Royal Exchange Building

Perhaps one of the very first shopping malls in the world!  The first Royal exchange building with its boutique shops stood here in 1571.  It burnt down in the 1666 great fire.  The current building is the third one, built by the Victorians.

However this spot has been significant for a lot longer than the middle ages.  The cross roads on which it stands is the meeting of five major roads that all lead out to the various parts of England.  These roads were built by the Romans and now all feed into the main arterial routes that exist today.  

A Roman Spectacular

The citizens of Londinium, from the year 61 AD, were back in Kings Cross over the weekend.  Chariot races and gladiator workshops were on offer for the thrill seekers.  You could partake in hair braiding and learn the secrets of Roman beauty treatments.  Or if your preferred learning a few home decor skills, you could make your own mosaics.

Queen Bodicea who is rumoured to be buried somewhere beneath platforms 9 & 10 at Kings Cross station made an appearance and I can report has lost none of her feistiness. 

The Strand

In London this is an A road, not what you'd expect in America I'll bet. However the Strand has been an  important route since Roman times and the main road between the City of London and the Palace of Westminster since medievial times.  It has inspired, songs, books and films.  Think Jethro Tull in requiem, Virginia Woolf in Mrs Dalloway and C S Lewis in Chronicles of Narnia for starters.