Unlike many cities, London did not start in a central location, but was originally an area comprising literally dozens of small communities along the Long Denu (The far away valley). There was not even a town of any significance because the Thames (Tamesis) was prone to flooding the entire alluvial plain and, at most times of the year, almost impossible to cross. To some extent, the Romans changed all that.

They had entered the area from the south east, looking for a suitable crossing point to supply their troops fighting in Essex. They found such a place where the normally mud/sand base turned to gravel, close to the existing London Bridge. At first, they forded the river at low tide (the tides are considerable - up to 30 feet - due to the east-running aspect of the river). Later, they built a wooden bridge.

At first, there was still no city, merely a small camp in the Monument area. To guard the crossing, they later built a fort, aboout 200 metres square, between the present Barbican and the Guildhall. The forum was close to Liverpool Street. Having established a viable crossing point, trade soon grew and London became a city of trade. It was not the capital, for this was at Colchester (later, there was to be a second capital at York). It was not until about AD200 that work began on a wall that went virtually due south to the river, the River Fleet (outside the wall) forming a natural barrier. From the fort (Barbican) another wall ran east (it is still named London Wall.

This wall ran for almost a mile before turning south where a section of it can still be seen on Tower Hill. It was not the stone wall built in Medaeval times but an earth bank with wooden palisade. There were also defence ditches (Houndsditch, Shoreditch, etc) to complete the moat-like defence. Gates came and went over the centuries as the city, now called Londinium (the city in the far-away valley) grew and developed. East Gate was usually referred to as Ale Gate because alcohol was not allowed in the city and dwellers visited a brew house just outside. The name was gradually corrupted to Aldgate. On the opposite (west) side, was Ludgate, leading to a ford (later, a bridge) accross the Fleet. Later, an new gate was built (still called New Gate - where the jail was built). On the north side, a gate was made leading out onto a marshy area (Moorgate). Cripple's Gate is long gone and Traitor's Gate was a later development. Aldersgate allowed the Great North Road to leave the city when it was later built.

When the Romans left, much of the city fell into disrepair and kind of spilled out into the surrounding areas. It was not till the Normans came in 1066 that some kind of order returned to the city. William the Conqueror quickly saw the finacial advantage of establishing London as a major city, still not the capital which was then at Winchester. The trade attracted people from all the surrounding areas. Many of the small villages in the valley became deserted, others were swallowed up by the expanding city. The survivors mostly retain their Anglo-Saxon names, and there is sometimes still a strong community spirit.

The city expanded both east and west along the north bank of the river. Because of the smell of the sewage and industries, the poorer people moved downstream (east) and the well-to-do moved upstream (west) into what became Westminster. The land to the south was generally marshy and was frequented by prostitutes and actors (often the same people).

There are actually 3 cities in central London - City of London, City of Westminster and the City of Southwark which has, not one, but TWO cathedrals as well as a University. But the snobbish north-bankers looked down on the south-bankers and, even till today, the area south of the river is known as "The Borough", ignoring the rights to being a city in its own right. This is quite funny when you realise that most of the entertainment and prositution these days is on the north bank, not the south.

Gradually, London grew and grew, the gaps between the villages filled in, and the borders have now met up with towns like Bromley, Croydon, Enfield, which existed in their own right but have now been absorbed into Greater London, much to the disgust of many people who preferred living in "Bromley, Kent" or "Croydon, Surrey" than in smelly London.