| A couple of low hills in the middle of a marsh don't | | | | the Conqueror, from Normandy, on the north |
| sound like a very promising start for a world class | | | | coast of France, invaded Britain to claim what he |
| city, but that's just how London, England began, | | | | believed to be his inheritance: the crown of |
| over two millennia ago.And the story of its | | | | England.Once victorious, William set about getting |
| development is as exciting as any thriller.There | | | | his new kingdom organized. Not only did he cause |
| was probably a settlement of sorts when the | | | | the writing of the Doomsday Book -- the first |
| Romans invaded Britain for the second and | | | | record of the lands and property of the whole |
| decisive time, back in 43AD. But it was probably | | | | country, he started a massive building program of |
| Roman engineers who built the first proper bridge | | | | both castles and cathedrals.One of the first |
| across the River Thames in order to march | | | | castles constructed was the Tower of London, in |
| further north. From these first steps grew the | | | | the old Roman city, right on the banks of the |
| Roman city of Londinium.Today, the nature of the | | | | River Thames. It became William's royal palace |
| London topography gives a clue to the marshy | | | | and continued so until 1529. It was, by then, the |
| nature of its origins. Look at any map of London | | | | reign of Henry VIII, who, having seized the Palace |
| and the snake-like route of the Thames still | | | | of Whitehall, a little way up river, from his |
| betrays the meandering nature of its original | | | | erstwhile chum, Cardinal Wolsey, relocated to |
| marshy course. The twin hills -- on one of which | | | | there. Thereafter, the Tower became a prison, |
| now sits St Paul's Cathedral -- rising from this | | | | notably for Wolsey, several of Henry's soon to be |
| marshland would have instantly appealed to the | | | | ex-wives and any others who dared to contest |
| military eye of a Roman general as a good | | | | the king's right to divorce at will.That shift of the |
| defensive area upon which to build a fort.As was | | | | monarchy from the old Roman city to the |
| their custom, the Romans would have probably | | | | Westminster area, coupled with the rising |
| used timber for their first fort, replacing that | | | | prosperity of England, meant London started to |
| speedily built structure later with locally quarried | | | | split into two camps. The rich merchants in the old |
| stone, brought in by the river. Gradually the | | | | Roman city, steadfastly resisted any attempts at |
| Roman city become an enclosed one, roughly a | | | | restrictions by the government to the west in |
| mile square. The name "Square Mile" still exists | | | | Whitehall.For the government's part, they had to |
| today, as the informal name for the City of | | | | tread warily because they needed the financial |
| London -- now one of the world's leading financial | | | | acumen of the City of London to provide them |
| centers.Nearly a thousand years after the | | | | with their revenue. So started a wary mutual |
| Romans, a rival to Londinium arose. In 1065, the | | | | respect and loathing, which continues, to a certain |
| King of England, Edward the Confessor, completed | | | | extent, right up to the present day.Jon Michael is |
| his church of Westminster, on an island in the | | | | a lifelong resident of London, England and his |
| marsh, the Isle of Thorney just west of what | | | | hobby is discovering the hidden stories about this |
| was, by now, called London.1065 was a significant | | | | fascinating world class city. Add to all that the |
| date in the history of London -- and, indeed, | | | | daily honing of his knowledge of London as a taxi |
| Britain -- it being the final year of Saxon rule. The | | | | cab driver and you need look no further for |
| following year, after the death of Edward, William | | | | information on the real London. |