Red London Buses

Double-decker buses were popularized in Great Britain at the start of the 20th century and today the best-known example is the red London bus, namely the AEC Routemaster. By the mid-1920s there were about 20 different companies with buses driving all over the city. The largest of these businesses, The London General Omnibus Company (LGOC), sought to differentiate from their competition and painted their buses bright red.

While the building in this photo has a traditional design, the red bus strikingly adds color to the image.

Adding Red to English Architecture

Tower Bridge London

Tower Bridge is a drawbridge in London. It crosses the River Thames near the Tower of London. It allows ships through the bridge deck when is raised at an angle in the center. This bridge is well photographed and the red double decker bus adds to this image.

Tower Bridge London

The Grand Hotel in York

Originally built in 1906 as a ‘Palace of Business’ for the headquarters of The North Eastern Railway Company in York, then one of the richest businesses in Britain, The Grand was restored to the splendor of its Edwardian heyday during its transformation into a luxury hotel in 2010. The enchanting Edwardian brick façade of this impressive heritage building is accentuated by an iconic double-decker bus in the image below.

The Grand, York
Bus at The Grand, York

Icons of London

The Tower Bridge and the ever-present red double-decker bus are definitely icons of London.

Sometimes confused with London Bridge, situated some 0.5 mi upstream, Tower Bridge has become an iconic symbol of London. It is a combined bascule and suspension bridge, built between 1886 and 1894. The bridge crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London.

The majority of buses in London are still red and therefore the red double-decker bus remains a widely recognized symbol of the city.

Tower Bridge London

Tower Bridge