History & Culture

 History

The origins of London London is located in the south of England and is the political and economic capital of the United Kingdom. The city doesn´t appear until after the Roman conquest. Roman rule stretched from the 1st century AD. until the 5th century. Expansión of London During the 14th century the port of London became a merchandise distribution center. This activity was reinforced in the 15th century by a powerful textile industry. From the 16th century to the mid-18th century, London benefited from political centralization and the expansion of maritime trade developed by the Tudors and continued by the Stuarts. The increase of London Until the beginning of the 19th century, the capital was reduced to the limits of the original Roman city, plus Westminster and Mayfair, surrounded by fields. Industrialization attracted increasing numbers of people who filled these green spaces. The fast expansion caused serious problems such as the cholera epidemic of 1832, or the "great pestilence", in 1858, caused by the stench of the Thames that forced the suspension of parliamentary sessions. In 1963 a new division of the London agglomeration took place, which included the old town and 32 metropolitan boroughs.

 

Culture

Few cities in the world can match London as a place of culture and learning. We have world-famous galleries, museums, theatres, festivals, shops, markets and parks for you to explore - many of them for free. There are more than 200 museums and 800 art galleries, including the British Museum, Natural History Museum and Tate Modern.

A third of all the UK’s archives are housed in London, including the National Archives, which date back to the 11th century. Among the city’s 380 public libraries is the British Library, within walking distance of our central London campuses, and home to the Magna Carta, one of the most famous documents in the world. With over 200 professional theatres, you could visit a different show every weekend.

London is also home to more than 800 cinemas, including our own historic Regent Street Cinema, and over 32,000 music performances take place across the city each year. London is a lively, fashionable city where things happen and it often leads the way in art, music and fashion.