Westminster, London, England

WESTMINSTER (London, England)

London's Westminster Abbey was built in 1245 where a church had been since the 7th century. All coronations have been held there since 1066, and 16 royal weddings since 1100. Over 3,300 prominent people--monarchs, prime ministers, poets, actors, scientists--are buried there. Nearby Westminster Palace (with its "Big Ben" Clock Tower) was first built in 1016 and rebuilt 1840-1876. It was the primary residence of English monarchs until 1512; Parliament has met there since the 13th century.

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)

The Tower of London

THE TOWER OF LONDON (London, England, UK)

Dating to the Norman Conquest (1066) the castle, inflicted by the ruling French, was resented as a symbol of oppression. It contains several buildings within two rings of walls and a moat. Sometimes a royal residence, armory, treasury, menagerie, and home of the Crown Jewels of England, it was also famously used as a prison from 1100 to 1952. Today it's a popular tourist attraction.

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)

Stonehenge

STONEHENGE (The Salisbury Plain, England)

Composed of a circle of standing stones, some joined by horizontal lintels, this prehistoric monument stands on England's Salisbury Plain, oriented toward the rising sun on the winter and summer solstices. Built between 3000-2000 BCE, it is surrounded by several hundred burial mounds. Its true purpose remains unknown.

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)