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London Central Mosque "Regent's Park Mosque"
Coordinates: 51°31′45″N 0°09′55″W / 51.529167°N 0.165278°W / 51.529167; -0.165278Coordinates: 51°31′45″N 0°09′55″W / 51.529167°N 0.165278°W / 51.529167; -0.165278
Location	London, England
Established	1977
Branch/tradition	Sunni
Administration	London Central Mosque Trust Ltd.
Leadership	Imam(s): (Head Imam) Khalifa Ezzat
Architectural information
Architect(s)	Frederick Gibberd
Style	Modern
Capacity	5,000+
Dome(s)	1
Minaret(s)	1
Construction cost	£6.5 million
Website: www.iccuk.org/

The London Central Mosque (also known as the Islamic Cultural Centre, ICC or Regent's Park Mosque) is a mosque in North London, England. It was designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd, completed in 1978, and has a prominent golden dome. The main hall can hold over five thousand worshippers,^[1] with women praying on a balcony overlooking the hall. The mosque holds a chandelier and a vast carpet, with very little furniture.

The inside of the dome is decorated with broken shapes in the Islamic tradition. There is also a small book shop and halal café on the premises. The Mosque is joined to the Islamic cultural centre which was officially opened by King George VI in 1944^[2] and was given as an unconditional gift to the UK Muslim community, although the land was donated by George VI in return for a site in Cairo for an Anglican cathedral.^[2]

History[link]

1900 - 1931 Several efforts were made to build a mosque in London, including one, initiated by Lord Headley, a convert to Islam.

1937 This project (Nizamia Mosque, later changed to present name) was funded by the Nizam of Hyderabad and the foundation stone of the mosque was laid on Friday, June 4, 1937, by HH Prince Azam Jah eldest son of Mir Osman Ali Khan the last ruler of Hyderabad State.^[3][4]

1939 - 1940 Lord Lloyd of Dolobran, (1879–1941), Secretary Of State For The Colonies, & former President of the British Council, works with a Mosque Committee, comprising various prominent Muslims and Ambassadors in London. Lord Lloyd sends a memo to the Prime Minister, in which he points out, inter-alia “only London contains more Moslems than any other European capital but in our empire which actually contains more Moslems than Christians it was anomalous and inappropriate that there should be no central place of worship for Mussulmans”.

1940 The British Government is persuaded to present a site for a mosque in London for the Muslim community of Great Britain. On 24 October the Churchill War Cabinet authorizes allocation of £100,000 for acquisition of a mosque site in London (WAR CABINET: 276 (40). National Archives - See also Report WP (G)(40) 268 of 18 October 1940). The intent was to enable Muslims in Britain to build a mosque and an Islamic Cultural Centre, so they could conduct affairs pertaining to their faith. The gift was also intended as a tribute to the thousands of Indian Muslim soldiers who died defending the British Empire.^{[citation needed]}

1944 A Mosque Committee comprising various prominent Muslim diplomats and Muslim residents in the United Kingdom accepted the gift and The Islamic Cultural Centre which includes the London Central Mosque, was established and officially opened in November by His Majesty King George VI.

1947 The Mosque Committee registered the London Central Mosque Trust Limited as a Trust Corporation in September. At the time, seven representatives from six Muslim countries acted as Trustees.

1954 - 1967 Several designs were considered for the mosque. There were long protracted planning application to various authorities but the necessary planning approval was not granted.

1969 An Open International Competition was held for the design of the building. Over one hundred designs were submitted, from both Muslim and non-Muslim applicants. The design finally selected was by the English architect Frederick Gibberd. His design of The Main Mosque Building Complex can be divided into two elements: A main building consisting of the two prayer halls and three-story wings including an entrance hall, library, reading room, administration offices and the minaret;

£2 Million of funding was donated for the construction of the ICC by His Majesty King Faisal Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud. Further donation was provided by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the United Arab Emirates.

1974 Construction work began early this year with the Main Mosque Building Complex, comprising Men's and Ladies' Main Prayer Halls, Library, Administrative Block and Residential Quarters.

1977 Work was completed in July for the total cost of £6.5 million. The first Director of the Islamic Centre was Raja of Mahmudabad. A special fund paid for a new Educational & Administrative wing which was completed in 1994. This was donated by Saudi King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz.

