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