Secrets You Didn't Know About London's Most Iconic Buildings

We all know that London issteeped in history– you may scarce walk 10 ft without come across a plaque , monument , or number building . But any city that ’s over 1,000 years honest-to-goodness ( or more , depending on when you start counting ) is truss to have a few secrets up its arm . We rounded up our best-loved London building secrets … many of which are obscure in plain sight around the city .

Big Ben almost fell down in the ’90s… because it’s sort of just standing there

When the Jubilee line platforms of Westminster station were being construct in the ' 90s , one of the biggest technology concerns was how the dig of the earth would feign nearby Big Ben , which stands only 34 MiB aside . This is because the tugboat , which measures nearly 100 m high , rests on a foundation that is only 3 m deep . The resolution of the subterraneous soil have by the structure would cause the famous clock to tilt – it was feared as much as 12 centimeter – which may not sound like a lot , but expert discourage that any tilting over 3.5 curium would cause the base of the tugboat to crack and the clock to descend ram down .

They ended up installing a system of tubes that injected a calcareous substance into the soil to help oneself solidify it as the construction continued . Experts monitored the movement of the tower and injected the soil 22 time . at last , the clock did tilt only the maximum 3.5 atomic number 96 … any more , and the London skyline might front very different today .

The original building planned for what became The Gherkin was twice as tall

After the existing building at 30 St Mary Axe were damaged by a dud in 1992 , design were drawn up for a towboat that would have been twice as tall as the present - day 30 St Mary Axe ( more fondly have a go at it asThe Gherkin ) . architectural plan for the Millennium Tower , designed by Foster & Partners , call for a construction 386 m high , easy dwarfing The Gherkin ’s modest 180 m. Ultimately , plans were scrapped after protest that the gigantic tower would collide with London ’s skyline , and take that it would disrupt flight patterns for Heathrow and London City drome .

Buckingham Palace was bombed several times during the Blitz – and it probably was a good thing for the monarchy

The Blitz – one of the most celebrated events of World War II – involved a months - long bombing safari of London by the GermanLuftwaffe . When the campaign part on September 7 , 1940 , the German fighter aircraft focused their exertion on London ’s East End , which housed many of London ’s industrial and transferral resourcefulness , and was also home to many of London ’s working - stratum citizens . After five or six day , however , the Germans begin bombing London ’s West oddment as well , with several bombs hitting Buckingham Palace , where King George VI and Queen Elizabeth stayed in mansion house , in a show of solidarity with the citizens of London . consort to historian Philip Zeigler , they were in genuine danger . " The King and Queen were there at the fourth dimension [ of the bombing ] and would have been in earnest bruise had the windows been shut , " Zeigler pen inLondon at War . Bombing Buckingham Palace ( and the West End ) backfired on the Germans PR - wise , quelling the discontentment of working - class Londoners who felt they were take the brunt of the attacks . " If only the Germans had had the sense not to bomb Mae West of London Bridge , " excellently quipped an MP , " there might have been a rotation in this nation . " Instead , bombing the palace created a sensation of solidarity between royal and their subjects , as paper ran photos ofKing George and Queen Elizabeth meeting with Blitz victim .

The Tate Modern has a surprising design sibling…

The Bankside Power Station ( now know more unremarkably as the Tate Modern ) may be one of the most striking modern and present-day fine art museum in the reality . But designer Sir Giles Gilbert Scott did n’t just innovation buildings … he ’s also creditworthy for the hyper - iconic " K2 " scarlet telephone box .

Tower Bridge is practicing some slick subterfuge

Tourists may obnubilate the priggish construction for London Bridge ( which we knowis now in Lake Havasu City , Arizona ) , but the Tower Bridge has nevertheless become an integral part of the London visible horizon . The famed upper walk , which now require a £ 9 admission , were earlier forsake , due to their being accessible only by steps . After their original opening , they became a haven for woman of the street and cutpurse , and were close in 1910 .

But the bridgework also practices a little sleight of hand : as you walk to the south from the north side of the Thames , you ’ll ascertain on the correct side of the route one extra lamppost column … but no lamp . This is really a chimney that feeds up from a fireplace inside a guardroom down below . Though it ’s no longer in employment , the lamp chimney still blends in perfectly with its surroundings , as 40,000 multitude pass it every sidereal day – and most are none the wiser .

