My Linked Data Fragments server

Matches in KGTourism for { ?s <http://dbpedia.org/ontology/abstract> ?o ?g. }

• York_Museum_Gardens abstract "The York Museum Gardens are botanic gardens in the centre of York, England, beside the River Ouse. They cover an area of 10 acres (4.0 ha) of the former grounds of St Mary's Abbey, and were created in the 1830s by the Yorkshire Philosophical Society along with the Yorkshire Museum which they contain. The gardens are held in trust by the City of York Council and are managed by the York Museums Trust. They were designed in a gardenesque style by landscape architect Sir John Murray Naysmith, and contain a variety of species of plants, trees and birds. Admission is free. A variety of events take place in the gardens, such as open-air theatre performances and festival activities. There are several historic buildings in the gardens. They contain the remains of the west corner of the Roman fort of Eboracum, including the Multangular Tower and parts of the Roman walls. In the same area there is also the Anglian Tower, which was probably built into the remains of a late Roman period fortress. During the Middle Ages, the tower was expanded and the Roman walls were incorporated into York's city walls. Most of the other buildings dating from the Middle Ages are associated with St Mary's Abbey, including the ruins of the abbey church, the Hospitium, the lodge and part of the surviving precinct wall. The remains of St. Leonard's Hospital chapel and undercroft are on the east side of the gardens. The Yorkshire Philosophical Society constructed several buildings in the gardens during the 19th and early 20th century, including the Yorkshire Museum and its octagonal observatory. The museum houses four permanent collections, covering biology, geology, archaeology and astronomy." external.
• Dulwich_Village abstract "Dulwich Village is an area of Dulwich in south London's SE21 postcode area in England. It is located in the London Borough of Southwark. "Dulwich Village" is also the name of the village High Street. Residents in Dulwich Village have to pay ground rent to the Dulwich Estate a landowning charitable organisation. Dulwich Village is entirely within the boundaries of the London Borough of Southwark and with the exception of one address near Dulwich Picture Gallery it is completely within the Dulwich Estate. North Dulwich station is near the northern end of Dulwich Village and the P4 midibus passes through the village. To the south is Gallery Road where the Dulwich Picture Gallery is located. Dulwich College lies on the south side of the village." external.
• London_King's_Cross_railway_station abstract "King's Cross railway station is a major London railway terminus which opened in 1852 on the northern edge of central London. King's Cross is the southern terminus of the East Coast Main Line, providing high speed inter-city services to Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland. Virgin Trains East Coast is the main inter-city operator with destinations including Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh. Other inter-city operators serving the station include Hull Trains and Grand Central. King's Cross is also a terminus for Great Northern which provides commuter services to North London, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Norfolk. Immediately to the west across Pancras Road is St Pancras International, the London terminus of Eurostar services to continental Europe. The two stations share King's Cross St. Pancras tube station on the London Underground network and taken together form one of Britain's biggest transport hubs. The station is 820 yards (750 m) north-east of Euston, the southern terminus for the West Coast Main Line." external.
• Tottenham_Hale_station abstract "Tottenham Hale is a National Rail and London Underground Victoria line station in Tottenham, north London. It is on Ferry Lane, with access from Watermead Way. The station is in Travelcard Zone 3. The national rail gateline now has automatic barriers installed: rail users must use the Underground doors to the station. A new station building is awaiting planning approval, and a third railway platform is being worked on. This is all part of the 2013/14 Tottenham Hale regeneration scheme." external.
• London_Stansted_Airport abstract "London Stansted Airport (IATA: STN, ICAO: EGSS) is an international airport located at Stansted Mountfitchet in the local government district of Uttlesford in Essex, 30 mi (48 km) northeast of Central London and 0.93 mi (1.50 km) from the Hertfordshire border. London Stansted currently serves over 170 destinations across Europe, North Africa, Central and North America and more scheduled European destinations than any other airport in the UK. Stansted is a base for a number of major European low-cost carriers, being the largest base for low-cost airline Ryanair with over 130 destinations served by the airline. In 2015 it was the fourth busiest airport in the United Kingdom after Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester. Stansted's runway is also used by private companies such as the Harrods Aviation terminal which is opposite the main terminal building and handles private jets and some state visits. The airport is owned and operated by the Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which also owns and operates three other UK airports. MAG agreed to buy the airport from Heathrow Airport Holdings, formerly BAA, on 18 January 2013, and the sale was completed for £1.5 billion on 28 February 2013. BAA had been required to sell the airport following a ruling originally made by the Competition Commission in March 2009." external.
• Croissant abstract "A croissant (US /krwɑːˈsɒ̃/, /krəˈsɒnt/; French pronunciation: [kʁwa.sɑ̃] ) is a buttery, flaky, viennoiserie-pastry named for its well-known crescent shape. Croissants and other viennoiserie are made of a layered yeast-leavened dough. The dough is layered with butter, rolled and folded several times in succession, then rolled into a sheet, in a technique called laminating. The process results in a layered, flaky texture, similar to a puff pastry. Crescent-shaped food breads have been made since the renaissance, and crescent-shaped cakes possibly since antiquity. Croissants have long been a staple of Austrian and French bakeries and pâtisseries. In the late 1970s, the development of factory-made, frozen, pre-formed but unbaked dough made them into a fast food which can be freshly baked by unskilled labor. The croissanterie was explicitly a French response to American-style fast food, and today 30–40% of the croissants sold in French bakeries and patisseries are baked from frozen dough. Croissants are a common part of continental breakfast." external.
• Lunch_meat abstract "Lunch meats—also known as cold cuts, luncheon meats, Colton, cooked meats, sliced meats, cold meats, smallgoods and deli meats—are precooked or cured meat, often sausages or meat loaves, that are sliced and served cold or hot on sandwiches or on party trays. They can be bought pre-sliced in vacuum packs at a supermarket or grocery store, or they can be purchased at a delicatessen or deli counter, where they might be sliced to order." external.
• Woodside_Park_tube_station abstract "Woodside Park is a London Underground station in Woodside Park, north London. The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between West Finchley and Totteridge and Whetstone stations, and in Travelcard Zone 4. Woodside Park is the last station in an alphabetical list of London Underground stations." external.
• Whitechapel abstract "Whitechapel is a district in the East End of London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is located 3.4 miles (5.5 km) east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by Middlesex Street and Mansell Street to the west, Fashion Street to the north, Cambridge Heath Road and Sidney Street to the east and The Highway to the south. Because the area is close to the London Docklands and east of the city, it has been a popular place for immigrants and the working class. The area was the centre of the London Jewish community in the 19th and early 20th century, and the location of the infamous Whitechapel Murders believed to involve Jack the Ripper in the late 1880s. In the latter half of the 20th century, Whitechapel has become a significant settlement for the British Bangladeshi community, particularly on Whitechapel Road and Brick Lane." external.
• Stepney abstract "Stepney is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in London's East End that grew out of a medieval village around St Dunstan's church and the 15th century ribbon development of Mile End Road. The area built up rapidly in the 19th century, mainly to accommodate immigrant workers and displaced London poor, and developed a reputation for poverty, overcrowding, violence and political dissent. It was severely damaged during the Blitz, with over a third of housing totally destroyed; and then, in the 1960s, slum clearance and development replaced most residential streets with tower blocks and modern housing estates. Some Georgian architecture and Victorian era terraced housing survive in patches: for example Arbour Square, the eastern side of Stepney Green, and the streets around Matlock Street. The area has not yet experienced the levels of gentrification seen in nearby Bow, Wapping and Limehouse but some redevelopment has taken place, including the former Arbour Square Police Station and the East End Mission building. Stepney is roughly bounded by Commercial Road, part of the A13, in the south, Mile End Road, part of the A11, in the north and the Regent's Canal in the east. The Western Boundary with Whitechapel is rather ambiguous. It is administered by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets." external.
• California abstract "California (/ˌkælᵻˈfɔːrnjə/ KAL-ə-FORN-yə, /ˌkælᵻˈfɔːrniə/ KAL-ə-FAWR-nee-ə) is the most populous state in the United States. It is also the third most extensive by area. Los Angeles, in Southern California, is the state's most populous city and the country's second largest after New York City. California also includes the nation's most populous county, Los Angeles County, and the largest county by area, San Bernardino County. Geographically located in the western part of the United States, California is bordered by the other United States states of Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, and Arizona to the southeast. California shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California to the south and the Pacific Ocean is on the state's western coastline. The state capital is Sacramento, which is located in the northern part of the state. A majority of California's cities are located in either the San Francisco Bay Area or the Sacramento metropolitan area in Northern California; or the Los Angeles area, the Riverside-San Bernardino-Inland Empire, or the San Diego metropolitan area in Southern California. What is now California was first settled by various Native American tribes before being explored by a number of European expeditions during the 16th and 17th centuries. It was then claimed by the Spanish Empire as part of Alta California in the larger territory of New Spain. Alta California became a part of Mexico in 1821 following its successful war for independence, but was ceded to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican–American War. The western portion of Alta California was organized as the State of California, which was admitted as the 31st state on September 9, 1850. The California Gold Rush starting in 1848 led to dramatic social and demographic changes, with large-scale immigration from the east and abroad with an accompanying economic boom. California's diverse geography ranges from the Sierra Nevada in the east to the Pacific Coast in the west, from the redwood–Douglas fir forests of the northwest, to the Mojave Desert areas in the southeast. The center of the state is dominated by the Central Valley, a major agricultural area. California contains both the highest point (Mount Whitney) and the lowest point (Death Valley) in the contiguous United States. Earthquakes are common because of the state's location along the Pacific Ring of Fire. About 37,000 earthquakes are recorded each year, but most are too small to be felt. California is regarded as a global trendsetter in both popular culture and politics, and is the birthplace of the film industry, the hippie counterculture, the Internet, and the personal computer. The state's economy is centered on finance, government, real estate services, technology, and professional, scientific and technical business services; together comprising 58% of the state's economy. Three of the world's largest 20 firms by revenue, Chevron, Apple, and McKesson, are headquartered in the state. Although only 1.5% of the state's economy, California's agriculture industry has the highest output of any United States state. If it were a country, California would be the 6th largest economy in the world and the 35th most populous." external.
