London’s historic environment represents a depth of character largely unmatched by any other city in the world. The capital's diversity, landscape, architecture and history make it a vibrant place to live and visit. The capital's heritage reflects largely on its people and their impact on its structure and it is of great importance to appreciate and explore the influence of historic cultural activity from all sections of London’s diverse community.
Many of London's monuments and historic buildings are managed by 'English Heritage', a charity which states that it uses these properties to "bring the story of England to life for over 10 million people each year". The organisation manages, protects and restores these properies and provides membership which gives benefits such as free admission. Properties managed by English Heritage include Eltham Palace, Wellington Arch, Winchester Palace and London Wall.
You can't stroll around London without noticing blue plaques attached to the outside of many buildings and properties. London's blue plaque scheme is managed by English Heritage with each plaque recognising a person of significance. There are over 950 blue plaques in the capital celebrating the lives of notable people such as John Lennon from the Beatles to Laurie Cunningham, the first black footballer to play for England in a competitive match.
Much is being done to protect and maintain London's heritage with improvements to supporting infrastructure and visitor facilities. The historic environment of London has built an important heritage, which is rich in character and content and provides a basis for generations to learn from and enjoy.
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