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History of London

The history of London as a permanent settlement stretches back almost two thousand years. The city's story is a fascinating one, its fortunes inextricably linked to those of the British Isles.

Who?

London has no known founder. Legend tells of a King Lud, after whom Ludgate Hill and Ludgate Circus are named. A scarred and battered statue of the mythic monarch, flanked by his supposed sons, can still be seen, tucked away beside the church of St Dunstan in the West on Fleet Street.

When?

London has no specific foundation date either. Shortly after the Roman conquest of 43 AD the invaders grasped the strategic significance of the river Thames, slicing through the flattest, most fertile portion of their new province, its estuary providing easy access to the European mainland.

Then?

With the collapse of Roman administration Londinium was abandoned in the fifth century. As farming people the invading Anglo-Saxons, who gradually pushed the native Romano-British westwards, had no taste for city life and preferred to found villages which are now London's suburbs or satellites such as Fulham, Mitcham, Ealing and Barking.

Conquered!

The Norman invasion of 1066 was marked by the construction of the mighty Tower of London, located both to protect London Bridge from raiders coming upstream and sited athwart the city's eastern wall, to overawe its inhabitants as a symbol and embodiment of royal power.

Ruin and recovery

London as much as anywhere else in Europe was devastated by the epidemic of bubonic plague, known as the Black Death, which carried off a third of the population in 1348-9.

Expansion

The population of London tripled under the Tudors, making it not only the nation's greatest city but by far the greatest - almost a hundred times more populous than the Stratford on Avon in which Shakespeare grew up before coming to bustling Bankside as actor-manager at the Globe Theatre.

Age of elegance

By 1700 London's population had passed the half million mark, ranking it with Paris and Naples as one of Europe's three largest cities.

World city

Victorian London found its perfect chronicler in Charles Dickens, whose home in Doughty Street survives as his museum.

Ordeal and renewal

When Edward VII ascended the throne in 1901 London was the largest city in the world, with a population of over six millions. A century later it is still the largest city in Europe.

Facts About London

General

• Greater London, at 1,584 sq km, is the smallest of the nine English regions (1.2% of the total land area of England ). Source: ONS
  
• With a population of 7.2m, London is the largest city in Europe. Source: ONS
  
• London tends to have annual net inflows of people from outside the UK, with almost 30% of London's population from a minority ethnic group. Source: ONS
  
• Open space accounts for 30% of the London area, with London containing 143 registered parks and gardens. Source: English Heritage

Attractions

• London has the greatest concentration of major attractions in Britain. In 2002, three of the top ten paid attractions and six and the top ten free attractions were in London. Source: Sightseeing in the UK 2002
  
• There are currently four World Heritage Sites (Palace of Westminster, Tower of London, Maritime Greenwich and Kew Gardens) in London. Source: English Heritage

Entertainment

• There are over 100 theatres in London, including 50 in the West End. London theatre accounts for 45% of all UK theatre admissions and over 70% of box-office revenues. Source: GLA Economics
  
• London has 3,800 pubs, 9% of Britain 's public houses. There are 233 nightclubs in London or 15% of nightclubs across Britain. Source: GLA Economics

Restaurants & Retail

• There are 6,128 licensed restaurants in London, a remarkable 22% of Britain's restaurants. Small privately run operators make up the majority of the market, with menus from more than 70 countries and regions. Source: GLA Economics, Visit London
  
• London has over 30,000 shops, with over 3,000 being in Central London. London has 26 street markets, more than any other capital city in the western world. Source: London Retail Consortium
  
• Oxford Street is the busiest shopping street in Europe, with 200m visitors a year, turnover £5bn. Source: London Retail Consortium

Transport

• The number of passengers arriving and departing to or from London's airports equalled 116.7m in 2002. London has direct flights to 59 global destinations. Source: TfL, Visit London
  
• There are almost 21,000 licensed taxis in London and a further 2,200 licensed minicab operators. Source: TfL

Tourism in General

• Tourism is a key part of the London economy. Total tourism spending in London amounts to around £15bn . Tourism is one of London's most important sectors, accounting for around 6-7% of London GVA (c10% of GDP). Source: DCMS, ONS, VisitBritain, GLA Economics
  
• Tourism generates significant jobs for London. A 1% sustained increase in overseas visits to London corresponds to 1.28% increase in London jobs. For domestic visits, the equivalent figure is 0.34%. Source: GLA Economics
  
• Tourism helps underpin the quality of life in London. Income from visitors to vital the survival of many attractions and helps to maintain London's heritage. Overseas visitors are major investors in London 's cultural landscape - they buy 30% of theatre tickets and account for half of all visits to London attractions. Source: Society of London Theatre, Visit London
  
• Tourism in London is the prime generator of growth for UK tourism. London plays an important role in welcoming overseas visitors, creating a first impression and in providing an opportunity to influence visitors. Half of all overseas visitors spend time in London, with three out of four overseas visitors passing through London. Source: ONS, Visit London

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