| A couple of low hills in the middle of a marsh don't | | | | France, invaded Britain to claim what he believed to be |
| sound like a very promising start for a world class city, | | | | his inheritance: the crown of England.Once victorious, |
| but that's just how London, England began, over two | | | | William set about getting his new kingdom organized. |
| millennia ago.And the story of its development is as | | | | Not only did he cause the writing of the Doomsday |
| exciting as any thriller.There was probably a settlement | | | | Book -- the first record of the lands and property of |
| of sorts when the Romans invaded Britain for the | | | | the whole country, he started a massive building |
| second and decisive time, back in 43AD. But it was | | | | program of both castles and cathedrals.One of the |
| probably Roman engineers who built the first proper | | | | first castles constructed was the Tower of London, in |
| bridge across the River Thames in order to march | | | | the old Roman city, right on the banks of the River |
| further north. From these first steps grew the Roman | | | | Thames. It became William's royal palace and |
| city of Londinium.Today, the nature of the London | | | | continued so until 1529. It was, by then, the reign of |
| topography gives a clue to the marshy nature of its | | | | Henry VIII, who, having seized the Palace of Whitehall, |
| origins. Look at any map of London and the snake-like | | | | a little way up river, from his erstwhile chum, Cardinal |
| route of the Thames still betrays the meandering | | | | Wolsey, relocated to there. Thereafter, the Tower |
| nature of its original marshy course. The twin hills -- on | | | | became a prison, notably for Wolsey, several of |
| one of which now sits St Paul's Cathedral -- rising from | | | | Henry's soon to be ex-wives and any others who |
| this marshland would have instantly appealed to the | | | | dared to contest the king's right to divorce at will.That |
| military eye of a Roman general as a good defensive | | | | shift of the monarchy from the old Roman city to the |
| area upon which to build a fort.As was their custom, | | | | Westminster area, coupled with the rising prosperity of |
| the Romans would have probably used timber for their | | | | England, meant London started to split into two camps. |
| first fort, replacing that speedily built structure later with | | | | The rich merchants in the old Roman city, steadfastly |
| locally quarried stone, brought in by the river. Gradually | | | | resisted any attempts at restrictions by the |
| the Roman city become an enclosed one, roughly a | | | | government to the west in Whitehall.For the |
| mile square. The name "Square Mile" still exists today, | | | | government's part, they had to tread warily because |
| as the informal name for the City of London -- now | | | | they needed the financial acumen of the City of |
| one of the world's leading financial centers.Nearly a | | | | London to provide them with their revenue. So started |
| thousand years after the Romans, a rival to Londinium | | | | a wary mutual respect and loathing, which continues, to |
| arose. In 1065, the King of England, Edward the | | | | a certain extent, right up to the present day.Jon |
| Confessor, completed his church of Westminster, on | | | | Michael is a lifelong resident of London, England and his |
| an island in the marsh, the Isle of Thorney just west of | | | | hobby is discovering the hidden stories about this |
| what was, by now, called London.1065 was a | | | | fascinating world class city. Add to all that the daily |
| significant date in the history of London -- and, indeed, | | | | honing of his knowledge of London as a taxi cab |
| Britain -- it being the final year of Saxon rule. The | | | | driver and you need look no further for information on |
| following year, after the death of Edward, William the | | | | the real London. |
| Conqueror, from Normandy, on the north coast of | | | | |