
Welcome to our take on a brief history of London, where we explore exactly how it came to be the bustling metropolis it is today. The iconic capital city of England is known for its red buses, tourist hotspots and cultural diversity, but it also has over 2000 years of history. London has survived fires, plagues, invasions; has been a trade centre and a melting pot for fashion, music and art; and so much more. Read on to find out how London has evolved over the last two millennia.
Roman (1st century–410)
Although evidence of Bronze Age (~2000 BC) remains have been discovered, London first became a major settlement around 47 AD, after the Roman invasion of Britain. This is where the city got its name from – Londinium, which likely originated from an Old English word referring to the River Thames that still snakes through the heart of the city to this day. The location was strategic, since being in the south-east of England provided easy access to much of Europe. Originally London was a relatively small area about the size of Hyde Park, with around 60,000 inhabitants – a far cry from the 9 million it would become almost 2000 years later.
Anglo-Saxon (5th century–1066)
The Romans withdrew from Britain around 410 AD and the Saxon tribes from Germany swept in shortly after, establishing various kingdoms across the country. It was then that London first became a major trading hub, growing commerce connections across the country and over the sea to Europe. However, from the 8th century onwards, England was bombarded with attacks by Vikings for the next two centuries, and London often bore the brunt of these raids, but survived. Its increasing size and wealth led to the start of governmental activity, with kings holding meetings and issuing laws.
Mediaeval (1066–late 15th century)
Following his successful invasion of England in 1066, William the Conqueror of Normandy was crowned king in Westminster Abbey. He established fortresses like the Tower of London and Dover Castle to assert dominance over the populace. The throne would eventually return to native kings, but it took England several centuries to shake off the heavy French cultural and linguistic influence. During this time, London’s population and business alike were growing. By 1300, it had ~80,000 inhabitants and trade was organised into various guilds. Despite losing at least half of its population during the Black Death, its economic and political importance allowed it to recover quickly.
Tudor (1485–1603)
The most significant event of this period was undoubtedly the Reformation – the conversion of England from Catholic to Protestant and the subsequent dissolution of the monasteries. London was the centre of Protestantism in England due to its connections with northern Europe and its role as the centre of the English printing industry. This was the era of the international shipping trade expansion, not just to Europe but also to Russia, the Levant, and the Americas, bringing both goods and immigrants to the city and therefore further increasing the population and wealth. From the late 1500s, there was a surge in popularity of drama in London, thanks to William Shakespeare and his now world-famous plays performed in the Globe Theatre on the banks of the River Thames.
Stuart (1603–1714)
This era was marked by a series of chaotic events: first, the English Civil War between the Royalists and the Roundheads, resulting in Royalist defeat and the beheading of King Charles I; then the Great Plague, which started in 1665 and killed about 60,000 people, one fifth of the population; and finally the Great Fire of London in 1666, in which only 16 lives were lost despite the destruction of 60% of the city. During reconstruction, wood was mainly swapped for stone and brick to reduce the risk of fire. This was also when the Bank of England was founded and the British East India Company expanded its reach ,and by the start of the 18th century, 80% of England’s imports and 69% of its exports went through London.
Georgian (18th century)
In 1707, an Act of Union passed which merged the English and Scottish Parliaments, and so the Kingdom of Great Britain was born. This was the time of the rising British Empire, with goods, knowledge and wealth all funnelling back to Britain, with London at its core. Victory in the Seven Years’ War increased Britain’s international standing and opened up new markets for trade, bringing prosperity. This was marred by the breakaway of the American colonies in 1776, a huge loss of taxes and profits. Growing literacy and the rise of the printing press meant that news became more widespread, leading to the popularity of the coffeehouse – the perfect place to debate ideas and share knowledge.
Victorian (19th century)
Queen Victoria, the second-longest reigning monarch, oversaw the evolution of London into the world’s largest city and capital of the British Empire. The population increased sixfold, to 6.7 million by the end of the century. Britain was also transformed by a new network of railways, allowing the middle-class and the wealthy to live in the suburbs with an easy commute into London. However, despite the wealth of the time, there was also devastating poverty, with millions living in filthy slums. Charles Dickens exposed this grim reality in such novels as Oliver Twist, which are still popular to this day. Thankfully, in 1865 the London sewerage system was completed and the death toll from diseases like cholera dropped drastically.
First half of the 20th century
The former half of the 1900s was marred by two world wars, both dramatically impacting the lives of the British people. In World War I, London experienced bombing raids by German zeppelin airships, killing around 700 people. However, the city suffered far worse in World War II, with severe damage from the extensive bombing of the Blitz and 30,000 Londoners killed. Fortunately, hundreds of thousands of children from London were evacuated to the countryside and only returned after the war. Between the two World Wars, London expanded more quickly than ever before. There was also drastic unemployment during the 1930s’ Great Depression. After World War II, Britain no longer had the money or power to manage their overseas territories, and the British Empire broke down.
Second half of the 20th century
From the 1950s onwards, London experienced a large increase in immigration, especially from Commonwealth countries such as Jamaica, India and Pakistan. This led to the establishment of Greater London, a much larger area than its previous limits. Starting in the 1960s, London became a centre for the worldwide youth culture, with a boom in alternative fashion and music partly due to the success of such British musicians as the Beatles and The Rolling Stones. This trendsetter status continued strongly in the 1980s and 90s. There were also repeated terrorist attacks by the IRA from the 1970s until the mid-90s. London finished the 20th century labelled as a “world city”, with considerable influence over finance, trade, and culture, comparable to New York and Tokyo.
21st century
London has seen many significant events over the last quarter century. In 2011, its population grew to over 8 million people and for the first time, White British formed less than half, solidifying its status as a multicultural city. In 2012, it hosted the Summer Olympics, with 20 million people travelling to London for the games. In 2016, Sadiq Khan was elected, the first Muslim mayor of a major Western capital city, and even went on to win a historic third term in 2024. In 2022, the country mourned the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch at 70 years and the longest-reigning queen regnant in history. The current monarch, King Charles III, was crowned on the 6th of May 2023.
The future?
Whatever London’s future may hold remains to be seen. However, there is no doubt this city, with its unique cultural identity that has resulted from over 2000 years of history, will continue to be a major player on the world stage for many years to come.
Thank you for reading, and we hope to welcome you to this vibrant city soon. And if you would like to explore more of England outside of London, check out the amazing Day Tours from London that we offer. We look forward to seeing you on tour!