
The Historic Houses, Gardens, and
Walks Gay Group
WALKS THROUGH THE HISTORIC DISTRICTS OF LONDON



Pictures courtesy of London-GB.com
The group no longer operates but if you
would like of copy of the detailed itinerary of any of the walks for your
personal use, please drop me a line by email stating which specific walk is of
interest to you, and I’ll send you the file. The email address is: info@outandabout-london.org
THE
WALKS
Hammersmith to Putney
This
walk explored the stretch of the River Thames between Hammersmith and
Putney. Starting at the Hammersmith
Apollo, where many well known artists have appeared, ranging from Black Sabbath
to Eddie Izzard, the walk followed the Thames Path passing the new
Queen’s Wharf and Riverside Studio development, and Craven Cottage, home
of Fulham FC, to reach Bishop’s Park and Fulham Palace. The route then
crossed Putney Bridge and descended by St Mary’s
Church to reach the Rocket pub.
Maida Vale
Maida
Vale is an affluent residential district comprising the northern part of
Paddington in west London, west of St John's Wood and south
of Kilburn. The name derives from the Hero of Maida inn which used to be on Edgware Road near
the Regent's Canal. The pub was named after General Sir John Stuart who was
made Count of Maida by King Ferdinand IV of Naples and III of Sicily after the victory at
the Battle of Maida in 1806. The area is mostly residential, and mainly
affluent, with many large late Victorian and Edwardian blocks of mansion flats.
It is home to the BBC Maida Vale Studios.
Earls Court
The
walk explored Earls Court
which was once a rural area, covered with green fields and market gardens. The
construction of the Metropolitan District Railway station in 1865–69 was
a catalyst for development. In the quarter century after 1867, Earls Court was
transformed into a densely populated suburb with 1,200 houses and two churches.
Eardley Crescent
and Kempsford Gardens
were built between 1867 and 1873, building began in Earl's Court Square and Longridge Road in
1873, in Nevern Place
in 1874, in Trebovir Road
and Philbeach Gardens in 1876 and Nevern Square in 1880.
West Kensington
The
walk explored a highly desirable part of the Capital – Kensington –
though the emphasis was primarily on the London Postal District of W14, known
as West Kensington. In 1876 William Henry
Gibbs and John P. Flew, builders from Dorset, decided to capitalise on their
modest success in Kensington, by recreating another 'South Kensington' on the
market gardens west of the West London Railway. They built 1,200 houses in the village of North End in the parish of Fulham.
However, the housing slump of the 1880s left them with many unsold properties.
Their response was two-fold, to have North End renamed as 'West
Kensington' and to build a bridge over the railway, from their
estate to link with the Cromwell
Road in fashionable Kensington. They succeeded
with the first plan, but the second led to bankruptcy and the dissolution of
the partnership in 1885. West Kensington is
primarily a residential area consisting mainly of Victorian terraced houses.
There are excellent examples of Victorian architecture, with several houses and
some entire streets listed, while “Kensington Village”
is a renovated warehouse development which feels as though it had been
transported from Docklands.
Hyde Park & Knightsbridge
Starting
at Hyde Park Corner the first stretch of the walk runs through Hyde Park, before turning south to explore the garden
squares and mews of one of the most affluent areas of the capital,
Knightsbridge. The walk finishes at the Star Tavern in Belgravia,
associated in the 1960s with a criminal and showbiz clientele.
Clerkenwell and its LGBTQ heritage
April’s
Walk explored the Clerkenwell district of London with particular emphasis on
its links with the LGBTQ+ heritage.
So as well as buildings of architectural and historical interest such as
Florin Court (TV home of Hercule Poirot) and the Charterhouse, both located on
Charterhouse Square, and St John’s Gate, one of the few tangible remains
from Clerkenwell's monastic past, we visited the sites of the Dream City Cinema,
the London Lesbian and Gay Centre, Trade Nightclub, and Mother Claps Molly
House. The walk finished at the Sir John Oldfield pub, near Farringdon Station,
not far from the site of Chariots Sauna.
Stamford Brook to Kew
Bridge via Chiswick House
This
walk explored a stretch of the north bank of the River Thames starting at
Chiswick Mall and finishing at Kew
Bridge. The first
important section of the walk was along Chiswick Mall which has several claims
to fame, as well as now being lined with attractive houses. In 1864, John Isaac
Thornycroft, founder of the John I. Thornycroft & Company shipbuilding
company, established a yard at Church
Wharf at the west end of
Chiswick Mall. The shipyard built the first naval destroyer, HMS Daring of the
Daring class, in 1893. The gardens of Bedford House on Chiswick Mall were the
original site of the Griffin Brewery. Beer has been brewed in the area for over
350 years. Lastly, the novel Vanity Fair (1847/8) by William Makepeace
Thackeray opens at Miss Pinkerton's Academy for Young Ladies in Chiswick Mall.
The last section of the walk was along Strand
on the Green. The area is renowned as a particularly picturesque part of London. A footpath runs
along the bank of the river, overlooked by numerous imposing 18th-century houses
and local pubs. One of the houses overlooking the river (No.65) is marked with
a blue plaque noting that the 18th century portrait painter Johann Zoffany
lived there at the end of his life. The actor Donald Pleasence lived in
Strand-on-the-Green, as did the film director John Guillermin at No.60 (The
Dutch House). The newspaper publisher Sir Hugh Cudlipp, and the botanist and
explorer of Australia Allan Cunningham have both lived at No.21. The painter
Joshua Compston lived at No.75. The musician Midge Ure lived at No.70 (Zachary
House) in the 1980s. Other more
recent residents in the area include the actor Rhys Ifans, and the television
entertainers Ant and Dec.
Tower Hill to Surrey Quays Walk
This
walk explored a stretch of the Thames starting
at Tower Hill and extending to Rotherhithe before turning inland to finish at
Surrey Quays. Shad Thames at the start of the
walk was once an area bustling with shipping and warehouse activity but is now
a trendy area with restaurants and apartments. Rotherhithe too has changed since the
demise of the London
docks but still retains a village character. It was here that the Mayflower set
sail for America
in 1620. Surrey Docks once comprised nine docks, six timber ponds, and a canal,
but much of the area was drained in the 1970s. The only surviving areas of open
water were Greenland Dock, South Dock, remnants of Canada Dock (renamed Canada
Water), and a basin renamed Surrey Water. British Land
is now working with Southwark Council to bring forward a mixed use development
for the Canada Water Masterplan, as part of a new town centre for the area
St James’s Walk – Green Park to Trafalgar Square
After
300 years of constant building and rebuilding St James’s is a honeycomb
of hidden passages, alleyways, courts and mews. This walk explored the heart of
this exclusive and fascinating enclave, starting at Green Park
and finishing at the Lord Moon of the Mall pub, just off Trafalgar Square.
River Thames Walk – Westminster Bridge
to Tower Hill
This
walk explored the north bank of the River Thames between Westminster and Tower Hill. This covered
several of the bridges across the river, a number of historic buildings closely
linked with the riverside activities, and lastly some of the famous people
associated with the river.
Bloomsbury People - Warren Street to Chancery Lane
This
walk explored the many famous people associated with the Bloomsbury
district of London. Besides the
Bloomsbury Group, noted for their artistic activities as well as their flexible
and complex sexual relationships, the area has been home to scientists,
physicians, military figures, and many more. Starting at Warren Street tube station, the walk
finished at the Penderel’s Oak pub near Chancery Lane station.
