Home to undeniably eccentric Brits and a couple of thousand years of history, London is a smörgåsbord of weird tourist attractions. Here are some of the best.
Diagon Alley, Warner Bros Studio Tour
In an unassuming part of Leavesden, on the outskirts of London, in an old Rolls Royce factory, lies one of the UK’s biggest new tourist attractions. This enormous, cavernous building was one of the main filming locations for the Harry Potter movies.
Much of it remains a working film studio, but a huge section has been transformed into a studio tour, using original props and sets from the films for enthusiastic muggles and wizards alike to enjoy.
The highlight is undoubtedly the opportunity to walk down Diagon Alley, the magical shopping street where Harry first bought his wand and met his owl, Hedwig.
The Thin House, Knightsbridge
For hundreds of years London has been a desirable place to live, and this has meant every square inch of land is worth a fortune. Property developers and architects are often forced to think creatively with the limited space they have.
Because of this, London has many examples of peculiarly thin houses, which at their widest might not stretch to more than a couple of metres. This example, in Thurloe Square, might not be the thinnest, but it’s certainly one of the most interesting architectural quirks the city has to offer.
The Nose, Admiralty Arch
Another architectural oddity –and one you probably wouldn’t notice unless you were told about it – isthat many of London’s buildings have small plaster noses attached to them. Perhaps the most famous example is the one of Admiralty Arch, the vast Edwardian entrance to the Mall and Buckingham Palace.
Rumour has it that the nose was placed in honour of the Duke of Wellington, or to mock Napoleon. Many claim that members of the Queen’s Household Cavalry would touch it for luck as they rode past.
In fact, contrary to what urban myths suggest, the noses were placed by an artist in 1997 as part of an anti-CCTV art project. There are seven around central London – see if you can find them all.
Hunterian Museum
Of all the many museums in London, this has to be most unusual – and gruesome. John Hunter was a prominent 18th-century surgeon and anatomist who made many significant contributions to medicine.
As part of his studies he collected thousands of body parts of both humans and animals and preserved them in jars filled with formaldehyde. After his death his huge and rather morbid collection was opened to the public in the building of the Royal College of Surgeons. Make sure you have a strong stomach…
Traffic Light Tree, Canary Wharf
This area of east London is barely recognisable from its origins as a thriving shipping port. Since the 1980s it has become one of London’s richest and busiest business districts.
This outlandish art structure, created by French sculptor Pierre Vivant, was designed to reflect the ‘never-ending rhythm’ of the area. 75 sets of lights flash onandoff intermittently, and look practically identical to real traffic lights – causing some confused motorists to hesitate at the roundabout!
Author Bio
This is a post by Skola, who have beenat the forefront of education in English for over 40 years and whose goal is to provide the highest possible quality tuition to an international body of students. Their international students are always interested in getting to know the quirkier side of Europe’s most eccentric capital city.