• Sore_Thumb abstract "Sore Thumb (76°40′S 161°6′E / 76.667°S 161.100°E) is a notable rock spire (about 1,400 m) which rises 50 m above a crest of Elkhorn Ridge, to the east of Topside Glacier, in Convoy Range, Victoria Land. Though not the highest point on the ridge, the spire stands out "like a sore thumb" and is an excellent reference point. The approved name is a shortened form of "Sore Thumb Stack," which had been suggested by New Zealand geologist Christopher J. Burgess during a visit to the area in the 1976-77 season. This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Geological Survey document "Sore Thumb" (content from the Geographic Names Information System)." external.
• Crediton abstract "Crediton is a town and civil parish in the Mid Devon district of Devon in England. It stands on the A377 Exeter to Barnstaple road at the junction with the A3072 road to Tiverton, about 7 miles (11 km) north west of Exeter. It has a population of 6,837, increasing to 7,835 at the 2011 Census. Crediton has two electoral wards (Boniface and Lawrence). The combined population of these wards at the 2011 Census was 7,600.The town is situated in the narrow vale of the River Creedy, between two steep hills and is divided into two parts, the east or old town and the west or new town." external.
• Wrentham,_Massachusetts abstract "Wrentham is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,955 at the 2010 census." external.
• Borehamwood abstract "Borehamwood (/ˌbɔərəmˈwʊd/—originally spelt Boreham Wood), is a town in southern Hertfordshire. It is an outlying suburb of London, situated 12 miles (19 km) from Charing Cross. Borehamwood has a population of 31,065, and is within the civil parish of Elstree and Borehamwood and the London commuter belt. There is one weekly newspaper, the Borehamwood and Elstree Times. The town is perhaps most well known for its film and TV studios, commonly known as Elstree Studios, hence the association with Elstree." external.
• Elstree_Studios abstract "Elstree Studios is a generic term which can refer to several current and defunct British film studios and television studios based in or around the towns of Borehamwood and Elstree in Hertfordshire. Studios have been located here since film production began in the area during 1914. While some facilities have been built and demolished since then, two sites remain in use in Borehamwood; Elstree Studios on Shenley Road and the BBC Elstree Centre on Clarendon Road." external.
• High_Barnet_tube_station abstract "High Barnet is a London Underground station, and former railway station, located in Chipping Barnet in North London. The station is the terminus of the High Barnet branch of the Northern line and is in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the northernmost station on the Northern line and is situated 10.2 miles (16.4 km) north north-west of Charing Cross. The next station south is Totteridge & Whetstone. Northern line trains are scheduled to arrive and depart every 3–9 minutes from the station's three southbound platforms, with trains operating to Morden via Bank or to Kennington or Morden via Charing Cross. In the early hours of the morning, between about 00:00 and 01:00, departing trains run as far as East Finchley only, from where journeys to central London can be continued by night bus N20, which also serves High Barnet station itself. When trains are no longer required to run on the Northern line, they may be stabled on the sidings to the east of the station." external.
• Ilford abstract "Ilford is a large cosmopolitan town in the north-east of London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Redbridge. It is located 9.1 miles (14.6 km) north-east of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Ilford forms a significant commercial and retail centre surrounded by extensive residential development. It was historically a small rural settlement in the county of Essex and its strategic position on the River Roding and the London to Colchester road caused it to develop as a coaching town. The arrival of the railway in 1839 eventually accelerated that growth and as part of the suburban growth of London in the 20th century, Ilford significantly expanded and increased in population, becoming a municipal borough in 1926. Since 1965 it has formed part of Greater London. Ilford is part of the IG postcode area, though areas to the west of Ilford Hill and the A406 are part of E postcode area instead. The population of Ilford, comprising the Clementswood, Loxford, Goodmayes, Newbury, Mayfield, Seven Kings, Barkingside, Clayhall, Fullwell, Fairlop, Cranbrook and Valentines wards, was 168,168 in the 2011 census." external.
• Valentines_Park abstract "Valentines Park is, at 52 hectares (130 acres), the largest green space in the London Borough of Redbridge, between Ilford and Gants Hill. It was acquired in various purchases and gifts of land, starting in 1898 and culminating in the 1920s. The Valentines Estate had been in private hands since long before the 1690s, when the present Valentines Mansion was built. In 1899 the Cranbrook Estate, to the west of Valentines, was about to be sold for housing. The Municipal Borough of Ilford had acquired its first section of parkland a year previously and was keen to enlarge its size as land became available. Local officials realised that, unless an area of "relaxation and pleasure" was retained for the growing urban population, all traces of an undeveloped rural Ilford would be lost. The park was opened in the same year under the name of Central Park. Following the death of the mansion's owner in 1902 the local council acquired the remainder of its grounds and thus expanded the park. County Cricket was first played at Valentine's Park in Ilford in 1922 and a pavilion was completed a year later. The first ever county match with Sunday play was played here, this proved to be a success with 6000 spectators attending. Valentines Park has undergone an extensive renovation during 2007–2008 financed by the Heritage Lottery Fund and by the owners, the London Borough of Redbridge. There are a number of Grade II and Grade II* features within the park and part of the formal garden layout of the early 18th century park itself is included in the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England at Grade II. Brief (English Heritage) listing details for these can be found at Images of England." external.
• Gants_Hill abstract "Gants Hill is a district of Ilford in the London Borough of Redbridge in northeast London, England. It is a suburban development situated 9.5 miles (15.3 km) northeast of Charing Cross. It is also the name of a roundabout junction within the district." external.
• Canary_Wharf abstract "Canary Wharf is a major business district located in Tower Hamlets, East London. It is one of the United Kingdom's two main financial centres – along with the traditional City of London – and contains many of Europe's tallest buildings, including the second-tallest in the UK, One Canada Square. Canary Wharf contains around 16,000,000 square feet (1,500,000 m2) of office and retail space, of which around 7,900,000 square feet (730,000 m2) is owned by Canary Wharf Group. Around 105,000 people work in Canary Wharf and it is home to the world or European headquarters of numerous major banks, professional services firms and media organisations including Barclays, Citigroup, Clifford Chance, Credit Suisse, EY, Fitch Ratings, HSBC, Infosys, J.P. Morgan, KPMG, MetLife, Moody's, Morgan Stanley, RBC, S&P Global, Skadden, State Street and Thomson Reuters." external.
• Woolwich_Arsenal_station abstract "Woolwich Arsenal station is a National Rail and Docklands Light Railway interchange station located in Woolwich in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It acts as a local station on the North Kent Line between London and Gillingham, served by Southeastern, and is the southern terminus of the Woolwich Arsenal branch of the Docklands Light Railway. The station faces General Gordon Square and is named after the nearby Woolwich Arsenal. It is the only DLR station to be located in Travelcard Zone 4." external.
• London_City_Airport abstract "London City Airport (IATA: LCY, ICAO: EGLC) is an international airport in London. It is located in the Royal Docks in the London Borough of Newham, approximately 6 NM (11 km; 6.9 mi) east of the City of London and a shorter distance east of Canary Wharf. These are the twin centres of London's financial industry, which is a major user of the airport. The airport was developed by the engineering company Mowlem in 1986–87 and is currently owned by a consortium of Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo), OMERS, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and Wren House Infrastructure Management of the Kuwait Investment Authority. London City Airport has a single 1,500-metre (4,900 ft) long runway, and a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P728) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flight training (but only for training necessary for the operation of aircraft at the airport). Only multi-engine, fixed-wing aircraft with special aircraft and aircrew certification to fly 5.5° approaches are allowed to conduct operations at London City Airport. The largest aircraft which can be used at the airport is the Airbus A318. In 2015, London City served over 4.3 million passengers, an 18% increase compared with 2014 - the largest percentage growth among London airports, and a record total for London City. It was the fifth busiest airport in passengers and aircraft movements serving the London area after Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton and the 13th busiest in the UK." external.
