London

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History

In 1993 remains of a Bronze Age bridge were found on the south River Thames foreshore, upstream from Vauxhall Bridge. Two of the timbers were radiocarbon dated to 1750–1285 BC. were found on the Thames' south foreshore downstream from Vauxhall Bridge. Both are on the south bank of the Thames, where the now-underground River Effra flows into the Thames. This only lasted until about AD 61, when the Iceni tribe led by Queen Boudica stormed it and burnt it to the ground. The next planned incarnation of Londinium prospered, superseding Colchester as the principal city of the Roman province of Britannia in 100. At its height in the 2nd century, Roman London had a population of about 60,000. With the early-5th-century collapse of Roman rule, the walled city of Londinium was effectively abandoned, although Roman civilisation continued around St Martin-in-the-Fields until about 450. From about 500 an Anglo-Saxon settlement known as Lundenwic developed slightly west of the old Roman city. By about 680 the city had become a major port again, but there is little evidence of large-scale production. From the 820s repeated Viking assaults brought decline. The Vikings applied Danelaw over much of eastern and northern England from 886; The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that Alfred "refounded" London that year. This involved the abandonment of Lundenwic and a revival of life and trade within the old Roman walls. London then grew slowly until a dramatic increase in about 950. By the 11th century, London was clearly the largest town in England. Westminster Abbey, rebuilt in Romanesque style by King Edward the Confessor, was one of the grandest churches in Europe. Winchester had been the capital of Anglo-Saxon England, but from this time, London became the main forum for…

Geography

Greater London is one of nine regions of England and the top subdivision covering most of the metropolis. The City of London at its core once comprised the whole settlement; as its urban area grew, the Corporation of London resisted attempts to amalgamate the city with its suburbs, causing "London" to be defined several ways. Forty per cent of Greater London is covered by the London post town, in which "London" forms part of postal addresses. The London telephone area code (020) covers an area similar in size to Greater London, although some outer districts are excluded and some just outside included. The London linked-number area extends 18 miles around Kings Cross, see Director telephone system. The Greater London boundary has been aligned to the M25 motorway in places. Urban expansion is prevented by the Metropolitan Green Belt, although the built-up area extends beyond the boundary in places, producing a separately defined Greater London Urban Area. Beyond this is the London commuter belt. Greater London is split for some purposes into Inner London and Outer London, and by the River Thames into North and South, with an informal Central London area. The coordinates of the nominal "centre of London", traditionally the original Eleanor Cross at Charing Cross near the junction of Trafalgar Square and Whitehall, are about . Within London, the City of London and the City of Westminster have city status. The City of London and the remainder of Greater London are ceremonial counties. Greater London includes parts of the historic counties of Middlesex, Kent, Surrey, Essex and Hertfordshire. Greater London has been defined as a region of England. London is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England by convention. The capital of England was moved from Winchester…

Most-observed species

• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  70,565
• Carrion Crow

  Corvus corone Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  67,567
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  65,599
• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  62,050
• Rock Pigeon

  Columba livia J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  60,862
• Rose-ringed Parakeet

  Psittacula krameri (Scopoli, 1769) · Aves
  60,390
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  52,549
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  52,468

Most recent

• M 3.1 — 2020-09-22
  5 km N of Aylesbury, United Kingdom
• M 3.9 — 2020-09-08
  2 km WSW of Pitstone, United Kingdom
• M 3.3 — 2019-02-27
  3 km SE of Dorking, United Kingdom
• M 2.8 — 2018-07-05
  1 km S of Ewhurst, United Kingdom
• M 2.6 — 2018-06-27
  5 km W of Capel, United Kingdom
• M 2.7 — 2018-04-01
  4 km E of Holmwood, United Kingdom