A Legal Walk - Blackfriars to Chancery Lane
In
this walk we explored an area strongly associated with the legal profession,
both past and present. The walk
started at the Black Friar pub in Blackfriars, an important political and
religious centre during medieval times. En route we visited the site of the
Bridewell House of Correction; the Old Bailey; Newgate Prison and St
Sepulchure’s Church; the Royal Courts of Justice; Lincoln’s Inn Fields; and High Holborn,
Staple Inn and the London Silver Vaults, before finishing at the Penderel's Oak
pub near Chancery Lane
tube station.
Westminster Abbey to Westminster Cathedral via Petty France
Designed
to link Buckingham Palace & Belgravia with Whitehall & Westminster,
Victoria Street was one of the four major streets created in the 19th century.
An apt description is 'once lined with second-rate Victorian architecture; now
lined with third-rate modern architecture'. Consequently the walk mainly
avoided Victoria Street
itself but instead took in the back streets to the north covering themes of
education, housing, healthcare, law & order, industry, transport, religion
and leisure. The walk finished near Victoria
station, not far from the Willow Walk pub.
Westminster Abbey to Westminster Cathedral via
Millbank
This
walk explored the area south of Westminster Abbey an area once strongly
associated with politics. This
includes Smith Square
where the Labour and Conservative Parties once had their headquarters, Cowley Street, once
the HQ of the Liberals Democrats, and Lord
North Street, where many politicians have lived down
the years. On route to Westminster Cathedral, Marsham Street and Tufton Street were linked to the movement
for women’s suffrage.
The Flaming City Walk: Monument to Farringdon
This
linear walk traced the route of the Great Fire of 1666, an event that created a
demand for new furniture! Londoners in the 17th century must have wondered what
had hit them when, within months of fighting off the Great Plague, a fire of
monumental proportions began at a bakery in Pudding Lane. It took five days to
contain the fire, partly because of the high number of houses with timber roofs
and the rudimentary fire-fighting equipment available at the time. The event at
least offered an opportunity to give the City a facelift but, due to the sheer
cost and to property rights, most of the rebuilding followed the original
street lines. It did, however, create a safer, more sanitary capital than
before, and with the new houses came a demand for new furniture, which was
excellent news for cabinet-makers. Perhaps one of the most common items
produced by a cabinet-maker was the table, candle-stands and mirror ensemble,
which had been introduced from France
and soon became a standard item of furniture in many English homes. Cabinets
were made by skilled craftsmen and therefore more expensive. However, the same
techniques were later used for chests of drawers. To meet heavy demands
furniture was, for the first time, offered across a range of quality and price.
Brisk trade with North America, the East Indies, East India and the Far East introduced new styles such as lacquer-ware.
Although France
led the way in furniture design, Oriental items such as screens were very
popular. Most Londoners made do with 'japanned' furniture that was varnished in
a cheaper imitation of lacquer, many of which survive today. Cane chairs too,
were introduced from the Far East and most
middle class homes had one or more of these so-called 'English chairs'. With
the demand for furniture of all types and to match all pockets, the working
life of a tradesman in the late 1600s was a happy one indeed.
Stratford
to Stepney Green
This
walk took us back
to East London to explore part of
the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which in summer is awash with prairie
type planting, before heading to the Hertford
Union Canal,
to the south of Victoria Park, and then along part of the Regent's Canal,
bounding the Millennium
Park. The walk finished
at the Half Moon Pub near Stepney Green tube station.
Highgate to Hampstead Heath and Kenwood House
This
walk took us to North London to explore a little of Highgate Village
, before we made our way to Hampstead Heath and hence to Kenwood House. The
latter has undergone extensive refurbishment in recent years but still has free
entry. The architect Robert Adam described Kenwood as ‘a beautiful villa
belonging to Lord Mansfield, the friend of every elegant art and useful
science’. The villa that Adam remodelled in the 1760s and 1770s stands in
74 acres of gardens and woodland affording fine views towards the City of London , and is home to a
renowned collection of paintings. There are also good refreshment facilities
here, which is where the walk ended.
Riverside London Walk - St Paul's to Tower Hill
This
walk explored the stretch of the River Thames running from St
Paul's Cathedral to the Tower
of London, encompassing
both the north and south banks of the river. Starting at St Paul's the sights
en route included the College of Arms, the Millennium Bridge, the Tate Modern,
Southwark, Canon Street and London Bridges, the Fishmongers Hall, St
Katherine's Wharf, Trinity House and of course the Tower of London.
Regent's Canal Walk - Haggerston to Stepney Green
This
walk was an opportunity to explore the stretch of the Regent's Canal running
from Haggerston to Mile End. The Regent's Canal was built to link the Grand Junction Canal's
Paddington Arm, which opened in 1801, with the Thames
at Limehouse. One of the directors
of the canal company was the famous architect John Nash. Nash was friendly with the Prince
Regent, later King George IV, who allowed the use of his name for the
project. The Regent's Canal today
is a mixture of commercial and residential living. You are as likely to see warehouses as
townhouses. The final section of the canal walk encompassed Victoria Park with
its Chinese Pagoda as well as the Millennium linear park.
Whitehall
Park and Holloway Road
The
Whitehall Park Conservation Area lies immediately below the Highgate-Hornsey
Ridge (along which runs Hornsey
Lane) and slopes considerably, falling from north
to south. The streets south of Hornsey
Lane were laid out as a late Victorian residential
estate and tend to fan out slightly, following the contour pattern of the
slope. The area includes a variety of residential properties with differing
architectural qualities and styles. Whitehall
Park contains the
grandest houses with the best views, mainly large 3-storey, late Victorian, red
brick terrace properties with Westmoreland slated mansard roofs, cast iron
decorative railings and gabled dormer windows and, on the end houses,
significant turrets. Gladsmuir and Harberton Roads consist of similar, but less
grand houses than Whitehall
Park. The properties on
these three streets are of exceptional architectural merit. Fitzwarren Gardens
and some Hornsey Lane
houses contain good examples of high quality 1920’s semi-detached family
dwellings some with strong influence of Lutyens and Voysey. This is therefore a particularly
desirable residential area, in close proximity to Highgate to the north and
Highbury & Islington to the south. Holloway Road - the A1- on the other hand
is one of the busiest roads in London. However it has a variety of interesting
architecture, as well as cultural links ranging from John Betjeman, Edward Lear
and Mr Pooter to Joe Meek, a pioneering record producer.
Angel Islington to Highbury Corner via the Regent's Canal
This
walks started near the historic Angel road junction, heading to one end of the
Islington Tunnel and the Regents
Canal, the latter lined
with house boats on one side and modern apartments on the other, before turning
back to Essex Road
via the attractive Arlington
Square and recently renovated Union Square. Having skirted St Mary's church, the
walk continued towards Canonbury, briefing encompassing a stretch of the New River, before finishing near Highbury Corner.
East to West India Quay
One
of the attractions of Docklands is the juxtaposition of new and old, evident on
this 3 mile walk. The walk began at East India
and finished at West India Quay - both DLR stations. (The Wetherspoon pub "The Ledger
Building" is quite nearby.) En route there was the opportunity to visit Trinity Buoy
Wharf, recently described as
"Dockland's Most Exciting Arts Quarter", but once best known as the
site of London's
only lighthouse. The East India Dock Basin is the last remaining section of the once grand
East India Docks, famous for transporting spices from the Far
East in the 1880's. Now the site is a nature reserve. The
warehouses at West India Quay were once used to store imported goods from the West Indies, such as tea, sugar and rum. Both of the two
remaining warehouses are now Grade 1 listed.