• Hot_chocolate abstract "Hot chocolate, also known as hot cocoa, drinking chocolate or just cocoa is a heated beverage consisting of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and often sugar. Hot chocolate made with melted chocolate is sometimes called drinking chocolate, characterized by less sweetness and a thicker consistency. The first chocolate beverage is believed to have been created by the Aztecs around 2,000 years ago, and a cocoa beverage was an essential part of Aztec culture by 1400 AD. The beverage became popular in Europe after being introduced from Mexico in the New World and has undergone multiple changes since then. Until the 19th century, hot chocolate was even used medicinally to treat ailments such as liver and stomach diseases. Today, hot chocolate is consumed throughout the world and comes in multiple variations, including the spiced chocolate para mesa of Latin America, the very thick cioccolata densa served in Italy and chocolate a la taza served in Spain, and the thinner hot cocoa consumed in the United States." external.
• Yogurt abstract "Yogurt, yoghurt, or yoghourt (/ˈjoʊɡərt/ or /ˈjɒɡət/; from Turkish: yoğurt; other spellings listed ) is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as "yogurt cultures". Fermentation of lactose by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yogurt its texture and characteristic tang. Cow's milk is commonly available worldwide, and, as such, is the milk most commonly used to make yogurt. Milk from water buffalo, goats, ewes, mares, camels, and yaks is also used to produce yogurt where available locally. Milk used may be homogenized or not (milk distributed in many parts of the world is homogenized); both types may be used, with substantially different results. Yogurt is produced using a culture of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus bacteria. In addition, other lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are also sometimes added during or after culturing yogurt. Some countries require yogurt to contain a certain amount of colony-forming units of bacteria; in China, for example, the requirement for the number of lactobacillus bacteria is at least 1 × 106 CFA per gram per milliliter.To produce yogurt, milk is first heated, usually to about 85 °C (185 °F), to denature the milk proteins so that they set together rather than form curds. After heating, the milk is allowed to cool to about 45 °C (113 °F). The bacterial culture is mixed in, and a temperature of 45 °C (113 °F) is maintained for four to seven hours to allow fermentation." external.
• East_Croydon_station abstract "East Croydon is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon and is in Travelcard Zone 5. It is 10.35 miles (16.56 km) south of London Bridge. It is the largest and busiest station in Croydon. It is one of the busiest non-terminal stations in London and it is also one of the busiest non-terminal through stations in the United Kingdom. It is one of three railway stations in the London Borough of Croydon with Croydon in their name, the others being West Croydon and South Croydon. A Tramlink tram stop is located immediately outside the main station entrance." external.
• Canning_Town_station abstract "Canning Town is an inter-modal transport interchange in Canning Town, East London. It is served by the London Underground Jubilee line, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and local buses operated for London Buses. On 11 November 2015 the Mayor of London announced that it would be rezoned to be on the boundary of Travelcard Zone 2 and Travelcard Zone 3. Until 1873 it was known as Barking Road." external.
• Star_Lane_DLR_station abstract "Star Lane is a Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station in Canning Town, east London. Located on the Stratford International extension of the Docklands Light Railway between Stratford and Canning Town, it opened on 31 August 2011." external.
• River_Lea abstract "The River Lea (or Lee) in England originates in Marsh Farm, Leagrave, Luton in the Chiltern Hills and flows generally southeast, east, and then south through east London where it meets the River Thames, the last section being known as Bow Creek. It is one of the largest rivers in London and the easternmost major tributary of the Thames. Its valley creates a long chain of marshy ground along its lower length, much of which has been used for gravel and mineral extraction, reservoirs and industry. The river has been canalised to provide a navigable route for boats into eastern Hertfordshire, known as the Lee Navigation. While the lower Lea remains somewhat polluted, its upper stretch and tributaries, classified as chalk streams, are a major source of drinking water for London. A diversion known as the New River, opened in 1613, abstracts clean water away from the lower stretch of the river for drinking. Its origins in the Chilterns contribute to the extreme hardness (high mineral content) of London tap water." external.
• Becontree abstract "(For other uses, see Becontree (disambiguation).) Becontree /ˈbɛkəntriː/ is a large housing estate of approximately 4 square miles (10 km2) in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham in East London, England. It is located 11 miles (17.7 km) east-northeast of Charing Cross and was constructed in the interwar period as the largest public housing estate in the world. The Housing Act 1919 permitted the London County Council to build housing outside the County of London and Becontree was constructed between 1921 and 1935 to cottage estate principles in the parishes of Barking, Dagenham and Ilford in Essex. The official completion of the estate was celebrated in 1935 with a population of around 100,000 people in 26,000 homes. The building of the estate caused a huge increase in population density which led to demands on services and reforms of local government. An additional 1,000 houses were added in later phases. The estate initially had no industrial and very little commercial development until the May & Baker and Ford Dagenham sites opened nearby, and a shopping area was built at Heathway. The estate has formed part of Greater London since 1965, when the Barking section was combined with Dagenham, and has been within a single London borough since the Ilford section was transferred to Barking and Dagenham in 1994." external.
• William_Morris_Gallery abstract "The William Morris Gallery, opened by Prime Minister Clement Attlee in 1950, is the only public museum devoted to English Arts and Crafts designer and early socialist William Morris. The gallery is located at Walthamstow in Morris's family home from 1848 to 1856, the former Water House, a substantial Grade II* listed Georgian dwelling of about 1750 which is set in its own extensive grounds (now Lloyd Park). The Gallery underwent major redevelopment and reopened in August 2012; in 2013 it won the national prize for Museum of the Year." external.
• Epping_Forest abstract "Epping Forest is an area of ancient woodland near Epping, straddling the border between north-east London and Essex. It is a former royal forest, and is managed by the City of London Corporation. It covers 2,476 hectares (6,118.32 acres) and contains areas of woodland, grassland, heath, rivers, bogs and ponds, and most of it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation. Stretching between Forest Gate in the south and Epping in the north, Epping Forest is approximately 19 kilometres (12 mi) long in the north-south direction, but no more than 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from east to west at its widest point, and in most places considerably narrower. The forest lies on a ridge between the valleys of the rivers Lea and Roding; its elevation and thin gravelly soil (the result of glaciation) historically made it unsuitable for agriculture. It gives its name to the Epping Forest local government district which covers part of it." external.
• Perivale abstract "Perivale (/ˈpɛrɪˌveɪl/) is a suburb in the London Borough of Ealing, 9.5 miles (15.3 km) west of Charing Cross, central London. Landmarks in the suburb include the large Art Deco Hoover Building, as well as St Mary's Church (C:12th century), the River Brent and Perivale Wood Local Nature Reserve run by the Selborne Society." external.
• South_London abstract "South London is the southern part of London, England. According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, the area includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Richmond, Southwark, Sutton and Wandsworth." external.
• Catford_Stadium abstract "Catford Stadium was a historic greyhound track in Catford, a suburb of London. It was open between 1932 and 2003, when it was closed by its commercial operator Wembley. The local amateur side, Catford Wanderers, were mooted to move into the stadium, though this dream was never realised. The stadium has caught on fire and has since been demolished, along with the scoreboard." external.
• Stratford_International_station abstract "Stratford International is a National Rail and connected Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station located in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham, east London. Despite the station's name, no international services call there, however, the National Rail platforms are served by domestic Southeastern trains on the High Speed 1 route originating at St. Pancras, with interchange to the Eurostar at either Ebbsfleet or Ashford. On the DLR it is a terminus for local services via Canning Town. Construction of the National Rail station was completed in 2006 but it only opened in 2009, for Southeastern services on HS1. In 2011 an extension of the DLR was opened to connect Stratford International to the wider London public transport network and to the main Stratford station to the south. The DLR station is physically separate and across the road from the HS1 station. Oyster cards are valid for travel to and from the DLR station, which is in Travelcard zone 2/3, but special fares apply at the HS1 station. The four-platform HS1 station is built within "Stratford Box", a 1.1-kilometre (0.7 mi) concrete-sided cutting. It is located on the eastern edge of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, adjacent to the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre." external.
• Clapham abstract "Clapham (/ˈklæp.əm/) is a district of south-west London within the London Borough of Lambeth and some areas as (most notably Clapham Common) stretching out into the London Borough of Wandsworth." external.
• City_of_Westminster abstract "The City of Westminster (/ˈwɛstmɪnstər/) is an Inner London borough which occupies much of the central area of Greater London including most of the West End. It is to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary is the River Thames. It was created with the 1965 establishment of Greater London. Upon creation, Westminster was awarded city status, which had been previously held by the smaller Metropolitan Borough of Westminster. Aside from a number of large parks and open spaces, the population density of the district is high. Many sites commonly associated with London are in the borough, including St. James's Palace, Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, and 10 Downing Street. The borough is divided into a number of localities including the ancient political district of Westminster around the Palace of Westminster; the shopping areas around Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Bond Street; and the night time entertainment district of Soho. Much of the borough is residential, and in 2008 it was estimated to have a population of 236,000. The local authority is Westminster City Council." external.
• Wembley_Stadium_railway_station abstract "Wembley Stadium railway station is a Network Rail station in Wembley Park, Wembley, Greater London on the Chiltern Main Line. At a quarter of a mile (400m) south west of the sports venue it is the nearest station to Wembley Stadium." external.
