London Eye, Tower of London and The Shard Top Facts
10 facts you didn’t know about the London Eye
1. The London Eye is not a Ferris wheel. It’s the world’s tallest cantilevered observation wheel
2. Supermodel Kate Moss has been on the London Eye 25 times – the record for a UK celebrity
3. On average the London Eye receives more visitors per year than the Taj Mahal and the Great Pyramids of Giza
4. You can see up to 40 kilometres in all directions (that’s as far as Windsor Castle on a clear day)
5. In December 2005 the London Eye was lit pink in celebration of the first Civil Partnership performed on the wheel
6. The 32 capsules on the London Eye are representative of the 32 London boroughs, and each one weighs as much as 1,052,631 pound coins
7. Despite there only being 32 capsules, for superstitious reasons they are numbered 1 to 33: for good luck, there is no capsule numbered 13
8. The London Eye can carry 800 people each rotation, which is comparable to 11 London red double decker buses
9. The London Eye had a predecessor – The Great Wheel – which was in working order from 1895 - 1906
10. Capsules travel at a leisurely pace of 26cm per second, which is twice as fast as a tortoise sprinting!
Top 10 facts about the Tower of London
The Tower of London is one of the city’s most famous historical landmarks, and has a fascinating history. Here are 10 Tower of London facts.
1. It was built as a royal palace and a defence system
The Tower was founded by William the Conqueror towards the end of the 1066. The primary function of military stronghold of the Tower didn’t change until the late 19th century.
2. The Tower is designated as a World Heritage site by UNESCO
There are 911 World Heritage Sites worldwide. The Tower of London is included as it is one of the very few intact medieval buildings.
3. ‘If the ravens leave the Tower the Kingdom will fall…’
At least 6 ravens are kept at the Tower of London at all time, for superstitious reasons. The flock of resident ravens even includes a ‘spare’! Each raven has a wing clipped to make sure they don’t fly too far from home.
4. There are over 23,500 jewels there today
The Crown Jewels were moved to the Martin Tower after the Jewel House was demolished. The total value of the jewels is estimated to exceed £20 billion.
5. 22 executions took place within the Tower of London
The last person to be executed at the Tower of London was a German spy Josef Jakobs on August 15th 1941 after being caught parachuting into England. He was seated in a chair when he was shot. The chair is still preserved today at the Royal Armouries’ artifacts store.
6. During the 1200s a royal zoo was founded at the Tower of London and remained there for 600 years
It was filled with exotic animals such as polar bears, lions, kangaroos, ostriches and elephants. When the tower zoo closed down in 1835, all the animals where moved to the new London Zoo in Regent’s Park. Today you will be able to see sculptures of these animals that once lived in the tower.
7. Someone somewhere has a spare key!
In November 2012, the key to the internal lock to the Tower was stolen. The lock was immediately replaced.
8. The building and grounds were damaged in World War II
During the First World War, there was very little harm done to the Tower. Unfortunately, the Second World War damaged the castle but missed the white tower. At the end of the war, the damage was repaired and reopened to the public.
9. It’s a haunted house…
Several ghosts are said to be residents at the tower of London including Henry VI, Catherine (the fifth wife of King Henry VIII), Dame Sybil who was the nurse of Prince Edward and even a grizzly bear that once lived in the tower.
10. You can Buy The Tower of London Tickets Now from the VisitBritain Shop and enjoy a guided tour!
10 things you did not know about The Shard
It dominates London’s skyline, and any building as tall as The Shard is bound to be full of facts, trivia and record-breaking statistics.
1. It’s actually the tallest building in Western Europe
The Shard, at 306 metres tall, briefly held the top spot for the whole of Europe before two buildings in Moscow overtook it within a year!
2. Six women climbed to the top of the building’s exterior in July 2013
The Shard was the setting for a Greenpeace protest in July 2013, aiming to draw attention to oil company Shell’s plans to drill for oil in the Arctic.
3. Construction workers found a fox near the top
The fox, nicknamed Romeo by staff, was found on the 72nd storey and is believed to have survived on food left by construction workers.
4.The Shard is made up of 11,000 glass panels on its exterior
The building is named as it is modelled on a shard of glass, and its 11,000 panels have a total area of 56,000 square metres.
5. It hosts what might just be the ultimate penthouse
The enormous apartment is 224m high, covers two floors, has been compared in size to a seven-bedroom mansion and has a reported price tag of £50 million (US $77 million).
6. Diners with a head for heights can choose from three restaurants
On floors 31 to 33, diners have the choice of the New York grill-inspired menu of Oblix, the northern Chinese cuisine of Hutong and the contemporary British fare of Aqua Shard.
7. You can enjoy the view when in the restroom, 244m above London
If you’ve ever wanted to answer a call of nature while enjoying a commanding aerial view of the City of London through floor-to-ceiling windows, then The View from The Shard is the visitor attraction for you.
8. The viewing platform is actually three floors
The viewing area is on floors 68, 69 and 72. Floor 68 is home to Cloudscape, a feature about the different types of clouds over London. Floor 69 hosts interactive telescopes, while floor 72 is open to the elements.
9. The average lift speed is 6 metres per second
Though the lifts are very smooth and entertain passengers with video ceiling panels, bring some chewing gum in case your ears pop!
10. You can save £5 per ticket when you Buy The Shard tickets in advance with the VisitBritain Shop!