Visit London
Before 43AD London was nothing but a marshy swamp either side of a tranquil river. It may have had potential for a shiggy hash trail, but for the invading Romans the River Thames was nothing but a barrier to their march on Colchester, then the prominent town. Aulus Plautius, the commander of the Roman troops, ordered the building of a bridge. This first "London Bridge" has been excavated recently, and found to be only yards from the modern London Bridge.
The Thames now had a convenient crossing point. Londinium, the Roman settlement on the northern bank of the river, began to flourish as an important trading point. A network of roads began to fan out from this bridge, and the tangled web of ways and thoroughfares which makes London hashing so exciting began to form.
The Romans were not welcomed by all of the country’s existing inhabitants, and Londinium became a focus for attack by local tribes. In about 200AD a protective wall was built around the city. For well over a millennium the shape and size of the city was defined by this Roman wall. Parts of it can still be seen today. Skilful hares take in this history in their trails, as they direct the pack through London's financial district which now sits on the site of the old city.
London's position as a prime trading point ensured that it did not fall into decline for long after the retreat of the Romans. By the 9th century London was a very prosperous trading centre, but its control constantly switched between English, Danish, and Norman kings. This helped to launch London as a city of rich and varied architecture which can be enjoyed on many a well set trail.
In the 11th Century some of London's most important landmarks started to appear. On Christmas Day, 1066, William the Conqueror was crowned king of England in a ceremony at the newly finished Westminster Abbey. He made London the most important city in Medieval Britain, and started to shape its distinctive skyline. At his direction a castle was built in the southeast corner of the city. This castle acted first as a royal residence, then an infamous prison, a royal mint, a treasury, and housed the beginnings of a zoo. It became the grand complex and raven sanctuary that we now know as the Tower of London.
The year 1176 saw the first stone London Bridge span the river. Dynasties came and went, each leaving their mark. The Tudors embellished the city with grand palaces and a fine collection of royal hunting forests that became our royal parks. The London skyline grew further with democracy being shaped in the Houses of Parliament (despite plots to blow it up), and St Pauls Cathedral sprang from the charred remains of the great fire of 1666.
It was not until the mid 18th century that a second stone bridge, Blackfriars, spanned the river Thames. By this time Francis Drake had returned to British shores with his hold full of pirate plunder and received his knighthood. The British Empire, the largest empire in history, was in full swing, and money was pouring in from the slave trade, exploitation of the colonies, and the illegal opium trade with China. This wealth accumulated in the city in the form of bricks and mortar, marble and granite. The Romanesque columns of the Bank of England. The grand residences on the Strand, Fleet Street and Temple.
What we have now is an eclectic mosaic of ancient stone and modern glass and steel. The ultra modern nestled between the old and proud. We have the visionary rounded glass of City Hall overlooking the distinctive towers of Tower Bridge. The missile shaped ‘Gherkin’ skyscraper towers above centuries of financial history. The Millennium Wheel reaches for the skies giving grand views over the grey gables and gold trim of Big Ben. In sun drenched open spaces such as Trafalgar Square, and tucked away in shady corners and piazzas, can be found statues and art of bronze and stone. Monuments celebrating the history of our country, and wacky works of modern art looking to the future. This history, and variety in a tight labyrinth of time, coupled with a modern and extensive public transport network make London perfect hashing territory. It was British expats in the autumn of our empire that created the unique worldwide network of friends that is the Hash House Harriers. In London in April 2011 we can bring hashing home, and create something special and memorable. The pound is suffering against its worldwide rivals, so now is the time to come and visit London. It’s a glorious city, and we can show you the best of it.