Finsbury
Park (Manor House) to
Highbury Fields
This
walk started at Finsbury Park in north London
and finished at Highbury Fields. The part of London called Finsbury is in fact much
further south, near the City, but the initiators of the park lived in Finsbury
and thought it would be nice to be remembered in this roundabout manner. The
park itself soon became a setting for important demonstrations such as pacifist
rallies during the First World War, and much later a popular venue for open-air
music events featuring amongst others Bob Dylan, the Sex Pistols and Oasis. Further south is Highbury Square,
once the home of Arsenal FC, and now a residential complex. The football club
moved to the nearby Emirates Stadium in 2006. Residential growth began in Highbury in
the 1770s with the building of 39 houses in Highbury Place. The elegant houses which
now surround the Fields are particularly good examples of Georgian and
Victorian town houses. The walk ended there, not far from the J D Wetherspoon
PH "The White Swan".
Walking with Communists
Frederich
Engels left Manchester
in disgust after the 1868 elections – the first in which the proletariat
were entitled to vote – because they’d all voted Tory as they hated
the Irish. ‘The proletariat have made an awful fool of themselves,’
he said. He moved to 122 Regent’s Park Road in Primrose Hill. It is
therefore appropriate that Ralph Milliband, the Marxist intellectual, should
have set up home here, and it is of course here that the current Labour leader,
Ed Milliband, grew up. Starting in Regents
Park, with its grand
Regency villas, the walk took us to Primrose Hill, and hence to Hampstead Heath
in order to explore the links of the area with those pillars of the left, Marx
and Engels.
City Walls Walk
For
nearly 1500 years the physical growth of the City of London was limited by its defensive wall. The
first wall was built by the Romans in about AD200 and formed the foundation of
the later City wall. With the exception of a medieval realignment in the
Blackfriars’ area, the City wall from the Tower to Blackfriars retained
its original line unaltered over the centuries. From the 17th century, as London expanded rapidly in
size, the Wall was no longer necessary for defence. Much of it was demolished
in the 18th and 19th centuries and where sections survived they became buried
under shops and warehouses. During the 20th century however several sections
have been revealed by excavations and preserved. This walk followed the course
of the wall from Blackfriars to the Tower
of London, finishing at
the Liberty Bounds pub on Trinity
Square.
Dalston
In
April 2009 the Guardian published an article claiming that Dalston was the
“coolest” place to live in Britain. "For architectural
beauty, cleanliness, stench factor, road safety and trying to walk at a normal
pace down the pavement, definitely not. For being somewhere exciting,
absolutely." In fact, this does something of a disservice to the area,
which architecturally is a mixture of 18th and 19th century terraced houses and
20th century council estates. The grand houses of De Beauvoir Square have long been popular
with those who could not afford Islington. This was because of poor public
transport links. However the development of the London Overground has
transformed the transport situation, so that gentrification is now proceeding
apace. Other places of interest include Fassett Square, inspiration for the BBC
soap “East Enders”, the Peace Mural adjoining the Dalston Eastern
Curve Garden, and “Snake Park”, home to the blue snake, a large
mosaic play and art feature which dwells in the play area.
Medical Meander – Euston
Square to Lincolns
Inn Fields
Bloomsbury , the area between Euston Road in the north and High Holborn
in the south, is renowned for its literary connections, as well as having many
attractive Georgian terraces. However, starting at Euston Square and finishing near Chancery Lane, this
themed walk concentrated on the area’s association with the medical
profession, exploring medical history from the 17th century to the present day.
St Pancras
For
many centuries, the name St Pancras was used for various officially designated
areas of London, which today encompass Camden Town,
Somers Town, and the recently redeveloped Kings
Cross area. The original focus of St Pancras was St Pancras Old Church, which
is in the southern half of the parish, and is believed by many to be one of the
oldest sites of Christian worship in Great Britain. However, in the 14th
century the population abandoned the site and moved to Kentish Town.
In the 1790s Earl Camden began to develop some fields to the north and west of
the Old Church
and this became known as Camden
Town. In the mid 19th
century two major railway stations were built to the south of the Old Church,
one of them called St Pancras and the other King's Cross. A residential
district was built to the south and east of the church, but it is usually known
as Somers Town. The term St Pancras is sometimes
applied to the immediate vicinity of St Pancras Station, but King's Cross is
the usual name for the area around the two mainline stations as a whole.
However, away from the hustle and bustle of the main line stations, there are
oases of tranquillity, including the Camley Street wildlife nature reserve, the
St Pancras Gardens with the so-called “Hardy Tree”, the St
Martin’s Gardens (former burial ground of St
Martin’s–in-the-Fields church), as well as the smaller Oakley
Square and Harrington Squares gardens.
Kennington Oval to Elephant & Castle
Property
in Kennington has belonged to the Duchy of Cornwall since the time of James I.
However widespread residential development did not begin to the 17th century,
and continued well into the 20th century.
Unfortunately, the area suffered from bomb damage during WW2, and has
been blighted by some rather unattractive municipal housing, while many of the
fine private houses degenerated into bed-sits. While there have always been
enclaves of desirable private housing, and the area's convenience for the House
of Commons has attracted MPs, it is only in the last 20 or so years that true
gentrification has been evident.
Moreover, redevelopment of the area around the Elephant & Castle
should further enhance the area's reputation.
Greenwich
Park
Greenwich Park, one of the Royal
Parks of London, is a former hunting park and was the first to be enclosed (in
1433). It covers 74 hectares (180 acres), and is part of the Greenwich World Heritage
Site. It commands fine views over the River Thames, the Isle of Dogs and the
City of London.
The Park is rich in buildings, monuments, historic sites, and gardens. There is
also a small herd of deer.
West Ham Park and
Stratford
Stratford is now part of the
London Borough of Newham, site of the Olympic Park and the new Westfield
Shopping Centre. However, when the West Ham Park was created in 1874, Stratford
was technically part of Essex, though in 1889
it became part of the County Borough of West Ham. (The borough was notable as
being the first Labour control council in England.) The park has been managed
by the Corporation of London since its creation. Though there are various sports
facilities on the 77 acre site, of more importance to the visitor are the 7
acre Ornamental Gardens. The walk started and finished
in Stratford so
to and from the park there were a number of buildings of architectural,
cultural or historic significance.
South Kensington
While
perhaps best known for its museums, South Kensington
covers some of the most exclusive residential real estate in the world. It is
home to large numbers of French expatriates (mainly employed in the financial
City centre), but also Spanish, Italian, American, and Middle-Eastern citizens.
Development of the area began at the beginning of the 19th century but the
overwhelming majority of the housing which we see today was built,
predominantly in the Italianate style, in the second half of the century on
land belonging to the Henry Smith Charity Trustees, under the direction of one
man, Sir Charles James Freake. Nevertheless, other developers built in the
area, most notably The Boltons, part of the Estate of the Robert Gunter the
Elder and Younger. It was here that Beatrix Potter lived as a young child.
Southwark – A Dickens Childhood
In
1824 Dickens’ father was imprisoned for debt at the Marshalsea Prison in
Southwark. Charles, aged 12, was forced to leave school and start work in a
blacking warehouse to support his family. He felt abandoned, recalling that
“It is wonderful to me how I could have been so easily cast away ... My
father and mother were quite satisfied. They could hardly have been more so, if
I had been twenty years of age, distinguished at a grammar school, and going to
Cambridge.”