• Northwick_Park_Hospital abstract "Northwick Park Hospital (NPH) is a hospital located near Harrow in northwest London, England. It is in the northwest corner of the London Borough of Brent, adjacent with the boundary of the London Borough of Harrow." external.
• Watford_Junction_railway_station abstract "Watford Junction is a railway station that serves Watford, Hertfordshire. The station is on the West Coast Main Line (WCML) to London Euston and the Abbey Line, a branch line to St Albans. Journeys to London take between 16 and 52 minutes depending on the service used: shorter times on fast non-stop trains and slower on the stopping Watford DC line services. Trains also run to East Croydon and Clapham Junction via the West London Line. The station is a major hub for local bus services and the connecting station for buses to the Harry Potter studio tour." external.
• Gants_Hill_tube_station abstract "Gants Hill is a London Underground station in Gants Hill, in the London Borough of Redbridge. It is served by the Central line and is in Zone 4. It is the easternmost station to be entirely below ground on the London Underground network. It is also the busiest station on the Hainault loop of the Central line. The station is located beneath Gants Hill roundabout, and reached via the pedestrian subway under the roundabout." external.
• Kebab abstract "Kebab (also American kabob) is a term in English for several types of food. The word originated in the Middle East and is also common in other languages worldwide, with numerous spellings and variants. It has different definitions in different varieties of English, and in different cultures. In contemporary American and British English, a kebab is a common dish, consisting of a skewer with small pieces of meat or seafood, together with vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers. Also known as shish kebab or sometimes shashlik, kebabs are customarily prepared in homes and restaurants, and are usually cooked on a grill or barbeque. The word kebab may also be used as a general term in English to describe any similar-looking skewered food, such as brochette, satay, souvlaki, yakitori, or numerous small chunks of any type of food served on a stick. This is different from its use in the Middle East, where shish (Turkish: şiş) is the word for skewer, while kebab comes from the Persian word for grilling. In the UK, Ireland, Australia, and some other English-speaking countries outside of North America, the word kebab is also used generally to mean döner kebab, or the related shawarma or gyros, or sandwiches made with them, available from kebab shops as fast food and take-away meals. Many layers of meat are stacked onto a large vertical rotating spit; the outer surface is gradually cooked and sliced off, and typically served as a sandwich in pita or flatbread with salad and sauces. In Germany, the highly popular sandwich, introduced by Turkish immigrants, is called a döner, though Arab shops serve shawarma. In other countries in Europe and worldwide, the name used depends on the dish and on local customs. In Indian English and in the languages and cuisine of the Middle East and the Muslim world, kebab is a broad term covering a wide variety of grilled meat dishes in addition to the shish kebab and döner kebab familiar in the West. Although often cooked on a skewer, many types of kebab are not. Kebab dishes can consist of cut up or ground meat or seafood, sometimes with vegetables; cooked on a skewer over a fire, or like a hamburger on a grill, baked in a pan in an oven, or as a stew; and served with various accompaniments according to each recipe. The traditional meat for kebab is lamb, but depending on local tastes and religious prohibitions, other meats may include beef, goat, chicken, fish, or, more rarely, pork." external.
• Oxleas_Wood abstract "Oxleas Wood is one of the few remaining areas of ancient deciduous forest in Eltham in the Royal Borough of Greenwich (with a small amount passing over the boundary into the London Borough of Bexley), in southeast London. Some parts date back over 8,000 years to the end of the last Ice Age, the Younger Dryas. It is part of a larger continuous area of woodland and parkland on the south side of Shooter's Hill: other parts are Jack Wood, Castle Wood, Oxleas Meadows, Falconwood Field, Eltham Common and Eltham Park North (the latter being divided by the A2 main road from its southern section). Eltham Park North includes the ancient Shepherdleas Wood. It is also home to Severndroog Castle." external.
• Kent abstract "Kent /ˈkɛnt/ is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north west, Surrey to the west, East Sussex to the south west, and across the Thames Estuary is the county of Essex. The county town is Maidstone. Canterbury Cathedral in Kent has been the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the Church of England, since the conversion of England to Christianity by Saint Augustine in the 6th century. Between London and the Strait of Dover, which separates it from mainland Europe, Kent has seen both diplomacy and conflict, ranging from the Leeds Castle peace talks of 1978 and 2004 to the Battle of Britain in World War II. England relied on the county's ports to provide warships through much of its history; the Cinque Ports in the 12th–14th centuries and Chatham Dockyard in the 16th–20th centuries were of particular importance. France can be seen clearly in fine weather from Folkestone and the White Cliffs of Dover. Hills in the form of the North Downs and the Greensand Ridge span the length of the county and in the series of valleys in between and to the south are most of the county's 26 castles. Because of its relative abundance of fruit-growing and hop gardens, Kent is known as "The Garden of England". The title was defended in 2006 when a survey of beautiful counties by the UKTV Style Gardens channel put Kent in fifth place, behind North Yorkshire, Devon, Derbyshire and Gloucestershire. Kent's economy is greatly diversified. Haulage, logistics and tourism are major industries throughout the county; major industries in north-west Kent include aggregate building materials, printing and scientific research. Coal mining has also played its part in Kent's industrial heritage. Large parts of Kent are within the London commuter belt and its strong transport connections to the capital and the nearby continent makes Kent a high income county. Twenty-eight per cent of the county forms part of two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty: the North Downs and The Weald." external.
• Queen_Elizabeth_Hospital_Birmingham abstract "The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham is an NHS, Royal Army Medical Corps, Royal Navy Medical Service and RAF Medical Services hospital in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, situated very close to the University of Birmingham. The hospital, which cost £545 million to construct, opened in June 2010, replacing the previous Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Selly Oak Hospital. The Trust employs more than 6,900 staff and provides adult services to more than half a million patients every year. It is named after Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, who was queen consort and wife of King George VI from 1936 until his death in 1952. The hospital provides a whole range of services including secondary services for its local population and regional and national services for the people of the West Midlands and beyond. The hospital has the largest solid organ transplantation programme in Europe. It has the largest renal transplant programme in the United Kingdom and it is a national specialist centre for liver, heart and lung transplantation, as well as cancer studies. The hospital has the largest single-floor critical care unit in the world, with 100 beds, and is the home of the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine for military personnel injured in conflict zones. It is also a regional centre for trauma and burns. The hospital is served by University station which is a five-minute walk away. With over 1,000 beds, QEHB is one of the largest single-site NHS hospital in the United Kingdom, and also boasts Europe's largest critical care unit with over 100 critical care beds." external.
• Association_football abstract "Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, nicknamed The World Game or The Beautiful Game, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball. It is played by 250 million players in over 200 countries and dependencies, making it the world's most popular sport. The game is played on a rectangular field with a goal at each end. The object of the game is to score by getting the ball into the opposing goal. The goalkeepers are the only players allowed to touch the ball with their hands or arms while it is in play and only in their penalty area. Other players mainly use their feet to strike or pass the ball, but may also use their head or torso. The team that scores the most goals by the end of the match wins. If the score is level at the end of the game, either a draw is declared or the game goes into extra time or a penalty shootout depending on the format of the competition. The Laws of the Game were originally codified in England by The Football Association in 1863. Association football is governed internationally by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA; French: Fédération Internationale de Football Association), which organises World Cups for both men and women every four years." external.
• Northolt_Park_railway_station abstract "Northolt Park railway station is a Network Rail station in Northolt, Greater London. It is in Cadogan Close and spans the boundary between the London Borough of Harrow and the London Borough of Ealing, with a footbridge connecting the north side (leading to Roxeth and South Harrow) to the south side (leading to Northolt and Greenford). Northolt tube station on the Central line is less than 1 mile (1.6 km) away and is accessible by the 140 bus from Northolt Road. The service to the station has much improved (until the late 1990s only peak hour trains stopped there).There are improvements in the access to the station as part of the Petts Hill road improvement scheme." external.
• South_Harrow abstract "South Harrow is south-west of Harrow-on-the-Hill in the London Borough of Harrow and its development originally spread south and west from the hamlet of Roxeth as a result of urbanization and easier access from Central London by rail. Six roads now converge at Roxeth hamlet centre at the bottom of Roxeth Hill. Its areas include, in the west, the geometric garden estate of Shaftesbury Circus/Avenue and in the south, beyond this historic heart, a newly developed shopping area, South Harrow tube station and the locality's own high street, Northolt Road." external.
• Northolt abstract "Northolt is a town in north west London, England, 11 miles (17.7 km) west-northwest of Charing Cross and within the London Borough of Ealing, England. Essentially a suburban development, a feature is the Grand Union Canal, as is the A 40 road and a history of pony racing." external.
• Rayners_Lane abstract "Rayners Lane is a suburban district in the London Borough of Harrow in Northwest London between Pinner and West Harrow. It takes its name from a road in the area, also called Rayners Lane (formerly also spelt Rayner's Lane) which runs from Marsh Road in Pinner to Eastcote Lane in Eastcote." external.
