Revamped Historical Landmarks: London’s Fresh Takes on Iconic Sites*

London has been around for a very long time – it is thought that people have been living on the site for tens of thousands of years, and there is some recorded history of settlement in the area dating back to over six thousand years ago. However, a recognisable London has existed (in one form or another) since the advent of the Romans, in the first century AD, an incredible piece of historical endurance given the changes that have occurred during the 2,000-year interim. With all that history spread across not very much geography, it is not surprising that many buildings and landmarks have risen and fallen over the years. However, in the last two or three hundred years, Londoners have become more aware of the importance of restoring or maintaining important historical landmarks, preserving them for later generations. Let’s have a look at some of these.

Photo by Fas Khan on Unsplash 

The Tin Tabernacle (Cambridge Hall) Kilburn

A church built from corrugated iron, this old, Grade Two listed building was once a stand-in for a ship! Tin churches were not uncommon in the 1800s, being easily and quick to erect (albeit expensive), but most were pulled down when time and the weather wrought havoc on the fabric of the buildings, particularly as church attendance declined. Built in 1863, the church found a new lease of life after the Second World War, which it survived, as the home base for the local sea cadet chapter. It is the Sea Cadets who ‘reclassified’ the building as a ship – the Training Ship Bicester – when it was renovated inside to take on the appearance of a ton-class Minesweeper vessel so that young cadets could get to grips with life on board before actually setting sail. The building slowly fell into disrepair and could no longer be used after 1950 or thereabouts – until the last couple of years. A new roof and some urgent repairs to the structure of the building will see this historical landmarks useful state return, at which point the public will once again be allowed to visit.

Photo by Jaanus Jagomägi on Unsplash 

St Paul’s Cathedral 

This one is a bit of a cheat, but it’s a lovely story. St Paul’s Cathedral was indeed revamped – but it happened in 1710! The original building fell victim to the slow but remorseless (it was said that you could walk ahead of the fire without losing your breath, but the fire cut a wide swathe through London, destroying a great number of buildings as it went, before butting up against the river and finally being brought under control) progress of the Great Fire of London in 1666, before being renovated to its current beautiful form by Christopher Wren!

Photo by Stefan Siegel on Unsplash 

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

Perhaps the most famous ‘new-old’ building in London, the replica of the Globe Theatre is not unusual in its recreation. The original building was built in 1599, burned down in 1613, was rebuilt the following year and demolished again in 1644! This building, a pretty good approximation of the theatre as it would have been when Shakespeare’s ink was still wet on the page, is a couple of hundred metres away from the original site, and holds far fewer customers than the original would have squeezed in: about 1,400 people compared to the approximate 3,000 who would have attended plays in the 1600s. The theatre opened in 1997 and has been delighting, entertaining and horrifying audiences regularly ever since with plays that now look and feel as they would when their author could peer around the wings and see how the audience was responding to his beautifully penned lines.

Photo by Hulki Okan Tabak on Unsplash 

London is a historic city and it regularly reinvents itself. If you’re coming to visit for any length of time, you should live like a local for a while if you can and view those historical landmarks. Rather than wrapping yourself in the hotel life, choose one of the many aparthotels in London where you can shop, dine and socialise like a local to get the best flavour of the city – and maybe find out a few more revamped treasures to marvel over.