A Time Traveller's Guide

To
Historical London
PRESENTED TO YOU BY TAEMIN YUN
Contents Page

 Roman Londinium, AD43-AD400

 Medieval London, AD400- 1450
 Early Modern London, 1450-1750
 London 1750-1900
 London since 1900
 Introduction
 This book will guide time travellers through the history of London; It's
advancements of settlers and different rulers in their respective eras.
 It will take you on a journey of time throughout London from Roman Londinium
and Anglo Saxonian Lundenwic to London since the 1900s.
 Different landmarks like The Big Ben, Tower of London and last but not least the
Roman Ampitheatre will be mentioned. The atmosphere, the smell and great,
historical disasters will also be included an Example being The Great Fire of
London in 1666.
 ROMAN LONDINIUM
ad43-400
In AD43, the Romans invaded Celtic Britain, conquering most of
England. They chose to build a settlement where the river and land
was the closest together.

After a few years, it became the most important city in Roman

Britain. Travelling 2000years back, you will find yourself amongst
crowds of people and a busy port at the edge of the Thames.

The bridge connecting the south and north-bank settlement of the

city was always filled with numerous carts and people which crossed
it every day.

There were many religious temples devoted to the gods. The Romans
also built an Ampitheatre, where they enjoyed watching gladiators
fight, a basilica which was a huge building purposed for Roman
administration and important political discussion and a fort which
could hold 1000soldiers.
 Medieval London
AD400-1450
London underwent through a lot of changes. By the 7th century, Anglo Saxon
settlers built a new trading town to the west of the abandoned Roman City.
They named it Lundenwic.
In the 9th century, warriors from Scandinavia now known as the Vikings
invaded London. Saxons abandoned Lundenwic and settled within Roman
walls, building new streets, towns and markets.
In the 1050s the Saxon King Edward the Confessor built his royal palace and
abbey at Westminster. Ever since, Westminster had been the Centre of the
government; A meeting place for MPs and important political parties.
Over the millennium, the area grew to a major market and trade, commercial
wealth attracting the establishment of the Palace of Westminster etc.
In the streets of Medieval London, it was very pungent and all sorts of diseases
such as smallpox or the flu, the most prominent, 'The Black Death' from 1347-
51 which killed up to 200million people . You will find yourself in narrow
streets and densely packed timber houses, fire was a common danger for the
citizens of London.
 Early Modern London, 1450-

1750
London revolutionised in both style, culture and entertainment after the Middle Ages. People had
a new type of way they could entertain themselves; the theatre. There were now 4 new theatres on
the south bank of the River Thames. The most famous being Shakespeare's Globe.
 In 1580, 150,000 people were living in London, by the 1630s this had increased to a
overwhelming 300,000. Poor people lived in suburbs beyond the city walls whilst the rich lived
in grand houses and mansions. The issue of hygiene and sanitariness remained unsolved, causing
a high chance of catching the bubonic plague which killed more than 12,000 people.
 In 1666, a major disaster struck ; the Great Fire of London. . As houses were made of wood and
timber and built very closely to each other, fire spread rapidly, destroying some 80percent of the
city. The fire raged for 4days as desperate people plunged in boats or into the River Thames.
 For the rebuilding plan architects like Sir Christopher Wren and King Charles II wanted to
rebuild the city in a Renaissance plan of wide streets, squares and vistas, the citizens of London
wanted to move in as fast as possible. So London was rebuilt in brick according to the old plan.
The fire also led up to the setting of the London Building Act which stated that houses
should be built of brick and of standard design which formed the bases of London streets
and houses that are still housing people up to this day.
London 1750-1900
 London in 1750 was a buzzing megalopolis with new stylish
squares, markets and churches like St Paul's Cathedral.
 After the great fire of London, there were grand houses, huge
magnificent public buildings however the small, existing exurban
communities grew until they formed large, untidy metropolis.

 London's first railway opened in 1836, the Metropolitan Line. It

was an immediate success although it caused huge disruption on
the streets and working conditions were very dangerous.

 Although a new method, less disruptive way of was invented for

building tunnels, the first few years of railways resulted in
neighborhoods destroyed and many areas were overcrowded with
some citizens forced to poverty.
 London since 1900
 Two major wars sparked during the 1900 to the late 1940s; World War One and
Two, with World War II affecting most significantly. London began to spread
outwards, making its population 8.6 million before World War II.

It would be the largest city at that time and the most populated and influential.
However in the aftermath of World War II, most of the north had been demolished.
 In the reconstruction, office-blocks and skyscrapers dominated the skyline and
London became a centre for education, work and new job opportunities.
 However, historically renowned buildings still stand today of these are St Pauls
Cathedral and even the Tower Of London which have survived the German raids of
1914-18.