• Pinner abstract "Pinner is a wealthy area of the London Borough of Harrow in northwest London, traditionally in the county of Middlesex, 12.2 miles north west of Charing Cross. Eastcote is sometimes referred to in its postal address as being part of Pinner, despite being in Hillingdon (Pinner being located within Harrow)." external.
• Southgate_tube_station abstract "Southgate is a London Underground Piccadilly line station in Southgate. It is located between Arnos Grove and Oakwood stations and is in Travelcard Zone 4." external.
• Leyton_tube_station abstract "Leyton is a London Underground station at Leyton. Situated opposite Leyton Mills at the end of Leyton High Road, it is on the Central line between Stratford and Leytonstone. It is in zone 3." external.
• Eltham abstract "Eltham (/ˈɛltəm/) is a suburban district of south east London, England, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is centred 8.7 miles (14.0 km) east south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. The three wards of Eltham North, South and West had a total population at the 2011 Census of 35,459." external.
• Lewisham abstract "Lewisham (/ˈluː.ɪʃəm/) is an area in south-east London, England, in the London Borough of Lewisham, centred 5.9 miles (9.5 km) south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. As a major centre, Lewisham had a population of 95,041 in 2011. It is an important transport hub for South London, and is one of the borough's largest settlements." external.
• Greenwich_Peninsula abstract "Greenwich Peninsula is an area of east London, England, located in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The peninsula is bounded on three sides by a loop of the Thames, between the Isle of Dogs to the west and Silvertown to the east. To the south is the rest of Greenwich, to the south-east is Charlton. The peninsula lies within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Formerly known as Greenwich Marshes and as Bugsby's Marshes, it became known as East Greenwich as it developed in the 19th century, but more recently has been called North Greenwich due to the location of the North Greenwich tube station. This should not be confused with North Greenwich on the Isle of Dogs, at the north side of a former ferry from Greenwich. The peninsula's northernmost point on the riverside is known as Blackwall Point, and this may have led to the name Blackwall Peninsula sometimes being used in the late 20th century. Landmarks include The Dome (also known by the current corporate logo The O2 and previously the Millennium Dome) and the southern end of the Blackwall Tunnel, but the area is now being substantially redeveloped with new homes, offices, schools, a college and parks." external.
• Thornton_Heath abstract "Thornton Heath is a district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated 7.2 miles (11.6 km) south of Charing Cross." external.
• Blackheath_railway_station abstract "Blackheath railway station is Grade II-listed and situated in the heart of Blackheath village in London at grid reference TQ39617600. The track passes through the village and is crossed by a road overbridge on which the station buildings stand. Much of the original station, dating back at track level to 1849 and at ticket office level to 1879, remains. It was built using London Brick to a design by George Smith (who also built Greenwich station). At the "country" end of the platforms the lines separate to the North Kent and Bexleyheath Lines. The former passes through the mile-long (1.6 km) Blackheath Tunnel immediately after the junction; the latter through the shorter Kidbrooke Tunnel after a short cutting. Blackheath's station has two platforms which are partially covered with a weather canopy. The downside platform has a disused platform face (bay platform) facing towards London, used in earlier days by commuter trains terminating here. Unusually, the track in the bay remains in situ, although it is now heavily overgrown and otherwise obstructed. The area to the north (now a car-park) was formerly an area of railway sidings, where commuter trains were stabled when not in use. The bay platform used to come into its own when a circus was taking place on Blackheath. Many of the animals would arrive in train vans. The circus would then process through Blackheath Village on to the heath. The station cannot be relied upon as a way of reaching Blackheath during November's traditional free firework show, as it normally closes early on that day for safety reasons. Conversely, in April, on the Sunday of the London Marathon, it is crucial in enabling athletes and their supporters to reach the starting line, as on that day bus services across the heath are usually suspended as roads are closed. Blackheath Halls, run by Trinity College of Music, are close to the station." external.
• Royal_Borough_of_Greenwich abstract "The Royal Borough of Greenwich (/ˈɡrɛnɪtʃ/, /ˈɡrɪnɪdʒ/, /ˈɡrɪnɪtʃ/ or /ˈɡrɛnɪdʒ/) is a London borough in south-east London, England. Taking its name from the historic town of Greenwich, the London Borough of Greenwich was formed in 1965 by the amalgamation of the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich with part of the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich to the east. The local council is Greenwich London Borough Council which meets in Woolwich Town Hall. The council's offices are also based in Woolwich, the main urban centre in the borough. Greenwich is world-famous as the traditional location of the Prime Meridian, on which all Coordinated Universal Time is based. The Prime Meridian running through Greenwich and the Greenwich Observatory is where the designation Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT began, and on which all world times are based. In 2012, Greenwich was listed as a top ten global destination by Frommer's – the only UK destination to be listed. Greenwich was one of six host boroughs for the 2012 London Olympics and events were held at the Royal Artillery Barracks (shooting), Greenwich Park (equestrianism) and The O2 – the former Millennium Dome (gymnastics and basketball). It is also the home borough of professional football club Charlton Athletic. To mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II, Greenwich became a Royal Borough on 3 February 2012, due in part to its historic links with the Royal Family, and to its UNESCO World Heritage Site status as home of the Prime Meridian." external.
• Charing_Cross_railway_station abstract "(Not to be confused with Charing Cross tube station or Charing Cross (Glasgow) railway station.) Charing Cross, also known as London Charing Cross, is a central London railway terminus in the City of Westminster, England. It is one of 18 stations managed by Network Rail and all regular trains serving it are operated by Southeastern. It is the fifth busiest rail terminal in London. The office and shopping complex above the station is formally known as Embankment Place. The station takes its name from its location next to the central London road junction of Charing Cross. The front of the station faces the Strand, while at the other end is the northern end of Hungerford Bridge, which is crossed by all trains serving the station. Ticket barriers control access to all platforms, although the bridge entrance has no barriers it is only open to passengers during the morning peak hours. Therefore, there are regular ticket inspections carried out on the bridge. Charing Cross is the London terminus of the South Eastern Main Line. All regular services are operated by Southeastern which provides the majority of commuter/regional services to South East London and Kent." external.
• Southwark abstract "Southwark (/ˈsʌðərk/ SUDH-ərk) is a district of Central London and part of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north. It historically formed an ancient borough in the county of Surrey, made up of a number of parishes, which increasingly came under the influence and jurisdiction of the City of London. As an inner district of London, Southwark experienced rapid depopulation during the late-19th and early-20th centuries. It is now at an advanced stage of regeneration and is the county town of Greater London which is the location of the City Hall offices of the Greater London Authority.Southwark had a population of 30,119in 2011." external.
• Cannon_Street_station abstract "Cannon Street, also known as London Cannon Street, is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station located on Cannon Street in the City of London. It was built on the site of the medieval Steelyard, the trading base in England of the Hanseatic League, and it opened in 1866. It is situated within fare zone 1 and is one of 19 stations in the United Kingdom managed by Network Rail. Main line train services out of Cannon Street are operated by Southeastern, serving destinations in southeast London and Kent; the Underground station is on the Circle and District lines between Monument and Mansion House." external.
• Greenwich_Park abstract "Greenwich Park is a former hunting park in Greenwich and one of the largest single green spaces in south-east London. One of the Royal Parks of London, and the first to be enclosed (in 1433), it covers 74 hectares (180 acres), and is part of the Greenwich World Heritage Site. It commands fine views over the River Thames, the Isle of Dogs and the City of London. The park is open from 06:00 for pedestrians (and 07:00 for traffic) all year round and closes at dusk." external.
• Soho abstract "Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and is part of the West End of London, England. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation as a base for the sex industry in addition to its night life and its location for the headquarters of leading film companies. Since the 1980s, the area has undergone considerable gentrification. It is now predominantly a fashionable district of upmarket restaurants and media offices, with only a small remnant of sex industry venues. Soho is a small, multicultural area of central London; a home to industry, commerce, culture and entertainment, as well as a residential area for both rich and poor. It has clubs, including the former Chinawhite nightclub; public houses; bars; restaurants; a few sex shops scattered amongst them; and late-night coffee shops that give the streets an "open-all-night" feel at the weekends. Record shops cluster in the area around Berwick Street, with shops such as Blackmarket Records and Vinyl Junkies. On many weekends, Soho is busy enough to warrant closing off some of the streets to vehicles. Westminster City Council pedestrianised parts of Soho in the mid-1990s, but later removed much of the pedestrianisation, apparently after complaints of loss of trade from local businesses." external.
• The_Queensway abstract "The Queensway is a major street in the municipalities of Toronto and Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is the western extension of Queen Street West, after it crosses King Street and Roncesvalles Avenue in Toronto. The Queensway is a divided roadway from just east of Parkside Drive westerly to just beyond South Kingsway, with ramps and centre median dedicated to the streetcar service. The road continues undivided west from the Humber River west to Highway 427 as a four or six-lane thoroughfare. The Toronto section of the road ends at the Etobicoke Creek, but continues as just Queensway (Peel Regional Road 20) in Mississauga, ending at Glengarry Road just west of Mavis Road, with the portion west of Mavis being maintained by the city. There is a road allowance with hydro lines, cutting into the Mississauga Golf and Country Club on the shores of the Credit River. In the 1990s, the name Queensway was eliminated on the roads on this allowance west of the river. The street gives its name to Etobicoke's The Queensway neighbourhood" external.
