Aldwych is a lovely place in London filled with the best kind of travel delights and tour memories
The best way to enjoy the city of London is to enjoy its small streets and by lanes along with the beautiful stations and underground halts. Aldwych is one such one way street in London and the entire area that surrounds the street right here in the City of Westminster in London is a well-visited place. The street is a short one and is just around half a mile to the north-east of the Charing Cross. It is a part of the A4 route that traverses from London towards Avon mouth in Bristol. Aldwych is mainly a part of the North bank business district which deals with improving the entire area. It is popular for many sites and also gets its name due to an Underground station that used to exist here once upon a time. This is now been used as a filming location for many television shows and films.
Places to See in Aldwych
Aldwych is actually shaped like a crescent and is connected to Strand at either ends. It is a traffic away and takes the traffic in a one way direction towards the east. The streets that connect to this route are the Drury Lane, India Palace, Kings way and Melbourne Palace. There are many buildings of interest as one passes through this region. The Australia House, The India House, The Aldwych Theater, The Waldorf Hilotn and the Novello Theater are among the notable constructions here. Then of course one has the Gaiety Theater and the Bush House which was earlier the BBC World Service Headquarters till the year 2012 from the year 1941. Today one can see the Bush House as a part of the Strand Campus of the famed King's College in the city of London. Aldwych also houses the Connaught House and the Television House which was earlier the ITN headquarters. Then of course one has the Clement House, the London School of Economics buildings which are very popular right here in this beautiful ancient area. Aldwych also has the closed tube station which is on the Strand and initially is known by the name of the Strand station. Today the closed station since 1944 is a place mainly for tourist and filming purpose.
Aldwych and Its Interesting History
Way back in seventh century Lundenwic was an Anglo Saxon village which was a major trading center. It was established right here around a mile to the west of what is today called Aldwych. Apparently Lundenwic used the mouth of the River Fllet to anchor its trading ships and also fishing boats. Then it was Alfred the Great who rebuilt the entire fortifications here sometime in the ninth century and the old region of Londinium came to be known as Lundenburh and Lundenwic came to be called Ealdwic. Incidentally Ealdwic means old market place or trading town. In the year 1211, the area came to be called Aldewich.
How the Name Aldwych Came into Being
Then Lundenwic was again discovered in the 1980s after there were heavy excavations which were really urban in nature. Aldwych also had another link to the excavated area which proved to be an Anglo Saxon settlement. This spanned over 150 acres which stretched from what is the National Gallery today in the western side to Aldwych in the eastern side. Lundenburh then moved back inside the old Roman walls and the earlier Lundenwic settlement which gave the name of Ealdwic or an old settlement. This is what led to the name of Aldwych.
The Development of Aldwych
The modern street that is seen today was mainly a result of the redevelopment which took place in the early half of the twentieth century that mainly saw the old Wych street getting demolished and also led to the construction of the Australia House. One also saw the statue of the 19th century Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone which was installed in the year 1905. This was done somewhere near the St. Clement Danes church. This is today at the eastern side of Aldwych.
The Tramway
Aldwych saw the growth of a tramway in the year 1906 which was opened below Kingsway. It then closed in the year 1952 and then one saw the Aldwych tube station developing in the year 1907. It was then opened right opposite Aldwych but later closed in the year 1994. As one comes here and enjoys the hotels in Shoreditch one only would be more than pleased to take back a unique travel experience while here in London.
The Tours around Aldwych Station
All those who come to Aldwych take a tour of the Aldwych station which is indeed a fascinating locale with a wide and varied history. The public had the privilege of seeing it since the year 1907. It then never got over and the entire place closed down in the year 1994. However today with the influx of so many tourist interests, the Aldwych station has become a favorite of all the tourists. One would be able to see the ticket hall, the platforms that are no longer used and the original lifts. The inter connecting walkways are a fascination indeed and the public loves to explore the place with its intriguing tunnels.
The Importance of the Aldwych Station
The Aldwych Station is very important because it provides shelter to the Londoners during the Blitz and also had a right in the productions like The Krays, Superman IV, the Good Shepherd and 28 weeks later. The tours are always on a limited pattern and the dates of the tours are given much in advance and the tickets are always on a first come first serve basis. There are groups of 25 which make up the best ways of enjoying the place in a better manner. There is also an additional tour which takes one through the London Film Locations Walk which is indeed an iconic experience right here in the beautiful city of London.
Contributed by: http://www.mbymontcalm.co.uk
