The Tower of London

In 1066 the Normans built a castle on the edge of London, in the south-eastern corner of the old Roman city walls. The Normans joined up the walls with a Dutch and fence to make a yard, in which they probably built a wooden tower. About ten years later William the Conqueror ordered the building of the great stone tower, later called the White Tower.

The Tower of London long continued to be both a fortress and a palace. It was also a prison. At first prisoners were often foreign princes and nobles who had been captured in war. But later on, in Tudor times, the Tower became the place where famous and infamous people were sent, and perhaps tortured and executed. After the Stuart period few prisoners were brought to the Tower. Instead more and more visitors came to see the ancient armour and weapons and the Crown Jewels.

Now the Tower is simply Britain's most famous and most visited historic building.

According to tradition the Tower is guarded by the Yeoman Warders or "Beefeaters". They still wear their old bright and colourful Tudor uniforms.

Tower Bridge

Not far from the tower of London is Tower Bridge, built across the Thames in 1894. It was designed so that it could be used equally by road traffic and by ships going up the River Thames. When a ship approached, everybody was cleared off the bridge, which then split in two, and raised itself in the air so that river traffic could pass through.

After a few minutes, the bridge was lowered again, and pedestrians, carriages, and cars could continue their journey.

In this busiest time, the road was raised and lowered 50 times a day. Parliament decided that pedestrians should be able to cross the river at any time, so when the lower half of the bridge was used by ships, people could (if they wished) cross by two walk ways, 45 meters above the Thames.

Piccadilly Circus

London's West End is the richest part of the city, and its heart is Piccadilly Circus. This is London's theaterland, and at night it is bright with electric signs. Under the Circus lies one of the busiest stations of London's underground railway network.

In the centre of the Circus stands the bronze statue of Eros on a high pedestal above the fountain. It was erected by architect Alfred Gilbert in 1892.

North of the Circus, the streets shade off into Soho and to Oxford Street and the Telecom Tower. South of the Circus, in Haymarket, there is the colonnaded Theatre Royal, founded in 1720. West of the Circus, is the Royal Academy of Arts. The West End also covers Mayfair and Marble Arch, the shopping centres of Oxford Street and Bond Street. (from Поликарпова 1994).

(from Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture 2002).

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