• Bayswater abstract "Bayswater is an area within the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in central London. It is a built-up district located 4 km (about 2.5 miles) west-north-west of Charing Cross, bordering the north of Kensington Gardens and having a population density of 17,500 per square kilometre. Bayswater is one of London's most cosmopolitan areas: a diverse local population is augmented by a high concentration of hotels. In addition to the English, there are many other nationalities; in particular there is a significant Arab population, a large Greek community around St Sophia's Cathedral, Moscow Road – London's Greek Orthodox Cathedral, a sizeable French community, Americans and London's largest Brazilian community. The area has attractive streets and garden squares lined with Victorian stucco terraces, mostly now subdivided into flats and boarding houses. The property ranges from very expensive apartments to small studio flats. There are also purpose-built apartment blocks dating from the inter-war period as well as more recent developments, and a large council estate, the 650-flat Hallfield Estate, designed by Sir Denys Lasdun and now largely sold off. Queensway and Westbourne Grove are its busiest main streets, both having many ethnic-cuisine restaurants." external.
• Blackwall_railway_station abstract "Blackwall was a railway station in Blackwall, London, that served as the eastern terminus of the Commercial Railway (later the London and Blackwall Railway). It was located on the south side of the East India Docks, near the shore of the River Thames, 3 miles 43 chains (5.7 km) down-line from the western terminus at Fenchurch Street. The station was designed by architect William Tite in an ornate Italinaite style. It opened on 6 July 1840 with services connecting with a ferry service to Gravesend, Kent. In March 1926 the London and North Eastern Railway and Port of London Authority announced passenger services would be withdrawn on 30 June 1926. However, with the start of the national general strike services were suspended early on 3 May 1926, and never resumed. John Betjeman (1906-1984) in his book First and Last Loves, wrote of a journey on the L&BR "Those frequent and quite empty trains of the Blackwall Railway ran from a special platform at Fenchurch Street. I remember them. Like stagecoaches they rumbled past East End chimney pots, wharves and shipping stopping at empty black stations till they came to a final halt at Blackwall station...When one emerged there, there was nothing to see beyond it but a cobbled quay and a vast stretch of wind whipped water..." The station was demolished in 1946 to make way for Blackwall power station, although the branch continued to carry goods traffic until the demise of the docks in the late 1960s. Today no trace of the two-storey station remains, and the docks have been filled in (although a small basin remains). Its approximate location is now occupied by houses on Jamestown Way. The station site is some distance from the present-day Blackwall DLR station; the closest existing station is actually East India DLR station, which is slightly to the north-west of the original Blackwall station site." external.
• Oxted_railway_station abstract "Oxted railway station serves the commuter town of Oxted in Surrey, England. A relatively busy interchange station and terminus, all rail services are provided by Southern. The station is the busiest suburban station on the Oxted Line and is a terminus for some services on the Uckfield branch of the Oxted Line. Trains depart to London Victoria via Clapham Junction, London Bridge via East Croydon station, East Grinstead and Uckfield in East Sussex." external.
• Teqball abstract "Teqball is a new football-based sport, which is perfectly suitable for professional footballers as well as amateur enthusiasts whose ambition is to develop their technical skills, concentration and stamina. However, it is not only skills that can be improved on this specially-designed board. All that is needed is an opponent at the other end of the Teqball table and the game can begin! If you can juggle a ball three times, you can excel at Teqball as well.Teqball is the purest type of football, since there is no physical contact between the players, and thereforeinjuries resulting from impacts or rough tackling can never take place in the game or during practice. Moreover,the players cannot touch the table either according to the official rules, which further reduces the risk of injury.Teqball is not football's rival but rather its complement. Teqball enhances players’ confidence, perfects theirpassing technique and develops decision making skills not to mention the so-called ‘first touch’ moves that aremore than essential in modern-day football.Teqball is not about luck; the best players always win. hu:Teqball" external.
• Ledbury abstract "Ledbury is a Herefordshire market town, lying east of Hereford, and west of the Malvern Hills. It has a significant number of timber-framed structures, in particular along Church Lane and High Street. One of the most outstanding is the Market House, built in 1617, located in the town centre. Other notable buildings include the parish church of St. Michael and All Angels, the Painted Room(containing sixteenth-century frescoes), the Old Grammar School, the Barrett-Browning memorial clock tower (designed by Brightwen Binyon and opened in 1896 to house the library until 2015), nearby Eastnor Castle and the St. Katherine's Hospital site. Founded c.1231, this is a rare surviving example of a hospital complex, with hall, chapel, a Master's House (fully restored and opened in March 2015 to house the Library), almshouses and a timber-framed barn." external.
• Westbourne_Park_tube_station abstract "Westbourne Park is a London Underground station in the Notting Hill area of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is on the Circle and Hammersmith and City lines, between Ladbroke Grove and Royal Oak stations and is in Travelcard Zone 2. It is in close proximity with Harrow Road W9. Tower Transit's Westbourne Park bus garage is opposite this station on the other side of the Great Western Road." external.
• Pimlico abstract "Pimlico /ˈpɪmlᵻkoʊ/ is a small area within central London in the City of Westminster. Like Belgravia, to which it was built as a southern extension, Pimlico is known for its garden squares and Regency architecture. The area is separated from Belgravia to the north by Victoria Railway Station, and bounded by the River Thames to the south, Vauxhall Bridge Road to the east and the former Grosvenor Canal to the west. At Pimlico's heart is a grid of residential streets laid down by the planner Thomas Cubitt beginning in 1825, and now protected as the Pimlico Conservation Area. Pimlico is also home to the pre-World War II Dolphin Square development and the pioneering Churchill Gardens and Lillington and Longmoore Gardens estates, now designated conservation areas in their own right. The area has over 350 Grade II listed buildings and several Grade II* listed churches. Notable residents have included politician Winston Churchill, designer Laura Ashley, philosopher Swami Vivekananda, actor Laurence Olivier, illustrator and author Aubrey Beardsley, first Kenyan president Jomo Kenyatta and the inventor of lawn tennis, Major Walter Wingfield." external.
• A1_in_London abstract "The A1 in London is the southern part of the A1 road. It starts at Aldersgate in the City of London, passing through the capital to Borehamwood on the northern fringe of Greater London, before continuing to Edinburgh. The road travels through the City and three London boroughs: Islington, Haringey and Barnet, which include the districts of Islington, Holloway, Highgate, Hendon and Mill Hill, and travels along Upper Street and Holloway Road, crossing the North Circular Road in Hendon, a district in the London Borough of Barnet. The A1 is the most recent in a series of routes north out of London to York and beyond. It was designated in 1921 by the Ministry of Transport under the Great Britain road numbering scheme, comprising existing roads and streets, mostly historic, and later using stretches of purpose-built new roads in what is now the outer London borough of Barnet. The Archway Road section was built by Thomas Telford using Roman cement and gravel, an innovative technique that was used there for the first time, and is the basis for modern road building. The route closely follows the historic route of the Great North Road, though from 1954 it has diverted round the congested suburbs of Finchley and High Barnet along modern roads constructed in the 1920s and 1930s. The A1 is one of London's main roads, providing a link to the M1 and the A1(M) motorways, and on to the Midlands, Northern England and Scotland. Despite this, its main use is to connect a number of neighbourhoods within north London; less than 5% of its vehicles are through traffic – the bulk is local. The roads along which the A1 route travels are the shared responsibility of the local boroughs, the Greater London Authority, and the British Government via the Department for Transport." external.
• Stratford_station abstract "Stratford is a major multilevel interchange station serving the district of Stratford in the London Borough of Newham, east London. It is served by the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and is also a National Rail station on the Great Eastern Main Line, 4 miles 3 chains (6.5 km) down-line from Liverpool Street. On the Underground it is a through-station on the Central line between Mile End and Leyton, and it is the eastern terminus of the Jubilee line following West Ham. On the DLR it is a terminus for some trains and for others it is a through-station between Stratford High Street and Stratford International. On the Overground it is the terminus of the North London Line following Hackney Wick; on the main line it is served by TfL Rail stopping services between Liverpool Street and Shenfield and by medium- and longer-distance services operated by Abellio Greater Anglia to and from numerous destinations in the East of England. There are also limited off-peak services operated by c2c between Liverpool Street and Shoeburyness via the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway. From 2019 the full Crossrail service will replace TfL Rail, linking Stratford to other stations in central London as well as Reading and Heathrow Airport. The station was opened in 1839 by the Eastern Counties Railway. Today it is owned by Network Rail and is situated in Travelcard zone 2/3. To distinguish it from Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire it is sometimes referred to as Stratford (London), or as Stratford Regional to differentiate it from Stratford International, which is some 1,210 feet (370 m) to the north. Stratford served as a key travel hub for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games held in London. By the most recent National Rail entry and exit figures, it is the 10th busiest station in Britain and the busiest station in London that is not a central London terminus." external.
• Highbury abstract "(For other uses, see Highbury (disambiguation).) Highbury is a district in the London Borough of Islington." external.
