What did London look like in the 19th century?

In the 19th century, London was the capital of the largest empire the world had ever known — and it was infamously filthy. It had choking, sooty fogs; the Thames River was thick with human sewage; and the streets were covered with mud.

Which London’s attraction was built in the 19th century?

the Tower of London
Construction of the Tower of London started in 1078 by order of William the Conqueror, the first Norman King of England who ruled from 1066 to 1087.

What is Victorian London known for?

Victorian London was the largest city in the world for much of that time. Many of London’s most famous buildings and landmarks were built during the 19th century, including Trafalgar Square, the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge and Victoria Station. The first lines on the London Underground were constructed in 1863.

What was Victorian London like in the 19th century?

The Victorian city of London was a city of startling contrasts. New building and affluent development went hand in hand with horribly overcrowded slums where people lived in the worst conditions imaginable. The population surged during the 19th century, from about 1 million in 1800 to over 6 million a century later.

What was life like in 19th century London?

While the city grew wealthy as Britain’s holdings expanded, 19th century London was also a city of poverty, where millions lived in overcrowded and unsanitary slums. Life for the poor was immortalized by Charles Dickens in such novels as Oliver Twist.

What was life like in 19th century?

By the late 19th century, all kinds of people lived in the cities. Labourers and servants were the most numerous. Although some became better-off, many were still poor. They lived in cramped, decaying houses, known as slums.

Why did London grow so much in the 19th century?

London’s great expansion in the 19th Century was driven by housing growth to accommodate the rapidly expanding population of the city.

How was life in 19th century?

During the 19th-century life was transformed by the Industrial Revolution. At first, it caused many problems but in the late 19th-century life became more comfortable for ordinary people. Meanwhile, Britain became the world’s first urban society. By 1851 more than half the population lived in towns.

Where did tourists go in the 19th century?

By the end of the 19th century, ‘exhibition fever’ had taken over tourist London. Ambitious events aimed at large-scale audiences curious to find out more about ‘exotic’ cultures were held in the capital in vast public arenas such as Earls Court and Olympia in west London and the Crystal Palace in south London.

When did tourists start to come to London?

(Illustrated London News/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) By the end of the 19th century, ‘exhibition fever’ had taken over tourist London.

What are the most popular tourist sites in London?

As well as descriptions of sites still popular with tourists today, including St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London, Kidd’s Guide featured information on short-lived attractions such as the pavilion of the gigantic whale on St Martin’s Lane.

What did people do in London in the 1800’s?

Other popular leisure pursuits at this time were rifle shooting, archery and croquet, which was played at Finsbury Park, Battersea and elsewhere. Also at Finsbury Park, the enthusiastic gymnast could take advantage of parallel bars and other equipment fixed to the trees near the lake and refreshment pavilion.