London is a beautiful, bustling city. Full of museums, world-class shopping, and amazing West End shows, it’s a bucket list destination for many people. But there are a lot of interesting London facts that you probably don’t know.
Whether you’ve been to London many times or are considering your first trip, there are so many things to learn about this amazing city.
Read on to learn my 10 favorite, somewhat hidden, interesting London facts that you (probably) don’t know.
Taxi drivers have to know every street
Literally. Every street.
After years of study (it takes most drivers 3-4 years to complete their training) all black cab drivers have to take a test called the London Knowledge Test, or simply The Knowledge.
In order to pass the test they have to prove that they know all 25,000 streets and numerous landmarks that are located within a 6-mile radius of Charing Cross Station.
So the next time you’re in London, don’t call an Uber. Opt for a black cab. You’ll enjoy a better ride and avoid getting lost! A cab driver is also the perfect person to ask for local recommendations since they know all of central London like the back of their hand.
The designers intended the top of Tower Bridge to serve as a public walkway
When building Tower Bridge, the designers anticipated that raising and lowering the bridge spans would create challenges for the many pedestrians needing to cross. So they came up with a solution that not only solved the problem, but also resulted in a beautiful bridge.
They built two towers, with stairs and a walkway connecting them 143 feet above the roadway. It ensured pedestrian traffic could continue uninterrupted when the bridge was raised.
Today you can still climb up and walk across the bridge, but you’ll need to pay admission. You can also look down at the traffic below through the plexiglass floor in the center of the walkway.
The City of London is the smallest city in England
What we think of as London is actually Greater London. The City of London itself is home to only about 10,000 inhabitants, making it the smallest city in the country.
Metal bollards mark the boundaries of the city, which covers an area of 1.12 square miles.
Greater London, on the other hand, covers over 600 square miles and is home to approximately 9.5 million people.
The head of the City of London is the Lord Mayor, and within the boundaries of the City of London only the Sovereign has greater authority. The Lord Mayor is also the head of the City of London Corporation, which is the governing body of the city.
The Lord Mayor serves a one-year term, and has distinct and separate responsibilities from the Mayor of London. Some of those responsibilities include hosting heads of states, governments and other foreign dignitaries on behalf of the Sovereign.
Over half of the underground runs overground
The Underground, or the Tube, is London’s main rail system. Even though it’s called the Underground, approximately 55% of it actually runs above ground.
But it can’t be called the Overground, as a separate rail network with that name already exists.
The Underground features more traditional subway-style trains that run above ground outside the city center. The Overground, on the other hand, is more of a suburban light-rail network that is useful if you’re looking to avoid the city center.
Most visitors will ride the Underground since it connects the many sites London is famous for.
Big Ben is the name of a bell, not a tower
Big Ben is the largest bell in the Elizabeth Tower. To honor the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee the tower was renamed in 2012. Prior to that it was simply known as… The Clock Tower. A really original name, right?
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry, the same foundry that cast the Liberty Bell, cast the bell in 1858.
Big Ben weighs 13.7 tons, and the hammer that strikes it when it rings weighs 440 pounds.
London isn’t the only city in England with double-decker buses
Most buses in England are double-decker. You’ll see them throughout the country, in large and small towns and cities. But the difference is they’re not usually red.
The red double decker bus has become a national symbol of London and England. In 1907 one of London’s various transportation companies, the London General Omnibus Company, painted their buses red to stand out from their competitors.
The color of the bus normally showed what route they served. In 1933 London Transport adopted the red paint for their entire fleet. The London Underground logo and Royal Mail boxes use the same shade of red.
People live in the Tower of London
One of my favorite interesting London facts is that people do actually live in the Tower of London. The only people permitted to live in the Tower of London are the 37 Yeoman Warders and the Chief Warder, also known as the Beefeaters, and their families.
A soldier needs to reach the rank of warrant officer, receive the long service and good conduct medals, and have 22 or more years of service to be eligible for the Yeoman Warders.
The Yeoman Warders pay rent, but it’s only 8.5% of their pensionable salary. That means the average Yeoman Warder will pay less than £3,000 per year for a two bedroom flat in the Tower. Not bad for central London!
Also living in the Tower are a minimum of six resident ravens, taken care of by one of the Yeoman Warders called the Ravenmaster. Wouldn’t you love to have that title printed on your business card?
During the reign of King Charles II ravens were still native to London. Legend said that England would fall if the ravens ever left the Tower of London.
The tradition remains to this day. The tower normally houses 7 ravens to ensure there is a spare in the event one escapes. The ravens wings fly freely and their wings aren’t clipped, but they are kept slightly unbalanced. They’re less likely to fly long distances that way.
They have escaped at times, and several years ago a member of the public found and recaptured one in Greenwich.
London is England’s driest city
London is the driest city in England in spite of its wet reputation. This is England after all! London gets an average of 23 inches of rain per year.
London receives less rain per year than many other major cities, including New York (47 inches), Rome (32 inches) and Barcelona (25 inches).