For years Dickens told no-one, before confiding in his close friend John
Forster that the devastating experience had haunted him his whole life:
“My whole nature was so penetrated with the grief and humiliation ...
that even now, famous and caressed and happy, I often forget in my dreams that
I have a dear wife and children ... and wander desolately back to that time of
my life”. The walk explored the Southwark Dickens knew during his
childhood, the experiences he had and the influences the borough had on his
work.
Camberwell
Up
to the mid 19th century, Camberwell was visited by Londoners for its rural
tranquillity and the reputed healing properties of its mineral springs, but
like much of inner South London, Camberwell
was transformed by the arrival of the railways in the 1860s. The exodus of
middle class families resulted in many of its fine Georgian properties becoming
houses in multiple occupation, home to a tightly knit working class community.
However, in recent decades streets such as Camberwell Grove have turned full
circle, back to middle class affluence. Camberwell today is therefore a mixture
of relatively well preserved Georgian and 20th century housing, including a
number of tower blocks. The walk explored some of the best preserved Georgian
houses in London, as well as Camberwell Green, a
small area of common land which was once a traditional village green on which
was held an annual fair of ancient origin which rivalled that of Greenwich. The walk
finished in Ruskin
Park, convenient for the
Wetherspoon pub “Fox on the Hill” and Denmark Hill rail station.
Kensal Green to Little Venice
Originally
part of one of the ten manors within the district of Willesden, Kensal Green is
first mentioned in 1253, translating from old English meaning the King’s
Holt (King’s Wood). Its location marked the boundary between Willesden
and the then Chelsea & Paddington. In the 15th century the then Archbishop
of Canterbury
Henry Chichele (1414–1443), acquired lands in Willesden and Kingsbury. In
1443 he founded All Souls College,
Oxford, and
endowed it with the same lands in his will. Consequently, most of Willesden and
Kensal Green remained largely agricultural until the mid-1800s, well into the
Victorian era. In 1805, the construction of the Grand Junction Canal
passed through the district to join the Regent's Canal at Paddington. As the
combined Grand Union
Canal, this allowed passage of
commercial freight traffic from the Midlands
to London Docks, and hence onwards to the River Thames. The walk mainly
followed the towpath along the section of the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union
Canal between Kensal
Green and Little Venice.
Barnsbury
The
area known as Barnsbury, west of Upper Street Islington, was predominantly
rural until the early 19th century. The name is a corruption of villa de
Iseldon Berners (1274), being so called after the Berners family - powerful
medieval manorial lords who gained ownership of a large part of Islington after
the Norman Conquest. Though developed in the 1820s-1840s, soon after the
railways tempted people further out and until the 1960s the area was out of
favour. This meant that its attractive villas, terraces and squares, in a
variety of styles, escaped “improvement”. Like many areas of inner London, Barnsbury became
gentrified in the 1970s and early 1980s. However, in the late 1990s a new group
of super wealthy professionals, working in the City of London, started to impose their mark in a way
which differentiates them and the area from traditional gentrifiers and the
traditional urban upper classes. This concept has been dubbed
“super-gentrification”. The area also proved attractive to those
associated with the media and in particular New Labour, though of course Tony
Blair has long since left the area.
Hackney
The
principal landowners of Hackney in the Middle Ages were the Order of St John of
Jerusalem, but in Tudor times the lands were seized by the Crown and Hackney
became a retreat for the nobility. (The oldest surviving house in Hackney,
Sutton House, was built by a Tudor diplomat, Sir Ralph Sadleir.) The village of Hackney flourished from Tudor to late
Georgian times as a rural retreat. However, this was brought to an end with the
arrival of the railways in the 1850s, leading to extensive industrialisation.
Post-war development and immigration totally transformed the image of the area,
but many Georgian and Victorian terraces are now being gentrified, and new
up-market housing has been built.
Moreover the Borough of Hackney has been described as the greenest
borough in inner London,
with over 62 parks and open spaces, covering 815 acres.
Regent’s Park and St John’s Wood
As
the name implies, St John’s
Wood was once a wooded area owned by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem. The
area developed in the 19th century with the formation of Regent's Park and the
construction of the Canal. There are attractive buildings in a wide variety of
styles to be seen. The former churchyard of St John's Wood
Church has been made into
a pleasant park. The London Central Mosque with its copper dome and minaret was
built in 1977. The area is however perhaps best known as the site of Lords
Cricket Ground and as the home of someone who never existed, namely Sherlock
Holmes, who lived at 221B Baker
Street with Dr Watson his friend and Mrs Hudson
his housekeeper.
The
walk started at Baker Street tube station, skirted Regents Park, and eventually
finished near St John’s Wood station, having explored some of the best
streets in the area, where the cost of a house is measured in million of
pounds.
“Light at the
end of the Tunnel” – Vauxhall to Waterloo
“Light
at the End of the Tunnel” was a masterplan, launched in 2002, to deal
with the six miles of railway viaduct with nearly 1000 arches in South London, transforming the environment from
intimidating spaces into bright, safe passageways and innovatively renovated
arches. The walk explored the section from Vauxhall station to Waterloo station.
Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury was laid out between the late 17th and early
19th centuries, mainly by the Dukes of Bedford, and became a highly fashionable
area. Bedford Square
is probably the finest surviving Georgian
Square in London.
The district has of course been long associated with those who lived an
alternative life style – the Bloomsbury Group of artists and writers.
However the district has also has strong links with a variety of other famous
people including J M Barrie (creator of Peter Pan), Isaac D’Israeli
(father of the Prime Minister Benjamin), Oscar Wilde, Charles Darwin, and
George Orwell - the University of London
Senate House was the inspiration for the Ministry of Truth. The walk explored
both Bloomsbury’s architectural heritage
and its people.
The Canary
Wharf Estate
The
walk explored the history of the West India
and Poplar Docks. Outraged at
losses due to theft and delays at London's
riverside wharves, Robert Milligan, a prominent English merchant and
ship-owner, headed a group of powerful businessmen who planned and built West
India Docks, which was to have a monopoly on the import into London of West
Indian produce such as sugar, rum and coffee for a period of 21 years. The Docks' foundation stone was laid in
July 1800, when Milligan was Deputy Chairman of the West India Dock Company -
his strong connections with the political establishment of the day were evident
from those attending the ceremony – the Lord Chancellor Lord Loughborough
and Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger as well as Company chairman George
Hibbert and himself. The Docks
officially opened just over two years later in August 1802. Poplar Docks, though initiated by the
West India Dock Company, never came under the control of the Port of London Authority
as it was classed as a railway facility.
It was eventually sold to the London Docklands Development Corporation
by British Rail in 1983.
The City
Gardens
Though
only a square mile in area, at least nominally, the City of London has a huge number of immaculately
tended gardens, often used by city workers for their lunch-time breaks. Most
are relatively small in size, with a good few occupying the sites of former
churchyards, or even churches destroyed in the Great Fire or later years.
Starting at Liverpool Street
station, the walk was essentially circular, albeit finishing near Bank tube
station.
Golders Green to Hampstead via the Hill Garden
The
walk started in Golders Hill Park,
which was opened to the public in 1898 and has been managed as a discrete and
historically important part of Hampstead Heath by the City of London since 1989. Beautiful plant displays
enhance the peaceful setting of the Mediterranean
and water gardens. There is even a free zoo!.
The
Hill Garden
is one of London's
hidden treasures. In its current form it is basically the creation of Lord
Leverhulme who lived at what is now called "Iverforth House", then
called "The Hill", a huge Edwardian mansion he built just off North End Way,
Hampstead. The garden incorporates a magnificent Edwardian extravaganza, the
Pergola, which would be the setting for garden parties and summer evening
strolls and be a striking addition to the existing garden of the house. Though
the house now comprises luxury flats, the gardens at the rear can be viewed
from the Pergola Walk, which then leads to the another beautifully manicured
formal garden, which like the Pergola itself, is open to the public for free.
Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park
London is renowned for the
large green swathes of parks which punctuate its centre. This walk explored two
of the most extensive, Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park.
Kensington Gardens
were in fact part of Hyde Park until 1689 when William III commissioned Wren to
extend an existing house on the site of what is now called Kensington Palace
- the king and his wife Mary intensively disliked Whitehall
Palace down by the Thames.
Besides the palace Kensington Gardens are notable for the Italian Gardens,
created in Victorian times, and the “Peter Pan” statue donated by
the author J M Barrie in 1912. In the Serpentine Pavilion 2011 the Swiss
architect Peter Zumthor has created a garden within a garden, which we visited. There was not time to visit the Albert
Memorial so the next point of interest en route was the Diana Fountain in Hyde Park. Adjacent to this is “Isis”,
a large bronze by the British sculptor Simon Gudgeon. Further along, just
beyond the end of the Serpentine, is the Holocaust memorial erected in 1983,
and further still the “Achilles” statue of 1822 (a tribute to the
Duke of Wellington). North of this is the new 7 July memorial, unveiled in
2009. The walk ended at the Queen Elizabeth Gate (1993) by the metal artist / sculptor
Giusseppe Lund.
Paddington Basin and Little Venice
Paddington Basin
was opened in 1801 to provide a link from London
to the rest of the country via the Grand Junction
Canal (now called the Grand Union
Canal). Later, Paddington
Station and the Great Western Railway were built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in
1837. Queen Victoria
made her first railway journey to Paddington in 1842. Paddington Basin
is over 400 metres long and about 30 metres wide. The building of the canal and
the railway changed Paddington from a small village on the edge of London to one of its main
industrial areas. It was surrounded by warehouses and industry, including
wharves for hay, salt, coal, china, glass, bricks, timber, manure and beer.
Rubbish from all over London
was brought here and taken by barge to be dumped at sea. By late Victorian
times, it was already a very unpleasant place!
By
the end of the 20th century the area had become an industrial ruin, rundown and
neglected. In January 2000, Paddington
Basin was drained for the
first time since 1909 at the start of a large building project to improve the
area. There are now many new offices, flats, shops and restaurants next to the
canal. There are new towpaths for walking, linking the basin to Little Venice
to the north.
Maida Avenue, Warwick Crescent and Blomfield Road, the
streets in the south of Maida Vale overlooking Browning's Pool, including the
section of Randolph Avenue south
of Clifton Gardens, are known as Little Venice. The
name is believed to have been coined by the English poet Robert Browning who
lived here from 1862 to 1887. Browning's Pool is named after the poet, and is
the junction of Regent's Canal and the Paddington arm of the Grand Union
Canal. This is one of London's prime residential areas, and it is also known for
its shops and restaurants, as well as the Canal Cafe Theatre, the Puppet
Theatre Barge, the Waterside Café and the Warwick Castle
pub, where the walk will end.
Bow & Stepney Green
Early
in the 12th century Bow was an isolated village, often cut off from the parish
church at Stepney by flood.
Permission was therefore granted to build a chapel at ease as a local
place of worship. (During the reign of Mary many people were brought by cart
from Newgate to be burnt at the stake in front of Bow Church.) However it was not until the early 18th
century that the building became a parish church in its own right. In 1950 the church was locally listed as
a building of historic importance.
In
the 17th century Bow developed as a centre for the manufacture of fine bone
china, but manufacture ceased in 1770. Bow came again to industrial prominence
in the late 19th century when the match girls of the Bryant & May factory
went on strike. Subsequently, the
area became closely associated with both the Labour Party and the Suffragette
movement. However the Tredegar
Square Conservation area boasts many fine Georgian town houses, which today
command high prices.
Stepney
grew out of the medieval village surrounding St Dunstan’s church. In the
19th century the area rapidly expanded, mainly to accommodate immigrant workers
and displaced London
poor, and developed a reputation for poverty, overcrowding, violence and
political dissent. It was severely damaged during the Blitz, with over a third
of housing totally destroyed; and then, in the 1960s, slum clearance and
development replaced most residential streets with tower blocks and modern
housing estates. Some Georgian architecture and Victorian era terraced housing
survive in patches; the eastern side of Stepney Green is particularly
impressive..
The
walk explored the most attractive features of both Bow and Stepney, linked by
the Mile End linear park, and finished at the Half Moon pub.
Twickenham
While
it has been said that famous people never stay long in Twickers, the area is
still the base for a number of reasonably famous celebrities, such as Trevor
Baylis, inventor of the wind-up radio, and Steve Hacket, former guitarist with
Genesis. However, despite this slur
in its character, Twickenham still has much to offer in terms of historically
interesting buildings, and of course an attractive riverside location. The walk
centred on the St Maragaret’s district, and included the impressive
Marble Hill House, York House (now the HQ of the London Borough of Richmond),
the Octagon (all that remains of Orleans House), as well a number of smaller
but attractive properties.
Crystal
Palace Park
The
Great Exhibition, in a building designed by Joseph Paxton, opened in May 1851
in Hyde Park and was a great success. The Crystal Palace, as it became known, was rebuilt
in Sydenham in 1852-4 where it was increased in size and set within a park
providing additional attractions. It had mixed fortunes until in November 1936
it was destroyed in a spectacular fire. The walk, which is about 3 miles in
length, looked at the legacy of the Crystal
Palace.
Deptford (Surrey Quays to Greenwich)
Deptford
lies on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the
River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th
century to the late 19th was
home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Dockyards. This was a major
shipbuilding dock and attracted Peter the Great to come and study shipbuilding.
Deptford and the docks are associated with the knighting of Sir Francis Drake by
Queen Elizabeth I aboard the Golden Hind, the legend of Sir Walter Raleigh
laying down his cape for Elizabeth,
Captain James Cook's third voyage aboard Resolution, and the mysterious murder
of Christopher Marlowe in a house along Deptford Strand.
Though
Deptford began as two small communities, one at the ford, and the other a
fishing village on The Thames, Deptford's history and population has been
mainly associated with the docks established by Henry VIII. The two communities
grew together and flourished while the docks were the main administrative
centre of the British Navy, and a few grand houses like Sayes Court, home to diarist John Evelyn,
and Stone House on Lewisham Way
were erected. The area declined as first the Royal Navy moved out, and then the
commercial docks themselves declined until the last dock, Convoys Wharf,
closed in 2000. A major
regeneration project for the area by the Richard Rogers Partnership has now
been approved.
Pinner
“Pinner”. No name is more redolent of comfortable
Home Counties suburbia. Yet few of London’s
villages are more ancient and picturesque. Pinner’s chief glory is its
wonderful High Street, a broad sloping thoroughfare stretching uphill from the
River Pinn at one end to the parish church at the other. Lined with houses,
shops and pubs built over the last four centuries or so, it is a wonderful
lesson in architectural styles and building materials. Surrounding the old
village centre, many of the timber-framed cottages and farms that once lay
scattered among fields may now be embedded in modern housing developments, but
the best of them are still well worth seeing.
Perhaps
the most famous resident of Pinner was William Heath Robinson, the cartoonist
and illustrator, whose name is now synonymous with complex and implausible
contraptions. The house he occupied
from 1913 to 1918 also featured on the walk.