Gallery[link]

• Regents Park Masjid Exit.jpg

  Entrance

• Regents Park Masjid Book Shop.jpg

  Book shop inside the Mosque

• 

  Interior of prayer hall, taken after Friday prayers

See also[link]

• Islamic Cultural Centre
• North London Central Mosque
• Central Mosque Wembley
• Timeline of Islamic history
• Islamic architecture
• Islamic art
• List of mosques
• Undercover Mosque

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: London Central Mosque

• The Islamic Cultural Centre & The London Central Mosque
• Land for Central London Mosque in Regents Park, given free by British government

v t e Mosques in the European Union Bulgaria Banya Bashi Mosque Ibrahim Pasha Mosque Tombul Mosque Cyprus Arabahmet Mosque Büyük Han Hala Sultan Tekke Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque Selimiye Mosque (Nicosia) England Al Mahdi Mosque Al-Rahma Mosque Abbey Mills Mosque Aziziye Mosque (London) Baitul Futuh Birmingham Central Mosque Blackpool Central Mosque Brick Lane Mosque Chesham Mosque Darul Barakaat Mosque Didsbury Mosque East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre Faidhan-e-Madina Mosque Fazl Mosque Ghamkol Shariff Masjid Green Lane Masjid Jaame Masjid Leeds Grand Mosque London Central Mosque Madina Mosque, Horsham Manchester Central Mosque Markazi Masjid Masjid Umar mosque Medina Mosque (Sheffield) Noor-A-Madina Mosque North London Central Mosque Shacklewell Lane Mosque Shah Jahan Mosque Shropshire Islamic Foundation Stratford Street Mosque Suleymaniye Mosque (London) Upper Brook Street Chapel, Manchester France Grande Mosquée de Paris Lyon Mosque Grand Mosque of Évry Mubarak Mosque Germany Baitul Huda Baitus Sami Cologne Central Mosque Fazle Omar Mosque Islamic Centre Hamburg Khadija Mosque Mosque in Sendling Noor ud Din Mosque Yavuz Sultan Selim Mosque Masjid Moers Yavuz Sultan Selim Mosque Ireland Ahlul Bayt Islamic Centre Dublin Mosque Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland Italy Mosque of Rome Netherlands El Tawheed Mosque Mevlana Mosque (Rotterdam) Mobarak Mosque (The Hague) Romania Carol I Mosque Mangalia Mosque Scotland Edinburgh Central Mosque Glasgow Central Mosque Spain Basharat Mosque Wales Masjid-e-Abu Hurairah Cardiff Swansea Mosque Category Islam in the United Kingdom Mosques by country

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2007)

London Central

logo
Parent	Go-Ahead Group
Headquarters	Merton
Locale	South London
Service area	United Kingdom
Service type	Bus
Routes	49
Hubs	Bexleyheath Camberwell New Cross Peckham
Fleet	Alexander Dennis Enviro400 Dennis Dart SLF Mercedes-Benz Citaro G Volvo B7TL Volvo Olympian DAF SB120 Volvo B9TL Scania OmniTown
Operator	Go-Ahead London
Web site	http://www.londoncentral.com/

London Central is one of many operators of London Buses. It was established in late 1988 as one of 12 operating subsidiaries of London Buses Limited (LBL), and was privatised to the Go-Ahead Group in September 1994. It operates four bus garages in Bexleyheath, Camberwell, New Cross and Peckham.

In August 2008, Go-Ahead's London operations (with the exception of Metrobus) took up the new trading name of Go-Ahead London.

Garages[link]

The company has four bus garages.

Bexleyheath (BX)[link]

As of November 2009, the Bexleyheath garage holds 150 buses, and runs London bus routes 89, 132, 229, 321, 401, 422, 486, 625, 658, 661, 669, B11, B16 and night routes N21 and N89.

