20 Interesting Facts About London

20 Interesting Facts About London

London is one of the world’s most recognisable cities. From red double-decker buses and Big Ben to royal palaces, museums and the London Underground, the British capital has accumulated nearly 2,000 years of history.

But beyond its famous landmarks, London is full of surprising stories.

Did you know that Big Ben is technically the name of a bell rather than the tower? Or that London’s Underground began operating in the 1860s? What about the fact that more than 300 languages are spoken across the capital?

Whether you're planning to visit London, studying its history or simply curious about the city, here are 20 interesting facts about London worth knowing.

1. London Was Founded by the Romans

London's history stretches back almost 2,000 years.

Following the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43, a settlement developed around the River Thames that became known as Londinium.

Its position made it particularly valuable. The Thames provided transport and trade connections, while the settlement developed into an important commercial centre of Roman Britain.

Modern London has expanded enormously since then, but traces of its Roman past can still be found across the city.

Sections of the Roman London Wall survive, while archaeological discoveries continue to reveal what life was like beneath the streets of today's capital.

2. Big Ben Isn't Actually the Name of the Tower

Ask somebody to picture London and Big Ben will probably be one of the first landmarks that comes to mind.

But there is a common misunderstanding.

Big Ben is the nickname associated with the Great Bell inside the tower, not the tower itself.

The tower is called Elizabeth Tower.

And Big Ben really is big: the Great Bell weighs approximately 13.7 tonnes and measures 2.7 metres in diameter.

So next time somebody points at the tower and says, "That's Big Ben," you have a piece of London trivia ready.

3. The Elizabeth Tower Is 96 Metres Tall

While we're talking about Big Ben, the tower itself contains some impressive numbers.

Elizabeth Tower stands 96 metres high and contains 11 floors.

There are 334 steps to reach the Belfry where Big Ben hangs, with another 65 leading to the Ayrton Light at the top.

The four clock dials are each constructed from 324 pieces of pot opal glass.

That makes the familiar clock face considerably more complicated than it appears from Westminster Bridge.

4. London Has the World's Oldest Underground Railway

Londoners complaining about the Tube are participating in a tradition almost as old as underground rail travel itself.

The first section of the London Underground opened in 1863, connecting Paddington with Farringdon.

It was the world's first underground passenger railway.

Today, the Tube has become inseparable from London life, carrying passengers between neighbourhoods, railway stations, cultural attractions and business districts across the capital.

Its famous map has also become a design icon in its own right.

For students visiting London, learning how to navigate the Underground can feel like an achievement in itself.

5. The London Underground Isn't Entirely Underground

The name is slightly misleading.

Although we call it the Underground, substantial parts of London's Tube network actually run above ground.

That becomes particularly obvious as you travel further away from central London.

So although disappearing down an escalator into a tunnel might feel like the quintessential Tube experience, you may emerge into daylight long before reaching your destination.

6. More Than 300 Languages Are Spoken in London

London is an extraordinarily international city.

According to London City Hall, more than 300 languages are spoken across the capital.

Walk through different London neighbourhoods and you will hear that diversity immediately.

The city's communities have connections with countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas and beyond, influencing everything from London's food and music to its businesses and festivals.

For international students, that means London can simultaneously feel very British and remarkably global.

7. London Has Four UNESCO World Heritage Sites

You do not have to travel far in London to encounter places recognised for their international cultural or historical importance.

London has four UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

The Tower of London, Maritime Greenwich, the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey area, and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.

Together, they reflect very different parts of London's story, from monarchy and government to maritime history and scientific research.

8. The British Museum Has Around Eight Million Objects

You could visit the British Museum repeatedly and still see only a fraction of its collection.

The museum holds approximately eight million objects, covering around two million years of human history.

Its collections include objects originating from cultures and civilisations around the world.

The history of how some of those objects were acquired is also the subject of continuing research and debate, particularly in relation to Britain's colonial history. The museum itself has acknowledged the complex histories surrounding parts of its collection.

That makes it a place not only to encounter history, but also to ask questions about who preserves it, who interprets it and where objects belong.

9. The British Museum Was the World's First National Public Museum

The British Museum has another significant claim to fame.

Founded in 1753, it describes itself as the world's first national public museum.

Its origins were closely connected with the collections of physician and naturalist Sir Hans Sloane.

The museum has changed enormously since then, and its collection has grown to millions of objects.

For students interested in History, Archaeology, Classics or Anthropology, it is difficult to imagine many places where so much material is concentrated under one roof.

10. London's First Buses Were Pulled by Horses

The red London bus may be an international icon, but the city's earliest buses looked rather different.

London's first horse-drawn omnibus began operating in 1829.

Introduced by George Shillibeer, it could carry 20 passengers and travelled between Paddington Green and Bank.

Three horses provided the engine.

London transport has come quite a long way since.

11. London Buses Weren't Always Red

Today, the colour seems inseparable from London.

But London's buses were once operated by different companies, which used different colours to distinguish their services.

The familiar red became increasingly dominant after the London General Omnibus Company adopted the colour in the early 20th century. As London's bus services became consolidated, red became the city's standard and ultimately iconic bus colour.

What began partly as branding eventually became one of the most recognisable symbols of Britain.

12. The City of London Is Only a Small Part of London

This one can be confusing.

When people say "London", they usually mean the enormous capital city made up of 32 boroughs plus the City of London.

But the City of London itself is a much smaller historic area at the heart of the capital.

Sometimes called the Square Mile, it occupies roughly the area from which Roman and medieval London developed.

