THE HISTORICAL PLACES OF GREAT BRITAIN

As we know, a lot of historical places of Great Britain are located in its capital, London.

St. Paul’s Cathedral is the City’s greatest monument and Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece.St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. The present church dating from the late 17th century was built to an English Baroque design of Sir Christopher Wren, as part of a major rebuilding program which took place in the city after the Great Fire of London, and was completed within his lifetime.

Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, built around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. It is in the borough of the City of Westminster. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of contemporary art. The square is also used for political demonstrations and community gatherings, such as the celebration of New Year's Eve.

The name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), a British naval victory of the Napoleonic Wars over France. The original name was to have been "King William the Fourth's Square", but George Ledwell Taylor suggested the name "Trafalgar Square".

Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078, and was a symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite. The castle was used as a prison since at least 1100, although that was not its primary purpose. A grand palace early in its history, it served as a royal residence.

The Tower of London has played a prominent role in English history. It was besieged several times and controlling it has been important to controlling the country. The Tower has served variously as an armoury, a treasury, a menagerie, the home of the Royal Mint, a public records office, and the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. From the early 14th century until the reign of Charles II, a procession would be led from the Tower to Westminster Abbey on the coronation of a monarch. Today the Tower of London is one of the country's most popular tourist attractions.

Buckingham Palace is the official London residence and principal workplace of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality.

Originally known as Buckingham House, the building which forms the core of today's palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1705 on a site which had been in private ownership for at least 150 years.

Buckingham Palace finally became the official royal palace of the British monarch on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. The last major structural additions were made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the East front which contains the well-known balcony on which the royal family traditionally congregates to greet crowds outside.

The Collegiate Church of St. Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English, later British and later still (and currently) monarchs of the Commonwealth realms. There is a corner usually called “Poet’s Corner”, where the famous British lie.

The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

The Palace is one of the centres of political life in the United Kingdom; "Westminster" has become a metonym for the UK Parliament, and the Westminster system of government has taken its name after it. The Elizabeth Tower, in particular, which is often referred to by the name of its main bell, "Big Ben", is an iconic landmark of London and the United Kingdom in general, one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city and an emblem of parliamentary democracy. The Palace of Westminster has been a Grade I listed building since 1970 and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.

Vocabulary Notes

masterpiece – шедевр, витвір мистецтва

borough – округ

plinth – цоколь, основа

to commemorate – вшановувати пам'ять

naval victory – морська перемога

symbol of oppression – символ гніту, тиранії

armoury – арсенал (склад зброї)

treasury – скарбниця

menagerie – звіринець

the Royal Mint – Королівський монетний двір

a public records office – архів громадян

accession – вступ на престол

E x e r c i s e s

I. Answer the questions:

1. Who was the architect of St. Paul’s Cathedral?

2. What is the second name for Trafalgar Square?

3. Where is Nelson’s Column situated?

4. What do you know about the Tower of London?

5. By whom was built the Tower of London?

6. Where is Buckingham Palace located?

7. What is called the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English?

8. What is the second name for the Elizabeth Tower?

III.Fill in the gaps with the prepositions from the text:

1. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back …. the original church on this site, founded in AD 604.

2. Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction…. central London, built ……… the area formerly known as Charing Cross.

3. Trafalgar Square is also used ….political demonstrations and community gatherings, such as the celebration ….New Year's Eve.

4. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built …. William the Conqueror …. 1078, and was a symbol ….oppression, inflicted ….. London ….. the new ruling elite.

5. Buckingham Palace finally became the official royal palace …. the British monarch ….. the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837.

6. The Elizabeth Tower, in particular, which is often referred …. ….the name …. its main bell, "Big Ben", is an iconic landmark …. London and the United Kingdom …. general.

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