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London West End, Attractions, Map and Tourist Information, UK

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The Royal Kiss
The Royal Kiss. The Duke & Dutchess of Cambridge
Photo from whitneyinchicago


London's West End Attractions


Apsley House

Apsley House
Apsley House

Apsley House Description


  • The popular name of Apsley House is 'Number One London'
  • Built in the 1700s for Baron Apsley
  • It became the home of Richard Wellesley in 1807, passing on to his younger brother the military genius Arthur Wellesley who became the Duke of Wellington after his famous defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo in 1815
  • Housing one of the finest art collections in London
  • Descendents of the family still live in a private section of the house.
  • The rest of the house is open to the public and was donated to the nation in 1947.
  • The Duke of Wellington became a Member of Parliament & was Prime Minister twice.
  • His opposition to parliamentary reform made him very unpopular and Apsley House windows were fortified with iron shutters to stop them being broken by protesters. This led to his nickname "The Iron Duke"

Apsley House Price


Adult Price Guide: £6.30

Apsley House Location


  • Located

  • Nearest Tube Station:
    Hyde Park 200 metres
  • Nearest Bus Routes:

Many bus routes stop at Hyde Park Corner

Address: 

Address:  149 Piccadilly, Hyde Park Corner, London - W1J 7NT

See the Location of Apsley House on our London West End Attraction Map

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace
Buckingham-Palace.

Buckingham Palace Gates
Buckingham Palace Gates

Buckingham Palace Description


  • Buckingham Palace is the official residence of Queen Elisabeth II, and has been the official residence of previous Monarchs since Queen Victoria in 1837.
  • The palace has 775 rooms including:
    • 19 State rooms
    • 52 Royal and guest bedrooms
    • 188 staff bedrooms
    • 92 offices
    • 78 bathrooms.
  • The State Rooms are open to visitors on occasions
    • Entrance in Buckingham Palace Road or Buckingham Gate (name of a road)
    • Strongly advised to pre book Tickets
    • Different tickets are available
    • Tickets can be converted to a 1 year pass if ticket bought from the Royal Collection

Book a Visit & Price


Buckingham Palace self-guided tour.

Video of


Buckingham Palace Location


  • Located

  • Nearest Tube Station:
    Victoria, Green Park and Hyde Park Corner.
  • Nearest Bus Routes:

11, 211, C1 and C10 stop on Buckingham Palace Road.

Address: 

Buckingham Palace, 13 Buckingham Palace Rd, Westminster, London SW1W 0

The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, SW1A 1AA

See the Location of Buckingham Palace on our London West End Attraction Map

Churchill War Rooms - Off Whitehall

Churchill War Rooms
Churchills Secret War Rooms.

Churchill War Rooms Description


  • The Churchill War Rooms were a series of reinforced rooms built underground in the cellars of Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
  • The War rooms and at the time secret underground tunnels connected many of important buildings in the Whitehall area. It is thought that one of these tunnels ran to Buckingham Palace under Sty James's Park.
  • Some of these tunnels were build by the GPO General Post Office to run important telephone lines & to protect them from bombing
  • The purpose of the rooms was so that the Prime Minister Winston Churchill could meet with his War Cabinet & armed forces chiefs to run the Second World War, in some degree of safety. It is thought that the rooms would not survive a direct hit from a large bomb.
  • When I first heard of the war rooms I thought they would have been under the concrete Citadel, only 350 metres away across Horse Guards Parade Ground

 

Video of Churchill Secret War Rooms


Churchill War Rooms Location


  • Located
    at the Junction of King Charles Street & Horse Guards Road at the rear of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in Whitehall next to the Cenotaph.
  • Nearest Tube Station:
    Westminster (Jubilee, District or Circle Line) 400 metres
  • Nearest Bus Routes:
    3, 11, 12, 24, 53, 87, 88, 159, 453  Bus Stop Whitehall

Address: King Charles Street, London SW1A 2AQ

See the Location of Churchill War Rooms on our London West End Attraction Map

Clarence House & Lancaster House

Clarence House
.Clarence House on the right of the photograph behind the trees & Lancaster House on the Left in the photograph. Also further back & to the right is St. James Palace. All witin the secured perimeter

Gateway Guard


  • The 2 houses use a common gateway. The gate guards are onlythere for Clarence House.
  • In the forground is a guard of the famous infantary section of the Household Division wearing the also famous "Bearskin Helmet"
  • The Household Division Foot guard regiments are Regiments of Foot Guards. These are: The Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards
  • See why there is a small barrier before the guards.

