London is equivalent in function to a borough council. Since the reign of King John, in the 13th century, citizens of the 'City of London' have had the right to elect their own mayor. The corporation government is composed of the Lord Mayor (a largely ceremonial position that differs from London's Executive Mayor), who is elected annually by members of the livery companies (guilds); 25 aldermen, who are elected for life; and 153 council members, who are elected annually from 25 wards.

London's Executive Mayor, assisted by the GLA, is responsible for broad functions across Greater London as a whole, developing and administering statutory strategies on transport, spatial development, economic development and the environment. There is a clear separation of powers between the Mayor, who has an executive role, and the Assembly, which has a scrutiny role and is responsible for appointing GLA staff. The Mayor's office makes functional decisions - setting budgets for the GLA, Transport for London, the London Development Agency, the Metropolitan Police and London's fire services. The Assembly scrutinises Mayoral activities, questions the Mayor in open assembly and committees, investigates issues of importance to Londoners, publishes its findings and recommendations, and makes proposals to the Mayor.

Economic Profile

London's economy is distinguished by a large variety of activities that reflect the structure of the British economy as a whole.

The central area is characterized by the localized concentration of various activities: banking and finance in the City, insurance and law in Holborn, government in Westminster, newspaper publishing in Fleet St., medicine in Harley St., tailoring in Savile Row, retail outlets in Bond and Oxford streets, and education in Bloomsbury.

Traditionally, industrial activity has existed in the 'Victorian Manufacturing Belt' a crescent-shaped band on the south bank of the Thames River, extending north-west from the City and Southwark. Here, small-scale specialized production thrived on the easy access to raw materials and export markets through the Port of London, the major docks of which are located just downstream from London Bridge. However, the changing face of industry has led to a decline in this type of activity in favour of hi-tech enterprise aided by the successful London Docklands development; a multi-million pound regeneration programme which has seen modern transport links such as the Docklands Light Railway and City Airport help to attract considerable inward investment. To the west and east of Central London, newer manufacturing areas such as Park Royal and Lea Valley are benefiting from similar regeneration schemes, albeit on a lower scale.

Toward the periphery of Greater London and in the surrounding outer metropolitan area, sophisticated and specialized industries, such as those manufacturing aircraft, computers, and electronic equipment continue to play an important part in the hugely successful British export trade.

Service industries account for almost three-quarters of total employment; they include banking, insurance, the civil service, transportation, education, food and drink, printing and publishing, retailing, and numerous professional and custom services. Tourism plays a vital part in London's service industries, acting as a feeder for various seasonal as well as year-round activities.

Manufacturing and engineering (and the latter's allied industries) each accounts for approximately 10% of total employment. Activities include production of precision instruments, computers, aircraft and automobiles, chemicals, clothing, as well as the refining of petroleum.

Thus, it is no surprise that Greater London has the greatest concentration of professional, technical, and administrative occupations, as well as the highest average income in Great Britain.

Some Places of Interest

Despite both the extensive rebuilding in the inner city and the widespread destruction caused by German bombing raids during World War II, London remains a city rich in structures with historic associations.

The City is linked by Fleet St. and High Holborn to Westminster, and London Bridge provides access to South London on the south side of the Thames River. To the north and east, beyond the perimeter of the former Roman and medieval walls of the City, is the East End. Noted for its warehousing, wholesale-clothing activities, and the production of furniture and precision instruments, this area was more severely damaged during World War II than any other part of London and has been the scene of considerable reconstruction. Traditionally, the East End, with such neighborhoods as Whitechapel, Limehouse, and Bethnal Green, was occupied by various ethnic minorities.

On the west side of the City is the legal quarter. This area is one of the important outgrowths of the medieval city along Fleet St. In the 14th century the Temple, which had been founded by the Knights Templar, became occupied by lawyers. Subsequently, Temple Inn and numerous other Inns of Court, such as Lincoln's Inn and Gray's Inn, arose in the vicinity. In the 19th century the Royal Courts of Justice were constructed just off the Strand. To the north of the City is Bloomsbury, which is the center for the University of London and the British Museum and is also known for its association with such literary figures as Virginia Woolf and D. H. Lawrence.

Farther west along the Strand is the historic political center of Westminster, where the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey are located. A central feature is the Mall, a processional road that links Trafalgar Square with Buckingham Palace. Also notable here is Covent Garden, designed by the English architect Inigo Jones in the early 17th century. It was London's first formal square surrounded by town houses, although it eventually became an important fruit, flower, and vegetable market, a function it lost in 1974. Covent Garden served as a model for Bedford, Belgrave, Berkeley, Grovesnor, Russell, and a host of other squares in the now fashionable neighboring districts of Soho, Mayfair, Belgravia, Bloomsbury, and Marylebone. These squares in turn influenced the location of major north-south thoroughfares in the West End, such as Bond, Baker, and Regent streets. Today these streets have become the leading shopping areas of the West End, with Piccadilly Circus and Soho serving the gastronomic and entertainment needs of the people.

