Page 12 - WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE DISCOVERING ENGLAND

WDT ESSENTIAL GUIDES

5

THE LONDON EYE
The Millennium Wheel now called the EDF
Energy London Eye has become an iconic
landmark and a symbol of modern Britain.
The London Eye is the UK’s most popular paid
for visitor attraction. A breathtaking feat of
design and engineering completed in 2000.
Passengers in the London Eye’s capsules can
see up to 25 miles in all directions. Each ro-
tation takes about 30 minutes, meaning a
capsule travels at a stately 0.6 miles per hour
- twice as fast as a tortoise sprinting. This al-
lows passengers to step on and off without photo by Ron James
stopping the wheel.

6 WESTMINSTER ABBEY

The landmark Westminster Abbey is steeped in more than
a thousand years of history. Benedictine monks first came
to this site in the middle of the tenth century, establishing
a tradition of daily worship which continues to this day.
The Abbey has been the coronation church since 1066
and is the final resting place of 17 monarchs. The present
church was begun by Henry III in 1245.

Photo courtesy of Visit Britain

7

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

Buckingham Palace has served as the official
London residence of Britain’s sovereigns since
1837 and today is the administrative head-
quarters of the Monarch.

Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. These in-
clude 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bed-
rooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78
bathrooms. .
The Palace is very much a working building
and the centerpiece of Britain’s constitutional
monarchy. Thousands of visitors throng to the
site each day to see the changing of the guard.

12 Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2014