London Other Westminster Sights

WESTMINSTER CATHEDRAL. Following Henry VIII’s (and England’s) break with the Catholic Church, London’s Catholic community remained without a cathedral until 1884, when the Church purchased a derelict prison on the site of a former monastery. The Neo-Byzantine church looks somewhat like a fortress and is now one of London’s great religious landmarks. Construction began in 1895, but the architect’s plan quickly outran the funds available. When work stopped in 1903, the interior remained unfinished. The four blackened brick domes still await mosaic inlay and provide a striking contrast to the ornate trappings of the remainder. The front altar is covered with a marble canopy called a baldachino; above it hangs an imposing 10m cross. The brightness of the mosaics contrasts with the Colosseum-style marble arches and balconies. A lift carries visitors up the striped 273 ft. bell tower for an all-encompassing view of Westminster, the river, and Kensington. (Cathedral Piazza, off Victoria St. Victoria. ☎7798 9055; www.westminstercathedral.org.uk. Open M-F 7am-7pm, Sa-Su 8am-7pm. Free, suggested donation £2. Bell tower open M-F 9:30am-5:15pm and Sa-Su 10am-4:45pm. Tower £5, students £2.50, families £11. Organ recitals in the winter Su 4:45pm.)

WHITEHALL. Whitehall refers to the stretch of road connecting Trafalgar Sq. with Parliament Sq. and is synonymous with the British civil service. From 1532 until a devastating fire in 1698 it was the home of the monarchy and one of the grandest palaces in Europe, of which very little remains. Toward the north end of Whitehall, Great Scotland Yard marks the former headquarters of the Metropolitan Police. Nearer Parliament Sq., heavily guarded steel gates mark the entrance to Downing Street. In 1735, No. 10 was made the official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury, a position that soon became permanently identified with the Prime Minister. The Chancellor of the Exchequer traditionally resides at No. 11 and the Parliamentary Chief Whip at No. 12. The street is closed to visitors, but if you wait long enough you might see the PM going to or coming from work. South of Downing St., in the middle of Whitehall, stands Edward Lutyen’s Cenotaph (1919), a proud commemoration to the soldiers who died in WWI. Many of the islands in the middle of the road hold statues honoring monarchs and military heroes, a testament to the avenue’s identity as the center of civil service and the Ministry of Defence. (Between Trafalgar Sq. and Parliament Sq. Westminster, Embankment, or Charing Cross.)

LIFE GUARDS. The most photographed men in the area, the Queen’s Life Guards, hold court in the center of Whitehall. Two mounted soldiers of the Household Cavalry, in shining breastplates and plumed helmets, guard a shortcut to The Mall and St. James’s Park. While anyone can walk through, only those with a special ivory pass issued by the Queen herself may drive past the gates. The guards are posted from Monday to Saturday at 11am and Sunday at 10am, until they dismount for inspection daily at 4pm—a 200-year-old tradition broken only by WWII. Beyond the Neoclassical building is the pebbly expanse of Horse Guards Parade, where the Queen ceremonially sizes up her troops during the annual Trooping of the Colour ceremony on the second Saturday in June. (Whitehall. Westminster, Embankment, or Charing Cross.)

PARLIAMENT SQUARE. Conspiracy theorists will notice that this square, a center for anti-government protests over the last 250 years, is one of the few parks in the city without pedestrian access. Set in the middle of a busy traffic thoroughfare, would-be protesters must dodge traffic in all directions to reach this scruffy patch of grass where their voices can be heard. Until recently, anti-war activists displayed huge, eye-catching placards to passing motorists, but a law instated in August 2005 has prohibited all “unauthorized” protests. The law was designed to remove a single anti-war protester, Brian Haw, who spent an impressive four years in the square despite several attempts to evict him. The law notwithstanding, it’s not unusual to find protesters camped out in support of their causes. If you make it to the square, you will see statues of Parliamentary greats, as well as a huge cast of ”honest Abe” Lincoln across the road behind the square. (Across the street from Parliament and Westminster Abbey. Westminster.)

VICTORIA TOWER GARDENS. South of the Palace of Westminster and overlooking the Thames, the open lawn and magnificent backdrop make the gardens a favorite spot for MPs, tourists, professionals, and TV crews running political features. For similar reasons, it is a first-rate picnic venue. Check out the superb cast of Rodin’s Burghers of Calais and the memorial to suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, which stands just inside the northwest gate. On the opposite side of the Palace, a tiny, slightly out-of-place Neo-Gothic gazebo commemorates the 1834 abolition of slavery on British territory. (Millbank. Westminster. Open daily until dusk. Wheelchair-accessible.)