By the middle of the 19th century, urban development had spread norht of Oxford St. to reach Marylebone, Euston, Pentonville, and City roads. Along this route the major railroad companies located the stations of Paddington, Marylebone, Euston, Saint Pancras, King's Cross, and Liverpool, which today serve West, North, and East England. Access to South England is provided by Victoria, Charing Cross, Waterloo, and London Bridge stations.

Churches form an important part of London's architectural heritage. Saint Paul's Cathedral, the city's most imposing church, is a large baroque edifice, distinguished by a huge central dome and designed by the English architect Sir Christopher Wren. Built between 1675 and 1710, the cathedral is the burial place of many illustrious British figures, as is Westminster Abbey, a splendid example of English Gothic architecture (largely 13th and 14th century), long the site of coronations and royal weddings. Other well-known churches are the Gothic Southwark Cathedral; Saint Bartholomew-the-Great, built shortly after the Norman Conquest in 1066; the Roman Catholic Westminster Cathedral; Saint Martin-in-the-Fields; All Souls'; Saint Bride's; Saint Clement Dane's; Saint Margaret's, the parish church of Parliament; and Saint Mary-le-Bow.

Civic buildings of much splendour abound in London; a legacy of it's long history as the seat of central government. The great complex of buildings known as the Houses of Parliament, still officially called the New Palace of Westminster, serves as the seat for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Built in a neo-Gothic style between 1840 and 1850, it is distinguished by the clock tower named after the main bell, Big Ben. Mansion House has been the official residence of the Lord Mayor since 1753. Guildhall, an early 15th-century Gothic hall, is used for the Lord Mayor's banquet and civil functions. Westminster Hall, an assembly hall adjoining the Houses of Parliament, was constructed in the 11th century and redesigned in the 14th century with a magnificent hammer-beam roof.

Perhaps the most famous and venerable building in the city is the Tower of London, an excellent example of Norman military architecture. Beginning as a center of defence for William the Conqueror, the Tower has served as a royal residence, state prison, execution ground, and place for royal pageants. The Tower is also the homeof the crown jewels.

The city also boasts several royal palaces including Buckingham Palace which has been the official residence of the monarch since 1837, when Queen Victoria moved her court from Saint James's Palace, which is located on the Mall. Three other important palaces are Kensington Palace; Lambeth Palace (London residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury); and Hampton Court, the Tudor palace originally built by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey.

Museums and Art Galleries are a major attraction. The British Museum possess one of the finest libraries in the world as well as an outstanding collection of artworks, antiquities, and objects of natural history. The Museum of London has exhibits dealing with the development and life of London from Roman times to the present. The Victoria and Albert Museum specializes in fine and applied art.

The most famous national collections of art include the National Gallery, facing Trafalgar Square, and, next door, the National Portrait Gallery. Contrasting with the essentially classical collections of these two galleries are the romantic, impressionist, and modern art collections of the Tate Gallery. Smaller galleries include the Courtauld Institute Galleries, the Royal Academy of Arts, the Hayward Art Gallery, and the Queen's Gallery.

Performing Arts are the lifeblood of social outings in the city. Among the many centers of professional theater in London are the National Theatre, home of the National Theatre Company; the Aldwych Theatre, home of the Royal Shakespeare Company in London until 1982, when it moved to the new Barbican Arts Centre; the Drury Lane Theatre; and the Royal Court Theatre. The city has five major symphony orchestras and a number of string and chamber orchestras. The principal concert halls are the Royal Festival Hall and, in the same complex, the smaller Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Purcell Room; the huge, ellipitical Royal Albert Hall; and Wigmore Hall. Opera and ballet are enjoyed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Sadler's Wells, and the London Coliseum.

Parks and Open Spaces abound in London. The most notable are the Royal Parks, which were formerly royal estates. These include Saint James's Park and, to the west, Green Park, Hyde Park, and Kensington Gardens. To the north is Regent's Park, and farther upstream along the Thames are Richmond Park, Hampton Court Park, Kew Gardens (also known as the Royal Botanic Gardens), and Bushey Park. Surrounding the Royal Naval College and the old Royal Observatory is Greenwich Park. Other important open spaces include Hampstead Heath and Parliament Hill Fields, which overlooks London from the north.

London, Capital of Great Britain
Guide Notes

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