• Dalston_Junction_railway_station abstract "(This article is about the East London Line station. For the nearby North London Line station, see Dalston Kingsland railway station. For the station in Cumbria, see Dalston railway station.) Dalston Junction railway station /ˈdɔːlstən/ is a commuter station in north-east London in the United Kingdom. It is located at the crossroads of Dalston Lane, Kingsland Road and Balls Pond Road in the Dalston area of the London Borough of Hackney. The station is on the East London Line which is part of the London Overground network, in Travelcard Zone 2." external.
• Dalston_Kingsland_railway_station abstract "Dalston Kingsland railway station is a railway station on the North London Line in London, England. It is in the Dalston area of the London Borough of Hackney, on the western side of Kingsland High Street and opposite Ridley Road Market. The station and all trains serving it are operated by London Overground. It is in Travelcard Zone 2. Kingsland railway station was first opened on the site in 1850, but was replaced by Dalston Junction in 1865. The current station was opened by British Rail in 1983. Ticket barriers are in operation." external.
• Chelsea_Harbour abstract "Chelsea Harbour is a contemporary mixed-use development in Hammersmith and Fulham, London. It is situated in its Sands End area, along Chelsea Creek, the historic southeastern boundary of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham with the southwestern boundary of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, opposite the site of the old Lots Road Power Station in Chelsea. The development consists of luxury apartments, the Chelsea Harbour Marina and the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre and a hotel, 'the Chelsea Harbour Hotel'. Its name and postcode have led to confusion and misattribution of this area in historic Fulham to its neighbour, Chelsea." external.
• Gatwick_Airport abstract "Gatwick Airport (IATA: LGW, ICAO: EGKK) is an airport in south-east England, 29.5 miles (47.5 km) south of Central London and 2.7 nautical miles (5.0 km; 3.1 mi) north of Crawley. Also known as London Gatwick, it is the second-busiest airport (by total passenger traffic) in the United Kingdom (after London Heathrow). Gatwick opened as an aerodrome in the late 1920s, and has been in use for commercial flights since 1933. The airport has two terminals, the North Terminal and the South Terminal, which cover areas of 98,000 m2 (1,050,000 sq ft) and 160,000 m2 (1,700,000 sq ft) respectively. It operates as a single-runway airport, using a main runway with a length of 3,316 m (10,879 ft). A secondary runway is available but, due to its proximity to the main runway, can only be used if that is out of use. In 2015, 40.3 million passengers passed through the airport, a 5.7 per cent increase compared with 2014." external.
• Camden_Town abstract "Camden Town (/ˈkæmdən/), often shortened to Camden (ambiguously also used for the much larger London Borough of Camden of which it is the central neighbourhood), is an inner city district of North West London, 2.4 miles (3.9 km) north of the centre of London. It is one of the 35 major centres identified in the London Plan. Laid out as a residential district from 1791 and originally part of the manor of Kentish Town and the parish of St Pancras, London, Camden Town became an important location during the early development of the railways, which reinforced its position on the London canal network. The area's industrial economic base has been replaced by service industries such as retail, tourism and entertainment. The area now hosts street markets and music venues which are strongly associated with alternative culture." external.
• Marylebone_station abstract "Marylebone station (/ˈmɑːrlᵻbən/ MAR-li-bən), also known as London Marylebone, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. It stands midway between the main line stations at Euston and Paddington, about 1 mile (1.6 km) from each. Originally the London terminus of the former Great Central Main Line to Sheffield and Manchester, which was closed north of Aylesbury in 1966, it now serves as the terminus of the Chiltern Main Line route to Birmingham, the London to Aylesbury Line (a remaining part of the former Great Central Line), and, in 2015 services commenced between Marylebone and Oxford Parkway, via a new chord connecting the Chiltern Main Line to the Oxford to Bicester Line. Marylebone is the Central London terminus for Chiltern Railways which provides a large number of commuter/regional services approximately due north-west principally along the M40 corridor to destinations in Buckinghamshire, parts of Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and the West Midlands. Opened in 1899, it is the youngest of London's main line terminal stations, and also one of the smallest, having opened with half the number of platforms originally planned. It is also the only London terminal station to host only diesel trains, having no electrified lines. From 1967 for many years it was served only by diesel multiple-unit trains (DMUs). It now once again also sees locomotive-hauled trains daily. Two new platforms were added in 2006 to accommodate increases in services and passengers. Marylebone is in Travelcard Zone 1." external.
• Edgware abstract "Edgware (/ˈɛdʒwɛər/) is a district of north London, in the London Borough of Barnet. Edgware is centred 10 miles (16 km) north-northwest of Charing Cross and has its own commercial centre. Edgware has a generally suburban character, typical of the rural-urban fringe. It was an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex. The community benefits from some elevated woodland on a high ridge marking the Hertfordshire border of gravel and sand. Edgware is identified in the London Plan as one of the capital's 35 major centres. In 2011, Edgware had a population of 76,056. Edgware is principally a shopping and residential area and one of the northern termini of the Northern line. It has a bus garage, a shopping centre called the Broadwalk, a library, a hospital—Edgware Community Hospital, and two streams—Edgware Brook and Deans Brook, both tributaries of a small brook known as Silk Stream, which in turn merges with the River Brent at Brent Reservoir." external.
• Leicester_Square abstract "Leicester Square (/ˈlɛstər/ LESS-ter)) is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. It was laid out in 1670 and is named after the contemporary Leicester House, itself named after Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester. The square was originally a gentrified residential area, with tenants including Frederick, Prince of Wales and artists William Hogarth and Joshua Reynolds. It became more down-market in the late 18th century as Leicester House was demolished and retail developments took place, becoming a centre for entertainment. Several major theatres were established in the 19th century, which were converted to cinemas towards the middle of the next. Leicester Square holds a number of nationally important cinemas such as the Odeon Leicester Square, Empire, Leicester Square and the now closed Odeon West End, which are frequently used for film premieres, The nearby Prince Charles Cinema is popular for showing cult films and marathon film runs. The square remains a popular tourist attraction, including hosting events for the Chinese New Year. The square has always had a park in its centre, which was originally Lammas land. The park's fortunes have varied over the centuries, reaching near dilapidation in the mid-19th century after changing ownership several times. It was restored under the direction of Albert Grant, which included the construction of four new statues and a fountain of William Shakespeare. The square was extensively refurbished and remodelled for the 2012 London Olympics, costing more than £15m and taking over 17 months to complete." external.
• Wimbledon,_London abstract "(For other uses, see Wimbledon (disambiguation).) Wimbledon /ˈwɪmbəldən/ is a district of southwest London, England, in the London Borough of Merton, south of Wandsworth, northeast of New Malden, northwest of Mitcham, west of Streatham and north of Sutton. Wimbledon had a population of 68,187 in 2011 which includes the electoral wards of Abbey, Dundonald, Hillside, Trinity, Village, Raynes Park and Wimbledon Park. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas of common land in London. The residential and retail area is split into two sections known as the "village" and the "town", with the High Street being the rebuilding of the original medieval village, and the "town" having first developed gradually after the building of the railway station in 1838. Wimbledon has been inhabited since at least the Iron Age when the hill fort on Wimbledon Common is thought to have been constructed. In 1087 when the Domesday Book was compiled, Wimbledon was part of the manor of Mortlake. The ownership of the manor of Wimbledon changed between various wealthy families many times during its history, and the area also attracted other wealthy families who built large houses such as Eagle House, Wimbledon Manor House and Warren House. The village developed with a stable rural population coexisting alongside nobility and wealthy merchants from the city. In the 18th century the Dog and Fox public house became a stop on the stagecoach run from London to Portsmouth, then in 1838 the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) opened a station to the south east of the village at the bottom of Wimbledon hill. The location of the station shifted the focus of the town's subsequent growth away from the original village centre. Wimbledon had its own borough larger than its historic boundaries while still in the county of Surrey; it was absorbed into the London Borough of Merton as part of the creation of Greater London in 1965. Since 2005, the north and west of the Borough has been represented in Westminster by Stephen Hammond, a Conservative MP. The eastern and southern of the Borough are represented by Siobhain McDonagh, a Labour MP. It has established minority groups; among the most prominent are British Asians (including British Sri Lankans), British Ghanaians, Polish and Irish people." external.
• Putney_railway_station abstract "Putney railway station is in Putney in the London Borough of Wandsworth, in south London, and is on the boundary of Travelcard Zone 2 and Zone 3. The station and all trains serving it are operated by South West Trains. It has four platforms and is about half a kilometre from East Putney tube station. Ticket barriers are in operation." external.
• Wimbledon_Common abstract "Wimbledon Common is a large open space in Wimbledon, south-west London, totalling 460 hectares (1,140 acres). There are three named areas: Wimbledon Common, Putney Heath, and Putney Lower Common, which together are managed under the name Wimbledon and Putney Commons. Putney Lower Common is separated from the rest of the Common by about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometres) of built-up area of southwest Putney." external.