Clarence House Description


  • Clarence House is the official residence of Prince Charles The Prince of Wales, Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall,and Prince Harry. Prince William lived at Clarence House untill his marriage to Kate Middleton.
  • 5 rooms are open to the public from August to October each year.

Lancaster House Description


  • Lancaster House is one of the finest town houses in London
  • Originally built for brother of George III, he Duke of York
  • It is rumoured that Queen Victoria said, when visiting Lancaster House, "I have come from my House to your Palace"
  • The House is used by British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
  • The House is occasionally open to the public

Clarence House Price


Clarence House Adult Price Guide: £8.50

Clarence House and Lancaster House Location


  • Located
    The first 2 buildings on the left of The Mall after leaving Queen Victoria's Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace. With St James Park on the right of the Mall.
    Clarence House, Prince Charles's home & Lancaster House are both within the grounds of St James Palace.
  • Nearest Tube Station:
    Green Park or St James's Park.
  • Nearest Bus Routes:
    Bus Stops Pall Mall or Green Park 9, 14, 19, 22 and 38

Address: 

  • Clarence House, St James's Palace, London, SW1 1BA 

See the Location of Clarence House and Lancaster House on our London West End Attraction Map

Covent Garden Market

Covent Gardens
Covent Gardens Market.

Covent Garden Market Description


  • A large specialist indoor market with some sections having a ground floor and a basement.
  • A wide variety of goods are on sale especially in the arts & crafts field, fashion clothing, jewellery. antiques and tourist souvenir goods
  • The rear of The Royal Opera House is just over the road from the north east corner of the indoor market
  • The London Transport Museum  is over the road in the south east corner
  • The market has plenty of restaurants & cafes many around the outside use the wide pavement as a terrace
  • The market stalls can vary depending on the day of the week
  • A variety of street performers entertain both inside & around the market including:
    • Classical musicians both serious & comical, acrobatic acts, juggling, trick cyclists, mime artists

Covent Garden Market Price


Adult Price Guide: Free Entrance

Covent Garden Location


  • Located
    Centrally located in London's Theatreland between Shaftesbury Avenue & Aldwych
  • Nearest Tube Station:
    Covent Garden
  • Nearest Bus Routes:
    14, 19, 38 in Monmouth Street, with plenty more within very short walking distances on Charing Cross Road, The Strand, Aldwych & Kingsway

See the Location of Covent Gardens on our London West End Attraction Map

10 Downing Street - Whitehall

10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street Gates & Railings with the Cabinet Office on the right & Foreign Office on the left

The Worlds most Famous Door
The Worlds most Famous Door.

Yes Prime Minister
Yes Prime Minister.

10 Downing Street Description


  • 10 Downing Street has 'The most famous Front Door in the World'
  • Behind the door is the official residence of Britain's Prime Minister and the cabinet offices
  • The cabinet offices are the political nerve centre of the government.
  • A meeting of senior ministers & Secretaries of State from all departments meet every Thursday around the long oval with flattened ends Cabinet Table
  • The oval shape allows the Prime Minister, who sits in the only chair with arm rests & his back to the fireplace, to see all the cabinet ministers
  • Another door, the Green Door is also famous. This door connects Number 10 with the Cabinet office run by the Prime Ministers Permanent Cabinet Secretary, the most senior servant also called Mandarins
    • The Green Door war made famous in the fabulous & funny British TV program 'Yes Prime Minister' when Jim Hacker, the Prime Minister decided to teach Sir Humphrey Appleby the Cabinet Secretary a lesson by changing the lock on the Green Door, locking out Sir Humphrey Appleby from Number 10
  • The Cabinet Offices are in the adjoining building in Whitehall
  • The Prime Minister can access the Foreign Office by an entrance directly opposite number 10.
  • Senior Whitehall civil servants have the nickname of Mandarins

For photographs of interior of Number 10 that include Front Door, Entrance Hall, Cabinet Room, Grand Staircase, White Drawing Room, Terracotta Room, Pillared Room, Small Dining Room, State Dining Room, The Study    inside see Number 10 Tour

Unfortunately for security reasons, following an IRA Mortar bomb attach on Number 10 from a white van in 1989, Sturdy Iron Gates, railings & anti ram barriers block off the ends of Downing street. One can just see the famous Number 10 door from the extreme left end of the railings

10 Downing Street Location


  • Downing Street is a side street off Whitehall near the Cenotaph

  • Nearest Tube Station:
  • Charing Cross 600 metres
    Westminster 400 metres
  • Nearest Bus Routes:

3, 11, 12, 24, 53, 87, 88, 159, 453 All run along Whitehall.

See the Location of 10 Downing Street on our London West End Attraction Map

Horse Guards - Whitehall

Horse Guards
Horse Guards.