The Shard is a shard is a shard

London ’s newest , tall skyscraper may not even be totally finished yet ( as anyone who has to use London Bridge Station knows ) , but it ’s easy enough to see where the name comes from … or is it ? The name really rise from an organization call English Heritage , which criticized designer Renzo Piano ’s conception , take that the construction would be " a shard of glass through the center of historical London . " Instead of defeating the edifice ’s vista , however , they only managed to exalt the building ’s name .

King’s Cross station may not have a secret magical platform, but it is hiding another secret…

We all know that King ’s Cross is where you go to trip up the Hogwarts Express from Platform 9¾ , but did you lie with that there ’s a mystic river flowing underneath the station , as well ? The River Fleet , which originates from Hampstead Heath and flows down to the Thames , runs powerful through King ’s Cross . When the area was being developed , the river was forced into a conduit ( yeah , a sewerage ) for cross the Metropolitan Railway tracks . While the river itself is invisible today , the condition of the Great Northern Hotel gives it away , curving along the banks of the hidden river . Bonus enigma : before it was hollo King ’s Cross , the area was acknowledge as Battle Bridge , name for a bridge over the River Fleet where Boudica , a queen of the British Celtic Iceni tribe , fought ( and lost ) a battle against the Romans . Rumor has it that her soundbox might be even be bury underneath the platforms at King ’s Cross .

St. Paul’s dome is a lie

The attic of London ’s iconic cathedral has long been a symbol of British patriotism , and was a sign of London ’s perseverance during the Blitz and throughout WWII . But it turns out the dome you see from the exterior is an optical illusion – the cathedral has an internal dome importantly lower than the outer one . Between the two is a monumental brick cone that provides the morphologic financial backing both for the dome and for the enormous Oliver Stone lantern that sits on top of the duomo . That ’s why architect Sir Christopher Wren ’s nickname was " nervy genius . "

The Houses of Parliament measure space in sword-lengths, and have secret entrances

Any place that ’s as previous as the Palace of Westminster – the position of every British monarch butterfly ’s coronation since1066 - - is pop off to have a handful of secrets , but we ’ve picked just two . The next time you ’re catch PM ’s Questions ( we all do this , proper ? ) , contain out the double red lines on either side of the Commons , just in front of each front bench . system of macrophages are n’t allowed to traverse these lines , which measure twosword - lengthsapart , the theme being that no one could lunge at the Prime Minister without give him time to draw his own blade .

Our other favorite secret about Parliament is actually cover in plain sight : if you use the pedestrian burrow that runs underneath Parliament St , you may see a unknown - looking door : this is a secret ( well , semi - surreptitious ) entranceway to Parliament for MPs and Parliament stave . If you ’ve ever tried to beat the crush of tourists around Parliament , you may read why this would be a blessing for citizenry who actually crop here .

Westminster Abbey is the biggest party of famous dead Britons ever

Sure , we cognize that a lot of the British monarchy is entomb at Westminster Abbey , from Sæberht of Essex in 616 and Edward the Confessor in 1066 all the fashion up through George II ( modern monarchs have largely prefer for St. George ’s Chapel at Windsor Castle ) . But there are tons of other remarkable corpses buried here , from Charles Darwin and Charles Dickens , to Isaac Newton and Samuel Johnson . Playwright Ben Jonson is bury unsloped . Not one but two of the interred have their bodies buried in Westminster , but their hearts buried elsewhere ( Thomas Hardy ’s heart is bury in Stinsford ; David Livingstone ’s is in Zambia ) . My favorite burying is that of Elizabeth I , whose casket is locate directly on top of that of her half - sister and predecessor , Mary I , aka " Bloody Mary , " demonstrating that the sibling may die , but their rivalry is eternal .

One other arcanum ( or let ’s say , less - well - do it fact ) about Westminster Abbey is that it has free , hebdomadary Sunday good afternoon organ recitals . It ’s a nifty direction to see the Abbey if you ’re trying to avoid the admission fee – just be careful where you sit , lest you find yourself on top of someone celebrated .

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Big Ben and Parliament London

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Charlie Beckerman likes knowing thing other people do n’t , and then demonstrate off on dates and at party . look into out his podcast , Serial Dater , or send him your own favored London mystery on Twitter and Instagram @chozzles .

Big Ben, London buildings