The city maintains its reputation for being rainy due to the number of days it rains. You can expect approximately 156 wet days per year in London, compared to 119 in New York, 80 in Rome, and 55 in Barcelona.
When visiting London it’s unusual to experience heavy showers, but you can expect at least a drizzle on a few days while you’re there. Not to worry, the city is just as beautiful in the rain.
The Thames is a tidal river
Take a walk along the Thames and the river completely changes depending on the time of day. That’s due to it being a tidal river, fluctuating by approximately 24 feet with each tide.
If you walk along the river at high tide you may wonder why there are so many sets of stone stairs going directly down into the water. Return at low tide and you’ll see they give access to the beaches that appear. Another one of the interesting London facts is that people will actually walk along the beaches during low tide.
And along with the tidal surge comes something else.
Treasures (or potential treasures) of all types.
Some things washed along the river are modern, but others are from much farther back in London’s 2,500 year history. You may find remnants of Roman roof tiles, Victorian pottery, or Georgian buttons.
Mudlarking is the technical term for treasure hunting along the river. If you’re planning to give it a try you’ll need to get a permit, available on the Port Authority of London website.
It’s also best to go with a guide since the tide can come in quickly and be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Another of the interesting London facts is that you’re free to keep what you find. That means mudlarking can be a fun way to spend part of a day and end up with a unique souvenir to take home. You must let the experts at the British Museum know if you find anything of archeological significance. That could include rare whole pottery, gold, silver, or coin hoards.
When experts determine the find is a “treasure” the British Museum will perform a valuation on it. Depending on the nature and value of the treasure it may become the property of the Crown, or be open to purchase by a museum. You may be entitled to receive a reward for the find.
You can still see the original Roman wall of London
When you exit the Tower Hill tube stop you can see a tall stone wall at the top of the hill. This wall is what remains of the Roman wall that surrounded the ancient settlement of Londinium.
The original walls were approximately two miles long, extending from Blackfriars to Tower Hill. Roman Emperor Severus built the walls in the 2nd century to help protect the settlement from the native Britons.
Many of the gates that used to provide access to the city still lend their names to the surrounding neighborhoods. Areas like Bishopsgate, Aldgate, and Ludgate are all named after those ancient gates.
The walls served as the boundaries of the City of London through the Middle Ages and stand as one of the largest construction projects carried out in Roman Britain.
The Bottom Line: Interesting London facts
London is a city with so much to offer. You can spend years there and still uncover new things you didn’t know.
London is a beautiful, bustling city. Full of museums, world-class shopping, and amazing West End shows, it’s a bucket list destination for many people. But there are a lot of interesting London facts that you probably don’t know.
Whether you’ve been to London many times or are considering your first trip, there are so many things to learn about this amazing city.
Read on to learn my 10 favorite, somewhat hidden, interesting London facts that you (probably) don’t know.
Taxi drivers have to know every street
Literally. Every street.
After years of study (it takes most drivers 3-4 years to complete their training) all black cab drivers have to take a test called the London Knowledge Test, or simply The Knowledge.
In order to pass the test they have to prove that they know all 25,000 streets and numerous landmarks that are located within a 6-mile radius of Charing Cross Station.
So the next time you’re in London, don’t call an Uber. Opt for a black cab. You’ll enjoy a better ride and avoid getting lost! A cab driver is also the perfect person to ask for local recommendations since they know all of central London like the back of their hand.
The designers intended the top of Tower Bridge to serve as a public walkway
When building Tower Bridge, the designers anticipated that raising and lowering the bridge spans would create challenges for the many pedestrians needing to cross. So they came up with a solution that not only solved the problem, but also resulted in a beautiful bridge.
They built two towers, with stairs and a walkway connecting them 143 feet above the roadway. It ensured pedestrian traffic could continue uninterrupted when the bridge was raised.
Today you can still climb up and walk across the bridge, but you’ll need to pay admission. You can also look down at the traffic below through the plexiglass floor in the center of the walkway.
The City of London is the smallest city in England
What we think of as London is actually Greater London. The City of London itself is home to only about 10,000 inhabitants, making it the smallest city in the country.
Metal bollards mark the boundaries of the city, which covers an area of 1.12 square miles.
Greater London, on the other hand, covers over 600 square miles and is home to approximately 9.5 million people.
The head of the City of London is the Lord Mayor, and within the boundaries of the City of London only the Sovereign has greater authority. The Lord Mayor is also the head of the City of London Corporation, which is the governing body of the city.
The Lord Mayor serves a one-year term, and has distinct and separate responsibilities from the Mayor of London. Some of those responsibilities include hosting heads of states, governments and other foreign dignitaries on behalf of the Sovereign.
Over half of the underground runs overground
The Underground, or the Tube, is London’s main rail system. Even though it’s called the Underground, approximately 55% of it actually runs above ground.
But it can’t be called the Overground, as a separate rail network with that name already exists.