Horse Guards Description


  • The magnificent Horse Guards building, built in the reign of George II 1727 - 1760 as the entrance to St. James's Palace 700 metres across St. James's Park to the north east, is enough reason to draw tourists
  • For 350 years Horse Guards was the official entrance to the Royal Residences
  • But the main attractions of Horse Guards are:
    • Trooping the Colour is a spectacular display of trooping the colour, along the ranks of the Guards regiments on Parade in the presence of the Monarch.

      The Colour is the regimental flag of 1 of the five Household Division Regiments - Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards. The colour used rotates each year.

      The mounted Cavalry & marching troops escort the Queen from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to Horse guards parade.

      Banks of seats are build for dignitaries and spectators

      The Queens official birthday is held on either the 1,2 or 3 Saturday in June

      Tickets for seated stands around Horse Guards Parade are allocated by ballot in March. Applications should be made in January or February only to:
      Brigade Major HQ Household Division Horse Guards Whitehall London SW1A 2AX

    • The 2 Lifeguards of the on horses located in the sentry boxes either side of the Main change Guard from 10 am to 4 pm on the hour.
    • The Main Change of the Guard by the Mounted Queen's Life Guard of the Household Division Cavalry is at the rear of the building on Horse Guards Parade at 11am (10am on Sundays)
    • Inspection of the Guard at 4pm
    • You can also see additional guards on foot around the front courtyard. These guards are changed every 2 hours

Horse Guards Location


  • Located
    Horse Guardshas located almost centrally in Whitehall
    Horse Guards Paradehas located at the rear of the building centrally located on the east side of St. James's Park
  • Nearest Tube Station:
    Charing Cross 500 metres
    Westminster 500 metres
  • Nearest Bus Routes:

3, 11, 12, 24, 53, 87, 88, 159, 453 All run along Whitehall.

Address: 

  • Horse Guards Parade Cleveland Row London SW1A 1DH
  • Horse Guards, Whitehall, Westminster, SW1A 2AX

See the Location of Horse Guards on our London West End Attraction Map

Palace of Westminster, Houses of Parliament & Big Ben

Palace of Westminster and Big Ben
Palace of Westminster.

Palace of Westminster and Big Ben Description


The Palace of Westminster is better known as the Houses of Parliament and is the largest Gothic building in the World.

Its towering clock tower is known wordwide and the Great Bell nicknamed Big Ben has been heard by almost everybody in the World via the BBC News broadcasts

More information about the Palace of Westminster, Houses of Parliament & Big Ben

Palace of Westminster, Houses of Parliament & Big Ben

The Queens Guards

Buckingham Palace Changing Guard


Buckingham Palace Changing Guard.

The Queens Guards Description


  • The Queens Guards consist of the 7 regiments of the Household Division which is split into 2 regiments of Calvalry & 5 regiments of Foot Soldiers i.e. infantary
  • Household Division Cavalry Regiments are the Life Guards in red tunics & Blues and Royals in blue tunics,
  • These guards are recognised with there shiny metal breastplates, long thigh length riding boots and when on guard drawn sword resting on the shoulder.
  • Normally the horses are well behaved but at the front of Horeguards there are signs that the horses can bite or kick.
    • I suspect that this may be induced by the rider to deal with bothersome or unrouly viewers
  • Regiments Household Division Foot Soldiers are the Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards Regiments .

How to distinguish the Regiment


The differences between the regiments of the Household Division are the Button spacing pattern on the Tunic, the colour of the plume on the bearskin helmet and the side it is worn. If close eneugh the badges on the collar & shoulder

  • Grenadier Guards Regiment
    Single buttons no spacing, white plume on the left, star collar badge & Royal Cypher shoulder badge
  • Coldstream Guards Regiment
    Space between sets of 2 buttons, red plume on the right, Garter Star collar badge &rose shoulder badge
  • Scots Guards Regiment
    Space between sets of 3 buttons, no plume, thistle collar badge & thistle star Cypher shoulder badge
  • Irish Guards Regiment
    Space between sets of 4 buttons, blue plume on the right, Shamrock collar badge & SaintPatrick Star shoulder badge
  • Welsh Guards Regiment
    Space between sets of 5 buttons, white - green - white plume on the left, leak badge & leak shoulder badge

The Queens Guard Locations


  • Buckinham Palace
    The most famous venue for viewing the Guards, but not the best, due to the distance to the guards from the palace railings.
    Change of Guard at at 11.30 am
    March - odd-numbered days from 1 March i.e. 1, 3, 5, etc.
    April - even-numbered days from 2 March i.e. 2, 4, 6, etc.
    May, June & July Daily

     

    Video of


  • Clarence House & Lancaster House.
    On the side facing St. James's Park Good venue to get fairly close to the guards. A small barrier now seperates the public from the Guards after the incident when a guardsman pushes a mocking foreign student - See video below.