History[link]

Built as a trolleybus depot by the London Passenger Transport Board, this is the only new garage built for trolleybuses. The depot is a large and imposing building, slightly set back from the main road to enable parking on the forecourt, which was used as a terminus for route 122. Bexleyheath closed in 1986, with work moved to Plumstead, Catford, and Sidcup garages, although it re-opened in 1988 under the guise of Bexleybus, a unit set up by London Buses under de-regulation, and had a large and varied allocation from Iveco/Robin Hood's & MCW Metroriders to NC Olympians & Fleetlines. the move to set up the new company to tender for routes backfired, and in the next round of tendering only the B16 was awarded to Bexleybus, whilst London Central won nine. London Central took control of the Bexleyheath routes (including B16) from 1990 instead of 1991 and also took over the garage from Stagecoach London. Lately the garage has had a good utilisation figure, up to 139 in 2001 which necessitated parking in the rear yard and the forecourt. In January 2007, the garage received its first Alexander Dennis Enviro400s for use on route 486.

Route 132 was transferred to London Central's Bexleyheath garage from London General on 7 November 2009. The 132 was Operated by East Thames Buses which was owned by TFL. TFL sold East Thames to Go-Ahead in October 2009 together with its entire service fleet. The 132's allocation of DW & DWL's moved to BX from BV (Belvedere Depot) when the route was transferred over from BV.

On 1 May 2010, routes 321 (part of its allocation), 661 and 669 was moved to this garage.

On 31 December 2011, London Central have gained the contracts for routes 625 and 658 and are now operated from this garage.

Bus types in use[link]

• Alexander Dennis Enviro200Dart 10.2m (SE) for routes B11 and B16.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro400 10.1m (E) for routes 89, 229, 422, 486, N21 and N89.
• Dennis Dart SLF 10.2m / Plaxton Pointer 2 (LDP) for route 132.
• VDL SB120 10.8m / Volvo Merit (DWL) for route 132.
• Volvo B7TL 10m / Plaxton President (PVL/VP) for routes 321, 401, 661 and 669. Plus one dedicated to Commercial Services and Additional Training Vehicles.
• Volvo B9TL 10.4m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 (WVL) for routes 229, 422 and 658.
• Volvo B7TL 10m / Wright Eclipse Gemini (WVL) for route 625.

New Cross (NX)[link]

As of November 2006, the New Cross garage holds 149 buses, and runs London bus routes 21, 129, 171, 225, 436, school route 621, 24-hour route 36, 108 and 321, and night routes N21 and N171.

History[link]

Said to be the largest of London's bus garages with space for over 300 buses the garage was originally a tram depot and opened in 1906. In 1952 with the trams withdrawn, the depot was converted into a bus garage. The garage has never been even close to its capacity due to the close proximity of other garages, but has at various times been used to store surplus vehicles. The garage allocation has fluctuated over the years, from 191 in 1966 to 132 in 2001. The garage also houses some of the private hire fleet which is painted in the style of the former London General company. New Cross was also the garage for two special services, first in 1972 when it operated en ex-Tilling ST on route 100 and the DAF SB220/East Lancs Myllennium LPG powered buses for the Millennium Dome services M1 & M2. In 2003 the garage also began operating Mercedes-Benz articulated buses on route 436.

Stagecoach London has gained the contact for route 621 from 1 September 2012.^[1]

Bus types in use[link]

• Alexander Dennis Enviro400 10.1m (E) for routes 36 and 436.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro400H hybrid 10.1m (EH) for route 436.
• Dennis Dart SLF 10.8m / MCV Evolution (ED) for routes 108 and 129.
• Dennis Dart SLF 10.2m / Alexander Dennis Pointer (LDP) for route 225.
• Dennis Dart SLF 10.8m / Plaxton Pointer 2 (DP) for route 108.
• Volvo B7TL 10m / Plaxton President (PVL) for routes 36, 108 (evening only), 321 and 621.
• Volvo B9TL 10.4m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 (WVL) for routes 21, 171, N21 and N171.
• DAF SB120 10.8m / Volvo Merit (DWL) for route 108.

Camberwell (Q)[link]

As of January 2008, the Camberwell garage holds 217 buses, and runs 42, 45, 68, 185, 355, 360, 468, P5, 24-hour routes 12 and 345, express route X68, and night route N68.

