Bishopsgate is named after one of the original 7th-century gates in London’s Roman defensive wall, which tradition attributes to being built or maintained by a Bishop of London (likely Saint Erkenwald). The gate served as a northern entrance to the city and was often adorned with figures of bishops.
Bishopsgate was one of the eastern gates in London's former defensive wall. The gate's name is traditionally attributed to Earconwald, who was Bishop of London in the 7th century.
The church and street both take their name from the 'Bishop's Gate' in London's defensive wall which stood approximately 30 metres to the south. Stow, writing in 1598 describes the church of his time as standing "in a fair churchyard, adjoining to the town ditch, upon the very bank thereof".
Bishopsgate is famous for its iconic skyscrapers like The Heron Tower with its notable 70,000 litre aquarium in its reception and Tower 42. Not only architectural wonders, but these towers also host top-class dining venues offering magnificent views of London.
The eventual redesign which became the now-constructed 22 Bishopsgate was nicknamed "The Wodge" by The Guardian, with wodge being British slang for a large piece or amount of something.
30 St Mary Axe, previously known as the Swiss Re Building, is a commercial skyscraper in London's primary financial district, the City of London. It is nicknamed The Gherkin after the vegetable of the same name.
No, The Shard is taller than 22 Bishopsgate, with The Shard reaching 310 meters (1,016 feet) compared to 22 Bishopsgate's 278 meters (912 feet), making 22 Bishopsgate the second-tallest building in London after The Shard.
Southgate was originally the south gate of Enfield Chase, the King's hunting grounds. This is reflected in the street names Chase Road (which leads due north from the station to Oakwood, and was formerly the avenue into the Chase) and Chase Side.
Most of the residents tie the name to Henry VIII who took his hunting dogs to the peninsula. Passing by, sailors could hear the barking; hence the name: Isle of Dogs. Nowadays it is often referred to simply as “the Island”. Not only the peninsula, its history is surrounded with water as well.
The estimated average salary for a Vicar at Church of England is £29,971 per year or £14 per hour, but some professionals have reported earning up to roughly £41,481 per year (90th percentile). The typical pay range is between £25,257 (25th percentile) and £35,564 (75th percentile) annually.
The pump has a gruesome past that gained it the nickname 'Pump of Death' after it caused a cholera outbreak in 1876. It was discovered that the pump's water supply contained sediment including calcium that was leached from human bones in nearby cemeteries.
The four boroughs with the highest levels of child poverty are all in Inner and East London - Hackney, Islington, Tower Hamlets and Newham. In these boroughs, more than 40% of children are in poverty.
Over in the City of London, you'll find Watling Street. Connecting Queen Victoria Street to St Paul's Cathedral (and offering a pretty gorgeous view in the process), Watling Street puts forward a fairly convincing case as the oldest street in London.
The poshest London boroughs consistently rank as Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster, and Camden, known for ultra-high property prices, luxury homes, and affluence, with areas like Holland Park, Belgravia, and Mayfair epitomizing this wealth, though Richmond upon Thames offers a greener, riverside elegance, making it posh in a different, family-friendly way.
No, you generally cannot go up The View from The Shard for free, as it requires a paid ticket, but children under three go free, and you can get free entry to other London viewing platforms like Sky Garden or Horizon 22 by booking in advance. Alternatively, dining at one of The Shard's restaurants or bars provides access with a minimum spend, or you can use a city pass like The London Pass.
Interesting comparison The Shard in London is 310m high and the Eiffel Tower in Paris is 324m high. Both provide stunning views across the capital cities.
Hong Kong is the city with the most skyscrapers, with a total of 569 such buildings as of 2026, followed by Shenzhen, New York City, Mumbai, and Dubai. Historically, New York City was the city with the most skyscrapers from the development of early skyscrapers until the early 2000s, when it was overtaken by Hong Kong.
As of 2026, only one European city has 100 or more skyscrapers exceeding 150 metres (490 ft): Moscow (130). Five other European cities have 10 or more skyscrapers exceeding 150 metres (490 ft): Istanbul (56, out of a total of 77 skyscrapers), London (43), Paris (24), Frankfurt (20), and Warsaw (17).
