UNESCO World Heritage Sites in London

Posted by Joe Sheer on October 12th, 2017

The city of London is rich in heritage, history, and culture. Did you know that London is home to some of the top UNESCO World Heritage Sites? These World Heritage Sites in London city holds special cultural significance. London is one of the few cities in the world which boasts of having Heritage sites which are recognized and listed out with the others in the world.

These sites can be found in the Greater parts of London city. These heritage sites and building reflects the world, the strength, and the unique culture as well as history of England. These buildings have witnessed the past events of the country as well helped shaped England to what is today. There are four buildings which are recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage sites in London city. We have for you here a guide to these four sites.

You can visit and tour these sites after you have relaxed at the M by Montcalm Shoreditch London Tech City Hotel. Hangout and dine at some of the popular Restaurants & bars in Shoreditch, to experience the culture and lifestyle better.

Read on to know more about these UNESCO World Heritage Sites in London city.

•  The Palace of Westminster:

The original Palace of Westminster was destroyed by a great fire during the year 1834. However, it has been rebuild and undergone renovation on the old site. This Palace is a reflection of Neo-Gothic architecture. This site has witnessed several significant events that have shaped the course of history as well as other smaller events and incidents. It still stands tall even today. Within the site of the Palace of Westminster, you will also find the Church of Saint Margaret as well as Westminster Abbey.

Almost all the Kings of London (except two) have been crowned as rulers of England, at the popular Westminster Abbey. From the crowning of the great William the Conqueror, way back in the year 1066, till the current ruler Queen Elizabeth II, this Abbey is one of the top sites of prime importance in the world.

The Westminster Palace is a historic building with stunning interiors which have graced several top high-profile ceremonies of this country, in the past.  The Palace of Westminster also hosts the Victoria tower which is an archive of a large collection of important books and documents. It is believed to hold more than 3 million documents as well as all the Acts of the Parliament which has been passed by the British Parliament ever since the year 1947.

•  Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew:

The Royal Botanical Gardens of Kew is popular as one which has the largest collections of Botanical plants in the world. It has been in existence ever since the year 1759. This garden is a significant place for several scientific studies and grasping the diversity of plants in the plant kingdom. They have more than one plant of each flowering plant species.

These gardens are used as the main site to grow different strands and varieties of plants which are then distributed to other gardens as well as to other parts of the world. At the site, there is also a seed bank which has a large collection of the seeds collected from the plants in this garden. There are seeds of more than 3,500 plant species at this seed bank.

Each species of plants are grown in different plant environments which are conducive to their growth and multiplication of species.

•  The Tower of London:

You will find the Tower of London on the Banks of the River Thames. It was the great William the Conqueror who built the Tower of London way back in the year 1078. It served as his Palace as well as the Royal Residence. The Tower of London has witnessed several great incidences. The White Tower of the Tower of London is a famous part of the site and it has been strengthened during the past. The Tower of London holds the priceless Crown Jewels of the England's ruling monarch.

The Tower of London is popular for being the site of punishments and torture inflicted on prisoners and spies that were captured by the King's guards. Several prominent and important personalities were imprisoned in its towers, which included Queen Elizabeth I, as well as several soldiers, spies of other countries, and prisoners of war captured by the victorious conquerors of England. The Tower of London also held some Second World War prisoners too. There were several merciless means and techniques of torture which were adopted at the Tower of London.

Many believe that the Tower of London is haunted by ghosts of the past. One of the most famous ghosts haunting the Tower of London is that of Anne Boleyn, where several people have seen her ghost walking around the site holding her head under her arm.

•  Maritime Greenwich:

At the Maritime Greenwich, you will find both the Royal Greenwich Observatory as well as the National Maritime University. This UNESCO World Heritage site is one of the top tourist attractions in the country. The Prime Meridian is the exact spot where both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres meet. So if a person stands at the Prime Meridian, then you will be standing on both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres at the exact same moment of time.

There is a popular tradition that is followed at the Maritime Greenwich ever since the year 1833, where at exactly one in the afternoon, a ball is set to drop at the Greenwich Observatory. The Maritime Greenwich is the site where the popular Greenwich Meantime is determined.

At this site, there is also the National Maritime Museum which exhibits and displays the devices of John Harrison which show the original time which is followed all over the world. There are also displays of other nautical artifacts and time devices.

Visitors also get to visit London's Planetarium and gaze at wonders of the stunning night sky.