History[link]

Although built in 1914, Camberwell garage was not used as a bus garage until 1919 as it had been requisitioned for the war effort. Once it came into use it was one of Londons biggest garages and also carried out body overhauls in 1940-1941. The garage was bombed during WW2 in 1940 which resulted in 4 buses being destroyed and a further 13 seriously damaged. During the early 1950s the garage underwent modernisation with the welfare & operational block reconstructed and the parking area extended. The new building also incorporated a new pit and workshop layout in a separate self contained block which also undertook heavy maintenance for Walworth Garage, 350 buses in all. The allocation at Q decreased slightly over the years from 165 in 1952 until the closure of Walworth in 1985 increased the allocation to 142. Camberwell was also the home of the three Titans fitted with electronic blinds which were used on the night bus standby duties.

On 1 May 2010, routes 42 and 185 was transferred to this garage.

On 31 March 2012, routes 345 and 355 was transferred to this garage.^[2][3]

Bus types in use[link]

• Alexander Dennis Enviro200Dart 9.4m (SE) for route P5.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro400 10.1m (E) for route 345.
• Dennis Dart SLF 10.2m / Plaxton Pointer 2 (LDP) for route 355.
• Optare Versa Hybrid 10.4m (HOV) for route 360.
• Scania OmniTown 10.7m /East Lancs Myllennium (ELS) for route 42.
• VDL SB120 10.1m / Wright Electrocity (WHY) for route 360.
• Volvo B5L Hybrid 10.4 / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 (WHV) for route 12.
• Volvo B7TL 10m / Plaxton President (PVL/VP) for routes 45 and 185.
• Volvo B7TL 10m / Wright Eclipse Gemini (WVL) for routes 68, 468, X68 and N68.
• Volvo B7TL 10.6m / Wright Eclipse Gemini (VWL) for route 185.
• Volvo B9TL 10.4m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 (WVL) for route 12.

Peckham (PM)[link]

As of November 2006, the Peckham garage holds 70 buses, and runs London bus routes 36 (nights), 63, 363, P12, 24-hour route 37, express route X68 and night route N63.

History[link]

The new Peckham garage was converted from a local authority maintenance depot and opened in 1994 with a capacity for 75 buses. In 2000 the garage put London's first Volvo B7TL 10m/Alexander ALX400 low-floor vehicles into service on route 63 alongside NC Palatines and Plaxton Pointers. Peckham Garage won bus garage of the year in 2004, although this turned out to be a poisoned chalice for the garage, losing almost half of its work in the next year's tender awards.

Bus types in use[link]

• Volvo B7TL 10m / Plaxton President (PVL) for routes 36, 363 and X68.
• Volvo Olympian / Northern Counties Palatine 1/2 (NV) as Training buses.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro400 10.1m (E) for routes 37.
• Volvo B9TL 10.4m /Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 (WVL) for routes 63 and N63.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart 10.2m (SE) for route P12.

See also[link]

• List of bus operators of the United Kingdom

Gallery[link]

• London Central logo.png

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Go-Ahead Group buses in the United Kingdom

• Go-Ahead Group website
• London Central website

v t e Bus companies based in London Regional Abellio Arriva London Arriva Shires & Essex Arriva Southern Counties CT Plus First London Go-Ahead London London Sovereign London United Metrobus Metroline Quality Line Stagecoach London Uno National Megabus National Express London Transport portal

v t e Companies operating buses under contract to London Buses Abellio · Arriva: (Arriva London, Arriva Shires & Essex, Arriva Southern Counties) · CT Plus · First London · Go-Ahead Group: (Blue Triangle, Docklands Buses, London Central, London General, Metrobus)  · London Sovereign · London United · Metroline · Quality Line · Sullivan Buses · Stagecoach London: (East London, Selkent, Thameside) London Transport portal

v t e Go-Ahead Group United Kingdom bus companies Anglian Bus Brighton & Hove Carousel Buses Go-Ahead London Blue Triangle Docklands Buses London Central London General Go North East Go South Coast Bluestar Marchwood Motorways Uni-link Southern Vectis Wilts & Dorset Damory Coaches Tourist Group Hedingham Omnibuses Konectbus Metrobus Oxford Bus Company Plymouth Citybus Thames Travel United Kingdom railway companies (as Govia) London Midland Southeastern Southern including Gatwick Express Defunct UK operations Aviance UK East Thames Buses Meteor Solent Blue Line Thames Trains Thameslink (Govia)

