traveldk.com

When the Pool of London was the gateway to the city’s larder, this flamboyant bridge was constantly being raised and lowered for sail and steam ships bringing their cargoes from all corners of the Empire. Pedestrians who needed to cross the river when the bridge was open had to climb up the 300 steps of the towers to the walkway overhead. Today, visitors on the 90-minute Tower Bridge Exhibition tour still have views from the 40-m (135-ft) high walkways. The entrance is beneath the north pier, where a “journey through time” begins. It ends with a hands-on experience in the massive engine room, and exits via a shop on the south bank of the river.

The cultural jewel of the City, owned, funded and managed by the Corporation of London, the Barbican is a modern building of some complexity. Music, dance, theatre, film and art all take place here, with top visiting performers and artists. Opened in 1982, the arts complex is part of a major development covering 20 acres and flanked by 42-storey blocks of flats. Access from the Barbican tube station is along a marked route above ground level, passing the Museum of London and looking down on the church of St Giles Cripplegate. This church, dating from 1550, is a lone survivor of World War II bombs.

An essential visit for anyone interested in the history of London. The city of the past is evoked through reconstructed streets, shops and domestic interiors and visits are organized to historic London buildings. Don’t miss the Lord Mayor’s coach.

For around 900 years the Guildhall has been the administrative centre of the City of London. City ceremonials are held in its magnificent 15th-century Great Hall, which is hung with banners of the main livery companies. In the Guildhall Library are rotating displays of wonderful historic manuscripts and an intriguing collection of watches and clocks, from the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers – some from 1600.

On the east side of Guildhall Yard is the Guildhall Art Gallery, two floors of paintings of varying quality and enormous interest. Many are associated with the City, and there are a number of highly romantic 19th-century paintings, including pre-Raphaelite works. With the aid of a computerized cataloguing system, it is possible to view all the Guildhall’s 31,000 prints and paintings.

Liveried doormen greet visitors to this excellent museum, housed in a marvellous building designed by Sir John Soane. A variety of material is on display, including 45 bars of gold bullion at the centre of the 1930s rotunda. There is a map of the City’s financial institutions and an electronic trading desk similar to those used by dealers today.

This 62-m (202-ft) monument by Sir Christopher Wren is the world’s tallest free-standing stone column. Its height is equal to the distance from the baker’s shop in Pudding Lane where the Great Fire of London began in 1666 – the event that it marks. Inside, 311 stairs spiral up to a viewing platform; when you return to the entrance, you will receive a certificate to say that you have made the climb.

Near Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, this is the place to come and relax, to watch the rich on their yachts and the working sailors on the Thames barges. There are several cafés, the Dickens Inn, with outside tables, and the Aquarium restaurant for a serious meal.