     

    Video of


  • St James's Palace
    Only on occasions
  • Horse Guards
    The best venue to view guard changing. The main change takes place at the rear of the building on Horse Guards Parade
    The main Change of Guards at 11.00 am, 10.00 am on Sundays
    A smaller change takes place every hour on the hour of the 2 mounted senties at the front of the building on Whitehall. The best location is centrally in the courtyard. Be prepared to move if in the route of the horse, it's fairly easy to work out - they move in straight lines in line with the building walls i.e. they don't do a short diagonal route. Every 2 hours the foot guard is changed.T
  • Tower of London
  • Windsor Castle
    Change of Guards at 11.00 am
    March - even-numbered days from 2 March i.e. 2, 4, 6, etc.
    April, May, June & July Daily

     

    Video of


Outside London


  • Edinburgh - Palace of Holyroodhouse. Usually only mounted daily during the week that the Queen spends at the palace

See the Location of Buckingham Palace, St James Palace & Horse Guards on our London West End Attraction Map

St James Palace

St James Palace
St James Palace.

St James Palace Description


  • St James's Palace is now the official residence of the Court and where the Captain of the Guard has established his headquarters.
  • It is also where the colours of the Life Guards is kept.
  • St James Palace was the home of King William III after his previous home Whitehall Palace was burnt down in 1698
  • The staff of Princes William and Harry work from St James's Palace.
  • Clarence House, Prince Charles's home & Lancaster House are both within the grounds of St James Palace

St James Palace Location


  • Located
    In Cleveland Row which is at the Junction of Pall Mall & St. James's Street.
    Around the back The third buildings on the left of The Mall after leaving Queen Victoria's Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace. With St James Park on the right of the Mall.
  • Nearest Tube Station:
    Green Park or St James's Park.
  • Nearest Bus Routes:
    Bus Stops Pall Mall or Green Park 9, 14, 19, 22 and 38

See the Location of St James Palace on our London West End Attraction Map

Trafalgar Square and Nelson's Column

Trafalgar Square and Nelsons Column
Trafalgar Square and Nelson's Column.

Trafalgar Square and Nelson's Column Description


Trafalgar Square is at the very heart of London and the centre point for events, filming, rallies, proffesional photo shoots, promotions and demonstrations.

The square is faily large and contains:

  • Nelson's Column, surrounded by the 4 lions
  • 2 Fountains
  • Large areas of open space
  • Toilets
  • Cafe
  • The Worlds smallest police station
  • 4 plinths with Statues

More Information Trafalgar Square and Nelson's Column

See the Location of Trafalgar Square and Nelson's Column on our London West End Attraction Map

Wellington Arch

Wellington Arch
Wellington Arch.

Wellington Arch Description


  • Built in 1825–7
  • Intended as an outer entrance to Buckingham Palace.
  • At first it stood facing the Hyde Park Screen, but it was moved to its present position in the 1880s. Its original design was never completed, and a controversial giant statue of the Duke of Wellington was erected on top of it in 1846. The quadriga sculpture that crowns the arch today was placed there in 1912.

Wellington Arch Entrance Price


Adult Price Guide:

Wellington Arch Location


  • Located

  • Nearest Tube Station:

  • Nearest Bus Routes:

Address: 

See the Location of Wellington Arch on our London West End Attraction Map

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey.

Westminster Abbey Description


Westminster Abbey Price


Adult Price Guide:

  • +

Westminster Abbey Location


  • Located

  • Nearest Tube Station:

  • Nearest Bus Routes:

Address: 

See the Location of Westminster Abbey on our London West End Attraction Map

More London Attractions

City of London Attractions



City of London Attractions


The Banqueting House   Big Ben   British Library   Museum  Cleopatra's Needle   Globe Theatre   Hispaniola    Houses of Parliament  The Jewel Tower   Kensington Palace   London Aquarium    London Eye   London Zoo   Madame Tussauds   The Mall   The Monument   Marble Arch   National Gallery  National Theatre    PS Tattershall Castle   Queen Elizabeth Hall   River Cruises  Royal Court of Justice  Royal Festival Hall    Royal Mews   Sea Life London    Westminster RC Cathedral

All Hallows Church by the Tower   HMS Belfast    London Dungeon   London Bridge Experience   Millennium Bridge   Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Tour and Exhibition   Tate Modern London

Southwark Cathedral

Kensington Palace   Royal Albert Hall

Hampton Court Palace

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