Alexandra Palace to Highgate
Alexandra Palace
was built in an area between Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green in North London, England,
in 1873 as a public centre of recreation, education and entertainment and as
North London's counterpart to the Crystal
Palace in South
London. The Great Hall and West Hall are used as an exhibition
centre and conference centre operated by the trading arm of the charitable
trust that owns the building and park on behalf of the public. There is also an
ice-skating rink. Since 1995 the palace has been a Grade II listed building.
Designed to be ‘The People’s Palace’ and later nicknamed
"Ally Pally" (allegedly by Gracie Fields), in 1936 it became the
headquarters of the world's first regular public 'high definition' television
service, operated by the BBC. The vast, tree-lined sloping hill has wide views
over London. On
a clear day, the Crystal Palace Transmitter in the London Borough of Bromley is
visible.
The
walk continued through Highgate Woods along part of the “London
Loop”, finishing near Highgate tube station, and passing en route the
modernist “Highpoint” development.
Tower Hill to Rotherhithe via Shad Thames
Shad
Thames, also known as Butler’s Wharf, was
once the largest warehouse complex on the Thames. During the 20th century the area went
into decline as congestion forced shipping to unload goods further east, and
the last warehouses closed in 1972. However, Shad Thames was regenerated in the
1980s and 1990s, and is now a bustling mix of expensive flats, restaurants,
bars, shops, etc. Rotherhithe was
originally a low-lying area known as Redriff, which became a tight-knit
community of shipbuilders and sailors until the closure of the docks in 1970.
The old village around the church is nevertheless attractive and has been
designated as a conservation area.
Richmond to Kew Bridge
via Old Isleworth and Syon
Park
Part
of this walk follows the Capital Ring, a network of walks which encircle London, and it therefore mainly encompasses the north bank
of the Thames (thereby complementing an early
walk which followed the south bank).
From Richmond Lock, it twists through the attractive village of Old Isleworth,
sometimes away from the river, before continuing through Syon Park,
passing the great mansion of the Dukes of Northumberland. The walk continues to Old Brentford,
before finishing at the Express Tavern by Kew Bridge.
Nunhead Cemetery
Nunhead Cemetery
is perhaps the least known but most attractive as well as being the second
largest of London's
Victorian cemeteries. This pleasant
52-acre cemetery is a tranquil wilderness. Its formal avenue of towering limes
and the Gothic gloom of original Victorian planting give way to paths which
recall country lanes of a bygone era.
An Anglican chapel overlooks a large woodland area. Ash and sycamore
conceal headstones, angels and impressive gothic tombs. Four hundred interesting personalities
were laid to rest at Nunhead between 1840 and 1998.
A Thames Walk- Richmond to Kew
along the south bank
Richmond, Surrey, takes its name from Richmond
Castle in Yorkshire,
the ancestral home of the Earl of Richmond, better known as Henry VII. Royal palaces had in fact existed here
since 1383, when Richard II made Sheen his main residence. By 1649 Henry’s palace was no
longer in residential use; and by 1779 the bulk of it had decayed, yet there
are a few surviving structures which will form part of the walk. However, the walk principally runs along
the south bank of the River Thames, with the Old Deer Park and Kew Gardens
on the right and, looking across the river, Old Isleworth on its left. The walk finished at Kew Bridge.
Inns of Court
The
walk centred around London’s
four ancient Inns of Court where barristers first train and then practise. The four Inns are: Middle
Temple, Inner
Temple, Gray’s Inn and Lincoln’s Inn. Apart from the inns and their old courts
and quiet gardens, features on the walk includd St Clement Danes Church, the
law courts in the Strand, Lincoln’s
Inn Fields, and Staple Inn.
Hammersmith to Chiswick
Chiswick
established itself on the north bank of the Thames a few miles west of London. Its one and only street – Church Street
– led north away from the river towards the main road heading west out of
London.
The
village tended to regard the river as its main livelihood. The parish church was dedicated to the
patron saint of fishermen – Nicholas – and a ferry ran from the
foot of Church Street
until 1934, the year after Chiswick
Bridge opened.
From
as early as the mid 15th century Chiswick was known to city-dwellers as an
attractive and healthy place to live.
The Russell family, later Dukes of Bedford, lived to the west of the
village from 1542. In the late 17th
and early 18th centuries, people began to build fine houses in Church Street and
along the riverside lane, which eventually became Chiswick Mall, one of the
finest riverside promenades along the Thames.
The
walk in fact stretched from Hammersmith
Bridge all along the riverside as far as
Chiswick Wharf, before turning inland to see
Chiswick House, a fine Palladian style villa, Hogarth House, where the artist
lived from 1749 to his death in 1764.
It finished at the Tabord Pub, a grade 2 listed building near Turnham
Green tube station.
Highgate
Historically
Highgate adjoined the Bishop of London's hunting estate. The Bishop kept a tollhouse where one of
the main northward roads out of London
entered his land. A number of pubs
sprang up along the route, one of which, the Gatehouse, commemorates the
tollhouse. In the 1500s wealthy
merchants and lawyers from London
were attracted by its healthy position and fantastic views. One such resident was Sir Roger
Cholmeley who ideas for founding a grammar school eventually led to the public
school now known as Highgate
School.
The
walk provided an opportunity to see a vast range of architecture, ranging from
the red-brick Victorian school, through grand Georgian houses, half-timbered
mansion blocks built for “lady workers”, the gothic Holly Village
development, and the modernist Highpoint I and Highpoint II, designed by
Berthold Lubetkin.
Harrow-on-the-Hill
Harrow-on-the-Hill must be the most conspicuous
village in London. Perched on the top of a high hill,
largely bare for three-quarters of its circumference, it is visible for miles
around. The 60-metre spire of St
Mary’s Church rising up above the trees further advertises its
presence. When the trees lose their
leaves previously blocked vistas open out.
This walk took in some glorious panoramas of north-west London, including one
celebrated in verse by Lord Byron.
The village itself consists of Georgian and Regency buildings, nearly
all catering to the needs of the famous Harrow Public School.
Highgate Cemetery (East)
When burial conditions in London
became intolerable in the early 19th Century, Parliament authorised the
creation of seven private cemeteries (the so-called Magnificent Seven) within
the periphery of inner London. Of these Highgate was opened in 1839
(the West Cemetery)
and extended in 1854 (the East
Cemetery). Highgate, like the others, soon became a
fashionable place for burials and was much admired and visited. Today the cemetery's grounds are not
only a place of rest for the dead, but also provide a habitat for an abundance of
wild life, full of trees, shrubbery and wild flowers. Famous
“residents” of the East
Cemetery include Douglas
Adams (author of the “Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy”), the
actor Sir Ralph Richardson, the comedian Max Wall, the writer George Eliot, the
investigative journalist Paul Foot, and of course Karl Marx.
Across the
City
This
walk snaked its way across the City, starting at Liverpool Street station and finishing
near Waterloo. Among the features en route are the
Bevis Mark Synagogue, the “Guerkin”, the Church of St Botolph
(which survived the Fire of London), Tower 42 (formerly NatWest Tower), St
Margarets Lothbury Church, the Guildhall and St Lawrence Jewry Church, No. 1
Poultry, St Mary-le-Bow Church, the Stationers Hall and the Apothecaries Livery
Hall, Blackfriar’s Bridge, the OXO Tower, and the Bernie Spain Gardens.
Bow and Victoria Park
This walk began by exploring the Tredegar Square
Conservation Area of Bow, where there are many fine examples of Georgian houses,
as well as attractive public buildings.
We also learnt something of the history of the area, and the notable
persons associated with it. Leaving
the Mile End Road,
the walk then followed the course of the Regent’s Canal to reach Victoria
Park, a Grade 2 listed open space.