• Ladbroke_Grove_tube_station abstract "Ladbroke Grove is a London Underground station on the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines, between Latimer Road and Westbourne Park stations, and in Travelcard Zone 2 set in The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea . Originally opened as part of the Metropolitan Railway on 13 June 1864, the station was originally named Notting Hill. With the extension of that line from Paddington to Hammersmith it was renamed Notting Hill & Ladbroke Grove in 1880 and Ladbroke Grove (North Kensington) on 1 June 1919 before acquiring the present name in 1938. The renamings were efforts to avoid confusion with the opening of Notting Hill Gate tube station, which had occurred in 1868. The station is the nearest to Portobello Road Market and market traders and shopkeepers in the market have started a campaign to have the station renamed Portobello Road in an effort to strengthen recognition of the market's proximity. In 2009, because of financial constraints, TfL decided to stop work on a project to provide step-free access at Ladbroke Grove and five other stations, on the grounds that these are relatively quiet stations and some are already one or two stops away from an existing step-free station. Ladbroke Grove is two stops away from Wood Lane which has step-free access. The project at Ladbroke Grove would have provided two new lifts to platform level and a new step-free entrance. £3.06 million was spent on Ladbroke Grove before the project was halted." external.
• Walham_Green abstract "Walham Green is an area located on the border of Fulham and Chelsea, south-west London, United Kingdom. To the south is Parsons Green, south-west Fulham, north West Kensington, north-east West Brompton, east Chelsea and south-east is Sands End. As a separate place-name it is nowadays rarely used, with most considering it part of Fulham. Within the area is the stadium of Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea F.C." external.
• Cleveland_Clinic abstract "The Cleveland Clinic is a multispecialty academic hospital located in Cleveland, Ohio that is owned and operated by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, an Ohio nonprofit corporation established in 1921. In addition to their flagship hospital in Cleveland, Cleveland Clinic also operates affiliated facilities in Florida, Nevada, Canada, and United Arab Emirates." external.
• Greater_London abstract "London, or Greater London, is a region of England which forms the administrative boundaries of London. It is organized into 33 districts: the 32 London boroughs (which makes up the ceremonial county of Greater London) and the City of London (which is a separate county but still part of the region). The Greater London Authority, based in Southwark, is responsible for strategic local government across the region and consists of the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. The county of Greater London was created on 1 April 1965 through the London Government Act 1963. Administratively, Greater London was first established as a sui generis council area under the Greater London Council between 1963 and 1986. The area was re-established as a region in 1994, and the Greater London Authority formed in 2000. The region covers 1,572 km2 (607 sq mi) and had a population of 8,174,000 at the 2011 census. It has the highest GVA per capita in the United Kingdom at £37,232. The Greater London Built-up Area—used in some national statistics—is a measure of the continuous urban area of London, and therefore includes areas outside of the administrative region." external.
• Kensington_Palace abstract "Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century, and is the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Today, the State Rooms are open to the public and managed by the independent charity Historic Royal Palaces, a nonprofit organization that does not receive public funds. The offices and private accommodation areas of the Palace remain the responsibility of the Royal Household and are maintained by the Royal Household Property Section. The palace also displays many paintings and other objects from the Royal Collection." external.
• Hoxton abstract "Hoxton is a district in the East End of London, England, immediately north of the financial district of the City of London. Hoxton forms the western part of Shoreditch, being part of the ancient parish and subsequent Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch prior to its incorporation into the London Borough of Hackney.The area of Hoxton is bordered by Regent's Canal on the north side, Wharf Road and City Road to the west, Old Street to the south, and Kingsland Road to the east. Hoxton is also a ward, electing three councillors to Hackney London Borough Council. It forms part of the Hackney South and Shoreditch constituency." external.
• London_Borough_of_Islington abstract "The London Borough of Islington /ˈɪzlɪŋtən/ is a London borough in Inner London with an estimated population of 215,667. It was formed in 1965 by merging the former metropolitan boroughs of Islington and Finsbury, but the merged entity remains the second smallest borough in London and the third smallest district in England. The borough contains two Westminster parliamentary constituencies, Islington North and Islington South & Finsbury. The local authority is Islington Council. The borough is home to football club Arsenal, one of the most successful clubs in England and its home Emirates Stadium that is one of the largest football stadiums in the country." external.
• Swiss_Cottage_tube_station abstract "Swiss Cottage is a London Underground station at Swiss Cottage, north London. It is on the Jubilee line, between Finchley Road and St. John's Wood stations. It is in Travelcard Zone 2 and located at the junction of Finchley Road, Avenue Road and College Crescent." external.
• Euston_railway_station abstract "Euston railway station or London Euston /ˈlʌndən.ˈjuːstən/ is a central London railway terminus and one of 19 stations managed by Network Rail. It is the sixth busiest railway station in the UK. Euston is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line, the busiest intercity passenger route in Britain and the main gateway from London to the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and parts of Scotland. Virgin Trains provides high-speed intercity services to these regions. Its most important long-distance destinations are Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow. Euston is also the London terminus for London Midland trains providing local commuter and regional services via the WCML from London to Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire as well as long-distance services to the West Midlands county, Staffordshire and Cheshire. Euston is also the terminus for suburban services on the Watford DC Line operated by London Overground. It is connected to Euston tube station and near to Euston Square tube station on the London Underground. It is a short walk from King's Cross Station, the southern terminus of the East Coast Main Line, and St Pancras International Station for the Midland Main Line and for Eurostar to France, Belgium and the Netherlands. These stations are all in Travelcard Zone 1." external.
• Berkshire abstract "Berkshire (/ˈbɑːrkʃər/ or /ˈbɑːrkʃɪər/, abbreviated Berks) is a ceremonial county of south east England, located to the west of London. It has also been known as the Royal County of Berkshire since at least the 19th century because of the presence of Windsor Castle and was recognised as such by the Queen in 1957 and letters patent issued in 1974. Berkshire is a county of historic origin and is a home county, a ceremonial county and a non-metropolitan county without a county council. Berkshire County Council was the main county governance from 1889 to 1998 except for the separately administered County Borough of Reading. In 1974, significant alterations were made to the county's administrative boundaries although the traditional boundaries of Berkshire were not changed. The towns of Abingdon, Didcot and Wantage were transferred to Oxfordshire, Slough was gained from Buckinghamshire and the separate administration of Reading was ended. Since 1998, Berkshire has been governed by the six unitary authorities of Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead and Wokingham. It borders the counties of Oxfordshire (to the north), Buckinghamshire (to the north-east), Greater London (to the east), Surrey (to the south-east), Wiltshire (to the west) and Hampshire (to the south)." external.
• Virginia_Water abstract "Virginia Water is a commuter town in the Surrey section of the London urban area. It is home to the Wentworth Estate and the Wentworth Club, where the first Ryder Cup was played. The estate is situated in the Borough of Runnymede in Surrey, England, and the bodies of water stretching over the borders of Runnymede, Old Windsor and Sunninghill and Ascot. The town takes its name from the lake in the nearby Windsor Great Park. The lake's name was transferred from a previous stream, which was probably named after the 'Virgin Queen', Elizabeth I." external.
• Sunningdale abstract "Sunningdale is a large village and civil parish in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England." external.
• Windsor_Castle abstract "Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is notable for its long association with the English and later British royal family and for its architecture. The original castle was built in the 11th century after the Norman invasion of England by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I, it has been used by all monarchs, and is the longest-occupied palace in Europe. The castle's lavish early 19th-century State Apartments were described by the art historian Hugh Roberts as "a superb and unrivalled sequence of rooms widely regarded as the finest and most complete expression of later Georgian taste". Inside the castle walls is the 15th-century St George's Chapel, considered by the historian John Martin Robinson to be "one of the supreme achievements of English Perpendicular Gothic" design. Originally designed to protect Norman dominance around the outskirts of London and oversee a strategically important part of the River Thames, Windsor Castle was built as a motte-and-bailey, with three wards surrounding a central mound. Gradually replaced with stone fortifications, the castle withstood a prolonged siege during the First Barons' War at the start of the 13th century. Henry III built a luxurious royal palace within the castle during the middle of the century, and Edward III went further, rebuilding the palace to make an even grander set of buildings in what would become "the most expensive secular building project of the entire Middle Ages in England". Edward's core design lasted through the Tudor period, during which Henry VIII and Elizabeth I made increasing use of the castle as a royal court and centre for diplomatic entertainment. Windsor Castle survived the tumultuous period of the English Civil War, when it was used as a military headquarters for Parliamentary forces and a prison for Charles I. At the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Charles II rebuilt much of Windsor Castle with the help of the architect Hugh May, creating a set of extravagant Baroque interiors that are still admired. After a period of neglect during the 18th century, George III and George IV renovated and rebuilt Charles II's palace at colossal expense, producing the current design of the State Apartments, full of Rococo, Gothic and Baroque furnishings. Queen Victoria made a few minor changes to the castle, which became the centre for royal entertainment for much of her reign. Windsor Castle was used as a refuge for the royal family during the Luftwaffe bombing campaigns of the Second World War and survived a fire in 1992. It is a popular tourist attraction, a venue for hosting state visits, and the preferred weekend home of Elizabeth II. Today, more than 500 people live and work in Windsor Castle – the largest inhabited castle in the world." external.

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