London
From upper left: City of London, Tower Bridge and London Eye, Palace of Westminster
London region in the United Kingdom
Coordinates: 51°30′26″N 0°7′39″W / 51.50722°N 0.1275°W / 51.50722; -0.1275Coordinates: 51°30′26″N 0°7′39″W / 51.50722°N 0.1275°W / 51.50722; -0.1275
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Country	England
Region	London
Ceremonial counties	City and Greater London
Districts	City and 32 boroughs
Settled by Romans	as Londinium, c. AD 43
Headquarters	City Hall
Government
• Regional authority	Greater London Authority
• Regional assembly	London Assembly
• Mayor of London	Boris Johnson
• UK Parliament  - London Assembly  - European Parliament	74 constituencies 14 constituencies London constituency
Area
• London	1,570 km2 (607 sq mi)
Elevation[1]	24 m (79 ft)
Population (July 2010 est.)[2]
• London	7,825,200
• Density	4,978/km2 (12,892/sq mi)
• Urban	8,278,251
• Metro	13,709,000
• Demonym	Londoner
• Ethnicity (June 2009 estimates)	Ethnic groups 69.7% White 59.5% White British 2.2% White Irish 8.0% Other White   3.5% Mixed 1.0% Black Caribbean & White 0.5% Black African & White 1.0% South Asian & White 1.0% Other mixed   13.2% South Asian 6.2% Indian 2.8% Pakistani 2.2% Bangladeshi 2.0% Other South Asian   10.1% Black 5.3% Black African 4.0% Black Caribbean 0.8% Other Black   3.5% East Asian or Other 1.5% Chinese 2.0% Other
Time zone	GMT (UTC±0)
• Summer (DST)	BST (UTC+1)
Postcode areas	E , EC , N , NW , SE , SW , W , WC , BR , CM , CR , DA , EN , HA , IG , KT , RM , SM , TN , TW , UB , WD
Area code(s)	020, 01322, 01689, 01708, 01737, 01895, 01923, 01959, 01992
Website	london.gov.uk

London ⁱ/ˈlʌndən/ is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures.^{[note 1]} Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its founding by the Romans, who named it Londinium.^[3] London's ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its square-mile mediaeval boundaries. Since at least the 19th century, the name London has also referred to the metropolis developed around this core.^[4] The bulk of this conurbation forms the London region^[5] and the Greater London administrative area,^{[6][note 2]} governed by the elected Mayor of London and the London Assembly.^[7]

London is a leading global city, with strengths in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism and transport all contributing to its prominence.^[8] It is the world's leading financial centre alongside New York City^[9][10][11] and has the fifth-largest city GDP in the world (and the largest in Europe).^[12] London has been described as a world cultural capital.^{[13][14][15][16]} It was the world's most visited city during 2011 ^[17][18] and London Heathrow is the world's busiest airport by number of international passengers.^[19] London's 43 universities form the largest concentration of higher education in Europe.^[20] In 2012 London will become the first city to host the modern Summer Olympic Games three times.^[21]

London has a diverse range of peoples and cultures, and more than 300 languages are spoken within its boundaries.^[22] In July 2010 Greater London had an official population of 7,825,200, making it the most populous municipality in the European Union,^[2][23] and accounting for 12.5% of the UK population.^[24] The Greater London Urban Area is the second-largest in the EU with a population of 8,278,251,^[25] while London's metropolitan area is the largest in the EU with an estimated total population of between 12 million^[26] and 14 million.^[27] London had the largest population of any city in the world from around 1831 to 1925.^[28]

London contains four World Heritage Sites: the Tower of London; Kew Gardens; the site comprising the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey, and St Margaret's Church; and the historic settlement of Greenwich (in which the Royal Observatory marks the Prime Meridian (0° longitude) and GMT).^[29] Other famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, St Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, Wembley Stadium, and Shard London Bridge. London is home to numerous museums, galleries, libraries, sporting events and other cultural institutions, including the British Museum, Natural History Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, British Library, Wimbledon, and 40 West End theatres.^[30] The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world^[31] and the second-most extensive (after the Shanghai Metro).^[32]