Though many of the original architectural structures of the park, such
as the lido, have now been lost, it still contains some interesting features
such as the Burdett-Coutts fountain and the imposing “Dogs of
Alcibiades”.
Upper Chelsea and Belgravia
This walk explored the Georgian and early Victorian
garden squares of upper Chelsea and Belgravia.
Along the way we met some of the notable characters who have lived there
over the years.
Putney and Fulham Walk
This was a circular walk, starting and finishing at Putney Bridge
tube station in Fulham, where there was an opportunity to visit Fulham Palace,
once the home of the bishops of London,
and the associated gardens. The
walk continued on the other side of the River Thames in the section famous for
its rowing connections. It then skirted the London Wetland Centre and the Barn
Elms area, before heading back towards Putney proper, and finally re-crossing
the river back to Fulham.
Regent’s Canal – Islington to Primrose Hill
The Regent's Canal was built to link the Grand Junction Canal's
Paddington Arm, which opened in 1801, with the Thames
at Limehouse. One of the directors
of the canal company was the famous architect John Nash. Nash was friendly with the Prince
Regent, later King George IV, who allowed the use of his name for the
project. The Regents Canal
today is a mixture of commercial and residential living. You are as likely to see warehouses as
townhouses. This walk explored the
stretch from Islington to Regent's Park, finishing in fashionable Primrose
Hill.
Tower
Bridge to Limehouse
The River Thames has supported human activity from
its source to its mouth for thousands of years, providing habitation, water
power, food and drink. It has also acted as a major highway both for
international trade through the Port
of London. The
river’s strategic position has seen it at the centre of many events and
fashions in British history, earning it a description by John Burns as
“Liquid History”.The Port of London stretches along the tidal
Thames, from Teddington Lock to the North Sea, with many individual wharfs,
docks, terminals and facilities built incrementally over the centuries. As with
many similar historic European ports the bulk of activities has steadily moved
downstream towards the open sea, as ships have grown larger such that the docks
and wharves closest to central London,
predominantly to the east, became increasingly redundant and run-down.
Regeneration over the past 20-30 years has however transformed the area with
new housing and leisure facilities. This walk explored the section from Tower Bridge
to the Limehouse Basin, taking in Wapping on route.
Millennium
Bridge, Bankside and
Southwark
St Paul’s Cathedral epitomises the wealth and power of the City of London. Regulated for
centuries by the Corporation of London, the City was no place for the pursuit
of pleasure and licentiousness. It was for this reason that the south bank,
around Bankside, developed as a centre for theatres, drinking, and other
pleasures of the flesh. Starting at St Paul’s the historic buildings and
sights included the College of Arms, The Tate Modern, the Bankside Gallery,
Hopton’s Almshouses, the Jerwood Space, the Southwark Playhouse,
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, the Anchor Pub (from which Samuel Peyps
watched the destruction of London by the Great Fire of 1666), a full-size
replica of the Golden Hinde, Southwark Cathedral and Borough Market,and finally
the George Inn, London’s only surviving coaching inn.
Bayswater
Bayswater is one of London's
most cosmopolitan areas, with the significant diversity of the local population
added to by having one of London's
highest concentration of hotels. Notably, there is a significant Arab
population towards Edgware Road,
a large number of Americans, a substantial Greek community attracted by London's Greek Orthodox Cathedral, the area is also a
centre of London's
Brazilian community and a substantial local population. Architecturally, the
biggest part of the area is made up of Georgian stucco terraces and garden squares,
mostly, although not exclusively, divided up into flats. The property ranges
from very expensive apartments to small studio flats. There are also purpose
built apartment blocks dating from the inter-war period as well as more recent
developments, and a large Council Estate, the 650 flat Hallfield Estate,
designed by Sir Denys Lasdun and now largely sold off. Among the garden squares
is Connaught Square,
whose most famous resident is of course now former Prime Minister Tony Blai
Greenwich
Although
Greenwich was established as a fishing port long
before the Norman Conquest, its recorded history begins in the 9th century when
King Alfred and his daughter granted it to the Abbey of St Peter in Ghent. However Greenwich's real history
begins with its acquisition in 1427 by Henry VI's uncle Humphrey, Duke of
Gloucester. Humphrey built a mansion called Bella Court which was subsequently
enlarged by the Tudors into the great royal palace of Pacentia,
a favourite residence of Henry VIII and birthplace of Elizabeth I. In the 17th
century Pacentia was replaced by two new buildings: the early 17th century
Queen's House, the first classical domestic building in England, and the later 17th century
palace commissioned by Charles I after his restoration. The Queen's House was
returned to its former domestic glory in the 1980s, but a subsequent so-called
restoration has transformed it into a rather disappointing naval picture
gallery. On the other hand the transformation of Charles's palace, into the Royal Hospital
for Seaman and Royal
Naval College
has left behind both the magnificent Painted Hall and a fine College Chapel. In
the late 18th and 19th centuries elegant streets were built to the west of the
original village, which itself was rebuilt in the 1830s in Regency style. The
walk provided an opportunity to visit both the Painted Hall and Naval Chapel,
as well as exploring many of the surrounding attractive streets.
Wimbledon
Wimbledon
has been one of London’s
most select suburbs for over two centuries, but its history goes back to
prehistoric times. For instance Caesar’s Camp on the Common is actually
an Iron Age hill fort. The village grew up to the east of the Common, on the
edge of high ground overlooking the valley of the River Wandle. The church and
the rectory stood, as they still do, on the lip of the plateau, enjoying fine
views to the north and east, now however obscured by trees and buildings. The
manor house joined them later. The two main roads of the village, Church Road and
High Street, lay further back between church and common land where the
villagers grazed their animals and gathered turf and firewood.
Although
over the years there have been four great manor houses built in Wimbledon, not one has survived. Nevertheless other fine
houses were built and well into the 19th century Wimbledon’s
shopkeepers and tradesmen relied on the custom from these for their living.
Then came the railway and with it the tide of building that eventually filled
in all the open land between the once-isolated village and central London. Luckily, however,
the railway was built in the valley bottom, about half a mile from the centre
of the village, so Wimbledon village was able
to preserve much of its individual identity.
Bloomsbury to Kings Cross/St
Pancras
Bloomsbury was developed by the Russell family in the 17th and 18th
centuries into a fashionable residential area. It is notable for its array of
gardened squares, its literary connections (exemplified by the Bloomsbury
Group), and its numerous hospitals and academic institutions.
The
King’s Cross area on the other hand once had a reputation for being a red
light district and run-down. However, rapid regeneration since the mid 1990s
has rendered this reputation largely out-of-date. Since November 2007 the area
has been the terminus of the international rail service at St. Pancras
International station where Eurostar trains now arrive and depart to and from France and Belgium. Regeneration continues
under the auspices of King's Cross Central which is a very major redevelopment
in the north of the area.
Today,
Kings Cross most famous export is children’s favourite Harry Potter.
Harry’s train to Hogwarts left from platform nine and three quarters.
Brompton
Cemetery
The
Brompton Cemetery is one of the finest cemeteries
in the country. Its listed buildings are set within a formal landscape crowded
with monuments and great historic interest. It is also a haven for wildlife
including birds, butterflies, foxes and squirrels. The graves of thirteen
Victoria Cross holders are to be found in the cemetery, together with many
other famous people such as Richard Tauber the Viennese tenor, and Emmeline
Pankhurst, the suffragette leader, as well as several members of the exiled
Russian Royal family. This was also the most popular cemetery for the Polish
community in exile in London,
with over three hundred buried here, including two Polish Prime Ministers.