Today, it is particularly associated with financial services and contains landmarks including St Paul's Cathedral and the Bank of England.

So you can be in London without being in the City of London.

In fact, most of the time, you are.

13. London Has Had More Than One Centre

Modern London does not have a single obvious centre in the way some cities do.

That's partly because it developed from several historically important areas.

The old City of London became a centre of commerce.

Further west, Westminster developed around royal government, Parliament and Westminster Abbey.

Over centuries, settlements expanded until these areas became part of the vast metropolis we now call London.

That history helps explain why London's most important institutions and landmarks are distributed across different parts of the city.

14. The River Thames Helped Make London What It Is

London might never have become one of the world's great cities without the River Thames.

For centuries, the river was essential for transport, trade and communication.

Ships brought goods and people into the city, docks developed along its banks and industries grew around access to the water.

The Thames still divides London geographically into north and south, but its bridges and transport connections also bring the city together.

Walking beside it today takes you past landmarks from very different periods of London's history.

15. Tower Bridge Is Not London Bridge

Visitors frequently confuse these two.

The spectacular bridge with two towers that appears in countless photographs is Tower Bridge.

London Bridge is a different crossing further upstream.

Tower Bridge opened in the late 19th century and was designed so that its central roadway could be raised to allow tall ships to pass.

So if you take a photograph of London's most elaborate bridge and caption it "London Bridge", somebody will eventually correct you.

Possibly quite enthusiastically.

16. London's Famous London Bridge Once Went to America

There is another strange chapter in the London Bridge story.

The 19th-century London Bridge designed by John Rennie was eventually unable to cope adequately with modern London traffic.

It was sold in the late 1960s to American businessman Robert McCulloch.

The bridge was dismantled, transported to the United States and reconstructed in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

A replacement London Bridge now crosses the Thames.

So there really is an old London Bridge in the Arizona desert.

17. London's Black Cabs Have a Remarkably Difficult Test

Becoming a licensed London taxi driver has traditionally involved learning "the Knowledge".

Drivers must develop a detailed understanding of London's streets and routes rather than simply relying on satellite navigation.

This has made London's black-cab drivers famous for their geographical knowledge.

It is an appropriate challenge for a city whose street layout can sometimes appear designed specifically to confuse anybody unfamiliar with it.

London is not a neat grid.

Learning your way around is part geography, part memory and occasionally part optimism.

18. London Is One of the World's Great Museum Cities

The British Museum is only the beginning.

London City Hall has previously counted more than 190 museums across the capital, including major national institutions.

Students can explore natural history, science, art, design, transport, medicine, war, archaeology and London's own history.

Major institutions include the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum and National Gallery.

Many of London's nationally significant museums and galleries also offer access to their permanent collections without a general admission charge, making the city particularly rewarding for students who want to keep exploring outside formal lessons.

19. London Has Been Home to Some of the World's Most Famous Writers

London has inspired an extraordinary amount of literature.

Charles Dickens repeatedly used the city as a setting, capturing everything from poverty and crime to wealth and social ambition.

Virginia Woolf transformed London's streets into the psychological landscape of novels such as Mrs Dalloway.

Arthur Conan Doyle gave Sherlock Holmes the fictional address of 221B Baker Street.

Shakespeare's plays were performed on the south bank of the Thames, while writers from around the world have continued to reshape how London appears in literature.

For students interested in English Literature, simply walking through the city can become a literary history lesson.

20. London Is Constantly Reinventing Itself

Perhaps the most interesting fact about London is that there is no single version of it.

Roman Londinium became a medieval city.

The medieval city became a centre of trade and empire.

Railways and industrialisation transformed its boundaries.

Migration reshaped its communities.

Technology continues to change how Londoners work, travel and communicate.

Today, the capital contains Roman walls, medieval churches, Georgian squares, Victorian railway stations and modern skyscrapers, sometimes within a few minutes' walk of one another.

London's history has not disappeared.

The modern city has simply grown around it.

Why Is London Such an Interesting City for Students?

London's scale means students can explore far more than its famous tourist attractions.

Someone interested in Politics can visit Westminster and examine how Britain's political institutions developed.

A History student can move between Roman, medieval, imperial and modern London within a single day.

Students interested in Business and Economics can explore one of the world's major financial centres.

Art, Literature, Medicine, Engineering, Architecture and Science all have their own London stories too.

And because more than 300 languages are spoken across the capital, students encounter an international city shaped by perspectives from around the world.

Exploring London During a Summer Course in Harrow

For students attending an Atlas Summer Courses programme in Harrow, London provides an extraordinary wider environment to explore.

The capital's museums, historic landmarks and cultural institutions can help students see how subjects studied academically connect with the world beyond the classroom.

A museum object might lead to a question about History.

A journey through Westminster could prompt a discussion about Politics.

A skyscraper might raise questions about Engineering.

And meeting students from different countries in one of the world's most international cities can introduce perspectives that are difficult to encounter in a textbook.

That is what makes London particularly valuable as a place to learn.

There is always another question around the corner.

How Much of London Can You Discover?

Twenty facts barely scratch the surface.

London has been developing for almost two millennia, and every neighbourhood has its own history, communities and character.

Its most famous landmarks are certainly worth seeing.

But some of the best discoveries happen when you look beyond them.

Pay attention to the buildings.

Read the plaques.

Visit a museum you have never heard of.

Walk along the Thames.

Listen to the languages being spoken around you.

Because the more you learn about London, the more you realise how much of the city is still left to discover.