The Underground features more traditional subway-style trains that run above ground outside the city center. The Overground, on the other hand, is more of a suburban light-rail network that is useful if you’re looking to avoid the city center.
Most visitors will ride the Underground since it connects the many sites London is famous for.
Big Ben is the name of a bell, not a tower
Big Ben is the largest bell in the Elizabeth Tower. To honor the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee the tower was renamed in 2012. Prior to that it was simply known as… The Clock Tower. A really original name, right?
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry, the same foundry that cast the Liberty Bell, cast the bell in 1858.
Big Ben weighs 13.7 tons, and the hammer that strikes it when it rings weighs 440 pounds.
London isn’t the only city in England with double-decker buses
Most buses in England are double-decker. You’ll see them throughout the country, in large and small towns and cities. But the difference is they’re not usually red.
The red double decker bus has become a national symbol of London and England. In 1907 one of London’s various transportation companies, the London General Omnibus Company, painted their buses red to stand out from their competitors.
The color of the bus normally showed what route they served. In 1933 London Transport adopted the red paint for their entire fleet. The London Underground logo and Royal Mail boxes use the same shade of red.
People live in the Tower of London
One of my favorite interesting London facts is that people do actually live in the Tower of London. The only people permitted to live in the Tower of London are the 37 Yeoman Warders and the Chief Warder, also known as the Beefeaters, and their families.
A soldier needs to reach the rank of warrant officer, receive the long service and good conduct medals, and have 22 or more years of service to be eligible for the Yeoman Warders.
The Yeoman Warders pay rent, but it’s only 8.5% of their pensionable salary. That means the average Yeoman Warder will pay less than £3,000 per year for a two bedroom flat in the Tower. Not bad for central London!
Also living in the Tower are a minimum of six resident ravens, taken care of by one of the Yeoman Warders called the Ravenmaster. Wouldn’t you love to have that title printed on your business card?
During the reign of King Charles II ravens were still native to London. Legend said that England would fall if the ravens ever left the Tower of London.
The tradition remains to this day. The tower normally houses 7 ravens to ensure there is a spare in the event one escapes. The ravens wings fly freely and their wings aren’t clipped, but they are kept slightly unbalanced. They’re less likely to fly long distances that way.
They have escaped at times, and several years ago a member of the public found and recaptured one in Greenwich.
London is England’s driest city
London is the driest city in England in spite of its wet reputation. This is England after all! London gets an average of 23 inches of rain per year.
London receives less rain per year than many other major cities, including New York (47 inches), Rome (32 inches) and Barcelona (25 inches).
The city maintains its reputation for being rainy due to the number of days it rains. You can expect approximately 156 wet days per year in London, compared to 119 in New York, 80 in Rome, and 55 in Barcelona.
When visiting London it’s unusual to experience heavy showers, but you can expect at least a drizzle on a few days while you’re there. Not to worry, the city is just as beautiful in the rain.
The Thames is a tidal river
Take a walk along the Thames and the river completely changes depending on the time of day. That’s due to it being a tidal river, fluctuating by approximately 24 feet with each tide.
If you walk along the river at high tide you may wonder why there are so many sets of stone stairs going directly down into the water. Return at low tide and you’ll see they give access to the beaches that appear. Another one of the interesting London facts is that people will actually walk along the beaches during low tide.
And along with the tidal surge comes something else.
Treasures (or potential treasures) of all types.
Some things washed along the river are modern, but others are from much farther back in London’s 2,500 year history. You may find remnants of Roman roof tiles, Victorian pottery, or Georgian buttons.
Mudlarking is the technical term for treasure hunting along the river. If you’re planning to give it a try you’ll need to get a permit, available on the Port Authority of London website.
It’s also best to go with a guide since the tide can come in quickly and be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Another of the interesting London facts is that you’re free to keep what you find. That means mudlarking can be a fun way to spend part of a day and end up with a unique souvenir to take home. You must let the experts at the British Museum know if you find anything of archeological significance. That could include rare whole pottery, gold, silver, or coin hoards.
When experts determine the find is a “treasure” the British Museum will perform a valuation on it. Depending on the nature and value of the treasure it may become the property of the Crown, or be open to purchase by a museum. You may be entitled to receive a reward for the find.
You can still see the original Roman wall of London
When you exit the Tower Hill tube stop you can see a tall stone wall at the top of the hill. This wall is what remains of the Roman wall that surrounded the ancient settlement of Londinium.
The original walls were approximately two miles long, extending from Blackfriars to Tower Hill. Roman Emperor Severus built the walls in the 2nd century to help protect the settlement from the native Britons.
Many of the gates that used to provide access to the city still lend their names to the surrounding neighborhoods. Areas like Bishopsgate, Aldgate, and Ludgate are all named after those ancient gates.
The walls served as the boundaries of the City of London through the Middle Ages and stand as one of the largest construction projects carried out in Roman Britain.
The Bottom Line: Interesting London facts
London is a city with so much to offer. You can spend years there and still uncover new things you didn’t know.
