DK Travel : London : History & Culture

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Leighton House

All the themes of the Victorian Aesthetic movement can be found in Leighton House. It was designed by Lord Leighton and his friend George Aitchison in the 1860s. Its high point is the fabulous Arab Hall, with a fountain and stained-glass cupola. Other friends contributed friezes and mosaics, but many features are original, notably the Islamic tiles, collected by Leighton and his friends on their travels.
London Bridge is Falling Down

A traditional song about old London Bridge, which fell into disrepair.
London Central Mosque

Five times a day the muezzin calls the faithful to prayer from the minaret of the London Central Mosque. Built in 1978, with a distinctive copper dome, it acts as a community and cultural centre for followers of Islam. It is a hospitable place: step inside and see the sky-blue domed ceiling and its shimmering chandelier. Prayer mats cover the floor for the faithful who turn towards Mecca to pray.
London Coliseum

London’s other principal opera house presents excellent productions sung in English by the English National Opera. The theatre re-opened in early 2004 after extensive restoration work.
London Pride

An uncharacteristically sentimental song that celebrates the city.
London Trocadero

Take the escalator to the top of Funland and make your way down through this electronic jungle of video games and virtual- reality rides. There are dodgem cars, a race-track simulator and a bowling alley. Themed restaurants, bars, shops and cinemas fill up the space, as well as an HMV record store. The Planet Hollywood restaurant is next door.
London Zoo

Lying on the northern side of Regent’s Park, London Zoo is home to 600 different animal species. The zoo is heavily into conservation and you can see the breeding programmes of endangered animals, such as the giant weta and Knysna seahorse. A map is provided and their booklet is full of fascinating animal lore.
London’s Burning

Commemorating the Great Fire of 1666, this is sung in a round, a device popular since Elizabethan days.
London’s Transport Museum

Some of the most innovative British designers have worked for London Transport, and their posters and furnishings are on display here. See vehicles that have served the city for two centuries. The bookshop sells souvenir model buses, taxis and goods displaying the distinctive London Underground symbol.
Lord Leighton

Yorkshire-born Frederick Leighton (1830–96) was the most successful painter in Victorian London and president of the Royal Academy. He had this exotic house built for him in 1899.