A day trip

In 1197 in order to raise funds for his expedition to the Holy Land, Richard I sold the Crown’s rights over the River Thames to the City of London, and the limits of its authority were marked by two stones: the Crowstone on the Essex coast and the London Stone in Kent. In the 1800s, once every seven years the Lord Mayor of London would attend the stone, accompanied by a Recorder and sheriffs, water bailiffs and other dignitaries. These visits attracted crowds and festivities. In 1857, when the Thames Conservancy Board took over the control of the River, the visits and festivities stopped. The Crowstone has remained ever since, waiting patiently for the next visit.

Altre foto di neja