London, April 2026 - Steeped in history

I visited London for a week during Easter break last month. I came prepared for the famous UK rain, but it was warm and sunny the whole time. All the trees and gardens were even in bloom!

This was a history-focused trip for my son, who's interested in Roman archaeology. London is a fantastic place to indulge those interests. I wouldn't call it the most beautiful city in the world, but it's steeped in history. There's something ancient or historic around every corner, especially by American standards (as the saying goes: "Europeans think a hundred miles is a long distance; Americans think a hundred years is a long time").

I made a list of the most historically significant places we wanted to see. We missed a few, like the museum in the crypt of All Hallows by the Tower, but we got to the majority of them.

Photos:

  1. The London Mithraeum - restored temple of a Roman savior god who was a competitor with early Christianity
  2. St. Dunstan in the East - a church destroyed in the Blitz and turned into a public garden instead of being rebuilt
  3. A surviving section of the original Roman city wall outside the Leonardo Royal Hotel
  4. Westminster Abbey
  5. Stephen Hawking's tomb, Westminster Abbey
  6. Henry VII Lady Chapel, Westminster Abbey
  7. The Onion Garden - a nonprofit cafe with an amazing garden
  8. The Mercato Mayfair - a historic church turned into a luxury food hall
  9. The Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich - this place was amazing, England's version of the Sistine Chapel
  10. The Prime Meridian line, Royal Observatory, Greenwich
  11. London Natural History Museum

Author: TheOrchardFI