History[link]

Toponymy[link]

The name London may derive from the River Thames

The etymology of London is uncertain.^[33] It is an ancient name and can be found in sources from the 2nd century. It is recorded c. 121 as Londinium, which points to Romano-British origin.^[33] The earliest attempted explanation, now disregarded, is attributed to Geoffrey of Monmouth in Historia Regum Britanniae.^[33] This had it that the name originated from a supposed King Lud, who had allegedly taken over the city and named it Kaerlud.^[34]

From 1898 it was commonly accepted that the name was of Celtic origin and meant place belonging to a man called *Londinos; this explanation has since been rejected.^[33] Richard Coates put forward an explanation in 1998 that it is derived from the pre-Celtic Old European *(p)lowonida, meaning 'river too wide to ford', and suggested that this was a name given to the part of the River Thames which flows through London; from this, the settlement gained the Celtic form of its name, *Lowonidonjon.^[35]

Until 1889 the name "London" officially only applied to the City of London but since then it has also referred to the County of London and now Greater London.^[4]

Prehistory and antiquity[link]

In 1300 the City was still confined within the Roman walls.

Although there is evidence of scattered Brythonic settlements in the area, the first major settlement was founded by the Romans in 43 AD.^[36] This lasted for just seventeen years and around 61, the Iceni tribe led by Queen Boudica stormed it, burning it to the ground.^[37] The next, heavily planned incarnation of the city prospered and superseded Colchester as the capital of the Roman province of Britannia in 100. At its height during the 2nd century, Roman London had a population of around 60,000. By the 7th century, the Anglo-Saxons had created a new settlement called Lundenwic over a mile (2 km) upstream from the old Roman city, around what is now Covent Garden.^[38]

It is likely that there was a harbour at the mouth of the River Fleet for fishing and trading, and this trading grew, until the city was overcome by the Vikings and forced to move east, back to the location of the Roman Londinium, in order to use its walls for protection.^[39] Viking attacks continued to increase, until 886 when Alfred the Great recaptured London and made peace with the Danish leader, Guthrum.^[40] The original Saxon city of Lundenwic became Ealdwic ("old city"), a name surviving to the present day as Aldwych, which is in the modern City of Westminster.^[41]

Two recent discoveries indicate that London could be much older than previously thought. In 1999 the remains of a Bronze Age bridge were found on the foreshore north of Vauxhall Bridge.^[42] This bridge either crossed the Thames, or went to a (lost) island in the river. Dendrology dated the timbers to 1500BC.

In 2010 the foundations of a large timber structure, dated to 4500BC, were found on the Thames foreshore, South of Vauxhall Bridge.^[43] The function of the mesolithic structure is not known, but it covers at least 50m x 10m, and numerous 30 cm posts are visible at low tides. Both structures are on South Bank, at a natural crossing point where the River Effra flows into the River Thames, and 4 km upstream from the Roman City of London. The effort required to construct these structures implies trade, stability, and a community size of several hundred people at least.

Middle Ages[link]

The Lancastrian siege of London in 1471 is attacked by a Yorkist sally.

With the collapse of Roman rule in the early 5th century, London was effectively abandoned. However, from the 6th century an Anglo-Saxon settlement known as Lundenwic developed slightly to the west of the old Roman city, around what is now Covent Garden and the Strand, rising to a likely population of 10–12,000.^[38] In the 9th century London was repeatedly attacked by Vikings, leading to a relocation of the city back to the location of Roman Londinium, in order to use its walls for protection.^[39] Following the unification of England in the 10th century London, already the country's largest city and most important trading centre, became increasingly important as a political centre, although it still faced competition from Winchester, the traditional centre of the kingdom of Wessex.

In the 11th century King Edward the Confessor re-founded and rebuilt Westminster Abbey and Westminster, a short distance upstream from London became a favoured royal residence. From this point onward Westminster steadily supplanted the City of London itself as a venue for the business of national government.^[44]

Westminster Abbey is a World Heritage Site and one of London's oldest and most important buildings as seen in this painting (Canaletto, 1749 A.D.)

