Several crossings named London Bridge have spanned the Thames between the City of London to the north and Southwark to the south. The current structure – which opened to traffic in 1974 – is a concrete and steel box girder bridge that replaced a 19th century stone-arched bridge which, in 1967, was dismantled and subsequently relocated to Lake Havasu in Arizona. This had, in turn superseded a 600-year- old medieval crossing which was preceded by a succession of timber bridges, the first built by the Roman founders of London. The traditional ends of the medieval bridge were marked by the church of St Magnus-the-Martyr on the north bank and Southwark Cathedral on the south. From here, we will walk along streets that would have been familiar to Charles Dickens, passing – and perhaps stopping at – the George and Vulture pub which the author was known to visit. Built in 1748, it is mentioned frequently in his book The Pickwick Papers and, when it was threatened with demolition in the 1950s, Cedric Charles Dickens, the author’s great-grandson, campaigned to save it and it became the venue for the Christmas Day Dickens family gathering.

Built following the invasion of Britain by the French King William the Conqueror in 1066 to keep hostile Londoners at bay, the Tower has borne witness to some of the most dramatic events in the country’s history. It has been a royal palace, a prison, a record office and home to a Royal Menagerie of exotic animals, the Royal Mint and the Royal Armouries. A highlight of your visit is sure to be seeing the Crown Jewels, the world’s most magnificent set of royal regalia, which is still used regularly by HM The Queen at important national ceremonies. Standing guard at the Tower are the Yeomen Warders whose members have formed the Royal bodyguard since 1509. Current “Beefeaters”, as they are popularly known, are required to have served in the armed forces with an honourable record for at least 22 years. The Tower is also home to seven ravens, members of the crow family. Legend states that the kingdom will fall if they ever leave the Tower. Only six are required to keep the country safe but an extra one is kept as a spare! On Tower Green stands the scaffold site where prisoners – among them two of King Henry VIII’s six wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard – were executed.

Crossing the Thames close to the Tower and designed to harmonise with it, Tower Bridge was opened in 1894. Spectacular views of the capital are offered from its high level walkways and the inner workings of the world’s most famous bridge are revealed in the Victorian engine rooms which house the coal-fired equipment once used to raise and lower the bascules, the movable roadways crossing the river.

In the 17th century, London’s importance as a centre of international trade led to an increased demand for ship and cargo insurance. Edward Lloyd’s coffee house became recognised as the place to obtain marine insurance and Lloyd’s of London was born. The institution has grown over the centuries to become the world’s leading market for specialist insurance. In the wake of the 9/11 attacks on New York’s World Trade Centre, Lloyd’s was the largest single insurer and its syndicates paid out billions of dollars to affected businesses. Today, it is housed in a striking stainless steel and glass building designed by internationally-renowned architect Richard Rogers.