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The Great Fire of 1666, not only put an end to the Great Plague which had decimated England's population in the previous two years, but it also destroyed much of London's wooden buildings. One of the casualties was the old cathedral. King Charles II commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to build a new one on the site which he completed in 1711.
ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL was in effect the first Protestant cathedral to be built and it remains the masterpiece of England's most famous architect. Topped by an enormous lead-covered dome, second only in size to St Peter's in Rome, it fortunately stands apart from the city skyscrapers. There's a very long climb to the top of the dome but the reward is splendid views over much of London's skyline. Before the final staircase, stop at the Whispering Gallery, so called because, on a quiet day, whispers spoken against the circular wall can be heard from one side of the dome to the other.
The crypt contains the tombs of Nelson and Wellington as well as a memorial to the hundreds of troops who died in the Falklands War. Unusually their names are listed without rank.