Following his victory in the Battle of Hastings, William, Duke of Normandy, was crowned King of England in the newly finished Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066.^[45] William constructed the Tower of London, the first of the many Norman castles in England to be rebuilt in stone, in the southeastern corner of the city to intimidate the native inhabitants.^[46] In 1097, William II began the building of Westminster Hall, close by the abbey of the same name. The hall became the basis of a new Palace of Westminster.^[47][48]

During the 12th century the institutions of central government, which had hitherto accompanied the royal court as it moved around the country, grew in size and sophistication and became increasingly fixed in one place. In most cases this was Westminster, although the royal treasury, having been moved from Winchester, came to rest in the Tower. While the City of Westminster developed into a true capital in governmental terms, its distinct neighbour, the City of London, remained England's largest city and principal commercial centre and flourished under its own unique administration, the Corporation of London. In 1100 its population was around 18,000; by 1300 it had grown to nearly 100,000.^[49]

Disaster struck during the Black Death in the mid-14th century, when London lost nearly a third of its population.^[50] London was the focus of the Peasants' Revolt in 1381.^[51]

Early modern[link]

The Great Fire of London destroyed many parts of the city in 1666.

London in 1806

During the Tudor period the Reformation produced a gradual shift to Protestantism, with much of London passing from church to private ownership.^[52] The traffic in woollen cloths shipped undyed and undressed from London to the nearby shores of the Low Countries, for use by well-to-do wearers chiefly in the interior of the continent. But the tentacles of English maritime enterprise hardly extended beyond the seas of north-west Europe. The commercial route to Italy and the Mediterranean Sea normally lay through Antwerp and over the Alps; any ship passing through the Strait of Gibraltar to or from England were likely to be Italian or Ragusan. Upon the re-opening of the Netherlands to English shipping in January 1565 there at once ensued a strong outburst of commercial activity.^[53] The Royal Exchange was founded.^[54] Mercantilism grew and monopoly trading companies such as the East India Company were established, with trade expanding to the New World. London became the principal North Sea port, with migrants arriving from England and abroad. The population rose from an estimated 50,000 in 1530 to about 225,000 in 1605.^[52]

In the 16th century William Shakespeare and his contemporaries lived in London at a time of hostility to the development of the theatre. By the end of the Tudor period in 1603, London was still very compact. There was an assassination attempt on James I in Westminster, through the Gunpowder Plot on 5 November 1605.^[55] London was plagued by disease in the early 17th century,^[56] culminating in the Great Plague of 1665–1666, which killed up to 100,000 people, or a fifth of the population.^[57]

The Great Fire of London broke out in 1666 in Pudding Lane in the city and quickly swept through the wooden buildings.^[58] Rebuilding took over ten years and was supervised by Robert Hooke^[59][60][61] as Surveyor of London.^[62] In 1708 Christopher Wren's masterpiece, St Paul's Cathedral was completed. During the Georgian era new districts such as Mayfair were formed in the west; and new bridges over the Thames encouraged development in South London. In the east, the Port of London expanded downstream.

In 1762 George III acquired Buckingham House and it was enlarged over the next 75 years. During the 18th century, London was dogged by crime and the Bow Street Runners were established in 1750 as a professional police force.^[63] In total, more than 200 offences were punishable by death,^[64] and women and children were hanged for petty theft.^[65] Over 74 per cent of children born in London died before they were five.^[66] The coffeehouse became a popular place to debate ideas, with growing literacy and the development of the printing press making news widely available; and Fleet Street became the centre of the British press.

According to Samuel Johnson:

Late modern and contemporary[link]

A London street hit during the Blitz of World War II

London was the world's largest city from about 1831 to 1925.^[68] London's overcrowded conditions led to cholera epidemics,^[69] claiming 14,000 lives in 1848, and 6,000 in 1866.^[70] Rising traffic congestion led to the creation of the world's first local urban rail network. The Metropolitan Board of Works oversaw infrastructure expansion. It was replaced in 1889 by the London County Council, London's first elected city-wide administration. The Blitz and other bombing by the German Luftwaffe during World War II killed over 30,000 Londoners and destroyed large tracts of housing and other buildings across London. Immediately after the war, the 1948 Summer Olympics were held at the original Wembley Stadium, at a time when the city had barely recovered from the war.

In 1951 the Festival of Britain was held on the South Bank. The Great Smog of 1952 led to the Clean Air Act 1956, which ended the "pea-souper" fogs for which London had been notorious. From the 1940s onwards, London became home to a large number of immigrants, largely from Commonwealth countries such as Jamaica, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, making London one of the most diverse cities in Europe.

Primarily starting in the mid-1960s, London became a centre for the worldwide youth culture, exemplified by the Swinging London subculture associated with the King's Road, Chelsea and Carnaby Street. The role of trendsetter was revived during the punk era. In 1965 London's political boundaries were expanded to take into account the growth of the urban area and a new Greater London Council was created. During The Troubles in Northern Ireland, London was subjected to bombing attacks by the Provisional IRA. Racial inequality was highlighted by the 1981 Brixton riot. Greater London's population declined steadily in the decades after World War II, from an estimated peak of 8.6 million in 1939 to around 6.8 million in the 1980s. The principal ports for London moved downstream to Felixstowe and Tilbury, with the London Docklands area becoming a focus for regeneration as the Canary Wharf development. This was borne out of London's ever-increasing role as a major international financial centre during the 1980s.

The Thames Barrier was completed in the 1980s to protect London against tidal surges from the North Sea. The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986, which left London as the only large metropolis in the world without a central administration. In 2000, London-wide government was restored, with the creation of the Greater London Authority. To celebrate the start of the 21st century, the Millennium Dome, London Eye and Millennium Bridge were constructed. On 7 July 2005, three London Underground trains and a double-decker bus were bombed in a series of terrorist attacks.^[71]

Government[link]

London

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of London

Sovereign Elizabeth II Greater London Authority Mayor Boris Johnson Deputy Richard Barnes London Assembly Mayoral elections Constituencies City of London Corporation Lord Mayor Sheriff Wards Court of Aldermen Parliament of the United Kingdom 1998 referendum GLA Act 1999 GLA Act 2007 Elections Constituencies European Parliament Elections European Parliament constituency Committee of the Regions Subsidiarity Boroughs Middle Temple Inner Temple

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Local government[link]

The Greater London Authority is based in City Hall, Southwark

The administration of London is formed of two tiers—a city-wide, strategic tier and a local tier. City-wide administration is coordinated by the Greater London Authority (GLA), while local administration is carried out by 33 smaller authorities.^[72] The GLA consists of two elected components; the Mayor of London, who has executive powers, and the London Assembly, who scrutinise the mayor's decisions and can accept or reject his budget proposals each year. The headquarters of the GLA is City Hall, Southwark; the current mayor is Boris Johnson. The mayor's statutory planning strategy is published as the London Plan, which was most recently revised in 2011.^[73] The local authorities are the councils of the 32 London boroughs and the City of London Corporation.^[74] They are responsible for most local services, such as local planning, schools, social services, local roads and refuse collection. Certain functions, such as waste management, are provided through joint arrangements. In 2009–2010 the combined revenue expenditure by London councils and the GLA amounted to just over 22 billion ₤ (14.7 billion ₤ for the boroughs and 7.4 billion ₤ for the GLA)^[75]

Policing in Greater London, with the exception of the City of London, is provided by the Metropolitan Police Force, overseen by the Metropolitan Police Authority. The City of London has its own police force – the City of London Police.^[76] The British Transport Police are responsible for police services on National Rail and London Underground services in the capital.^[77]

The London Fire Brigade is the statutory fire and rescue service for Greater London. It is run by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority and is the third-largest fire service in the world.^[78] National Health Service ambulance services are provided by the London Ambulance Service (LAS) NHS Trust, the largest free at the point of use emergency ambulance service in the world.^[79] The London Air Ambulance charity operates in conjunction with the LAS where required. Her Majesty's Coastguard and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution operate on the River Thames.^[80][81]

National government[link]

London is the seat of the Government of the United Kingdom, which is located around the Palace of Westminster. Many government departments are located close to Parliament, particularly along Whitehall, including the Prime Minister's residence at 10 Downing Street.^[82] The British Parliament is often referred to as the "Mother of Parliaments" (although this sobriquet was first applied to England itself by John Bright)^[83] because it has been the model for most other parliamentary systems, and its Acts have created many other parliaments.