There are over 35,000 memorials in Brompton
Cemetery, including a
monument to 2,625 Chelsea Pensioners who were interned here between 1854 and 1893.
The Secret
City
Hidden
away behind the busy streets and main thoroughfares of the old city of London there exists a
secret city of narrow alleyways, timber-framed buildings and hidden courtyards.
Behind the hustle and bustle of the 21st century there lies a bygone world of
places that have changed little in over a hundred years. The walk provided an
opportunity to learn of something of the events and people associated with
them.
Primrose Hill
Primrose
Hill is both a hill and the name for the surrounding district located on the
north side of Regent's Park. From the hill there is a clear view of Central
London to the south-east, as well as Belsize
Park and Hampstead to the
north-west.
Like
Regent's Park the area was once part of a great chase appropriated by Henry
VIII and became Crown property in 1841. In 1842 an Act of Parliament secured
the land as public open space. The built up part of Primrose Hill consists
mainly of Victorian terraces. It has always been one of the more fashionable
districts in the urban belt that lies between the core of London and the outer suburbs, and remains
expensive and prosperous. Notable residents have included the journalist and
broadcaster Joan Bakewell, the author Alan Bennett, the model Kate Moss, the
celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and his wife Jools, the horse racing pundit John
McCririck, the current Foreign Secretary David Miliband, the co-founder of
Communism Friedrich Engels as well as actors such as Simon Callow, Helena
Bonham Carter, Jude Law, Sean Pertwee, and Ewan Macgregor
The
Regent's Canal was built in the early 19th Century to link the River Thames at
Limehouse to the Grand
Union Canal
junction at Paddington.
The
walk started in Baker Street, passing through Regents Park and on up Primrose
Hill before descending to the Regent’s Canal and hence to Little Venice.
The Vanishing Jewish East End
(Part II)
This
walk explored the history of the Jewish community in the East End of London,
encompassing rabbis, radicals and Yiddish Theatre. It began with one of the
most beautiful houses in the East End, home to
elderly Jews from 1870 to 1913. Other places and buildings of historical
interest en route included the Stepney Green Jewish School, the East London
Synagogue (built as a great Cathedral Synagogue with a beautiful Byzantine
interior, but now flats), the Dunstan Dwellings (once virtually an anarchist
commune), Rinkoffs (the last Jewish bakery in the East End), Sidney Street (the
scene of London’s most notorious siege), the Fieldgate Street Synagogue
(now closed, but until October 2007 one of the few active synagogues left in
the area and today dwarfed by one of the largest mosques in Britain), the site
of the so-called Hatton Garden of the East End (where 18 jewellery shops were
until recently to be found), the site of “Gardiners” (the
“Harrods of the East”), ending at the Whitechapel Art Gallery and
Library.
Richmond
Walk
This
walk provided an opportunity spend a relaxing afternoon in one of the most
attractive outer London
boroughs. Richmond upon Thames
possesses a timeless charm, more akin to a village than a town. The name
however only goes back to 1501.
When
a fire accidentally destroyed the manor-house of Sheen (formerly Shene)
belonging to Henry VII, the king built a palace here and renamed it after Richmond in Yorkshire
– he was once Earl of Richmond. The gateway of his magnificent Palace,
favoured by Elizabeth I, and where she died in 1603, still remains. This can be
found on Richmond Green, once the scene of tournaments and pageants, and today
surrounded by elegant period houses. Henry VIII lived at Richmond
Palace until he moved to neighbouring Hampton Court Palace.
More recent residents of the town have included the actor John Mills and his
daughters Juliet and Hayley, as well as Mick Jager with his former wife Jerry
Hall.
The
view from the top of Richmond Hill, a source of inspiration for artists and
poets throughout the years, has been protected by an Act of Parliament since
1902, while Richmond Bridge, the oldest spanning the Thames, sits alongside a
riverside development which evokes memories of the 18th and 19th centuries.
The Squares of Islington
This
walk explored some of Islington's many and varied squares and other garden
spaces. The 18th-century village of Islington was once a hub of dairy farming, supplying
much of London's
milk. It was a place of healthy recreation for city-dwellers, with its clean
air and the fresh water spas which developed around the New River, built 1609
to 1613 to bring fresh water from Hertfordshire to London. In the early 19th century, as more
houses were needed, country estates were broken up and the second wave of London's great network of
residential garden squares took shape.
Vauxhall and Pimlico
As
well as facing each other on opposite sides of the River Thames, Vauxhall and
Pimlico are both characterised by a mix of upmarket private developments and
social housing. Moreover both have become popular residential areas for Members
of Parliament and civil servants because of their proximity to the Palace of Westminster
and Whitehall,
though the Thomas Cubitt houses built for the Grosvenor Estate in the early19th
century give Pimlico the distinct social edge.
The
area now called Vauxhall was, until the mid 18th century, flat and marshy, with
parts poorly drained by ditches, and provided market garden produce for the
nearby City of London.
Though the origins of the name Vauxhall go back to the time of King John the
area only became generally known by this name when the Vauxhall Pleasure
Gardens opened as a
public attraction. Though now a major transport hub within minutes of central London, Vauxhall was
neglected for many years. Many of its streets were destroyed during German
bombing in World War II or ravaged through poor city planning. However in
recent years, Vauxhall's riverside has undergone major redevelopment with the
construction of a number of modern residential and office blocks, most notably
the distinctive MI6 building at Vauxhall Cross
Development
of Pimlico began in the early 19th century, when Thomas Cubitt developed the
area in the form of a grid, with handsome white terraces (sometimes with mews
behind) and large garden squares. Yet as early as the latter half of the
century, Pimlico saw the construction of several Peabody Estates - charitable
housing projects designed to provide cheap, quality homes for the poor. In
addition, in the post-World War II period, several large public housing estates
were built in the area - on land cleared by German bombing - and many of the
fine Victorian houses were converted to other uses, e.g. bed and breakfast
hotels. This led to the area developing an interesting social mix, and an
unusual character combining exclusive restaurants and residences with
Westminster City Council run facilities and working-class shopping arcades. In
1950, embarrassed by the slums and brothels with which Pimlico had become
associated in the press and criminal courts, the Second Duke of Westminster
sold the part of the Grosvenor estate on which it is built. Now, as in Central London in general, Pimlico property prices are
high, and the area is again fashionable. A large number of houses have once
again been put to new use, being divided into one or two bedroom flats intended
for young professionals.
A Green Lambeth Walk
This
circular walk took in parks, garden squares, churchyards, community gardens and
other green spaces of historic interest in Lambeth and west Southwark. The
first stop was the church of St John the Evangelist, one of the so-called Waterloo churches built to commemorate Wellington’s victory over Napoleon.
Other gardens en route included the Bernie
Spain Gardens,
named after a local campaigner Bernadette Spain, Christchurch Gardens
with its 1960 church built to replace the original destroyed in WWII, the
Hopton’s Almshouses complex with its two garden squares, the Gambia Street and Nelson Square
community gardens, and the Waterloo Millennium Green. In the Geraldine Mary
Harmsworth Park
(perhaps better known as the setting for the Imperial
War Museum)
was to be found a section of the Berlin Wall, a Soviet War memorial, and a tree
trail linking 34 native trees that colonised Britain after the last Ice Age. The
final section of the walk took in the Archbishop’s Park, and the gardens
of St Thomas’s
Hospital.
Mayfair
The
districts of Mayfair and Belgravia came into
the ownership of the Grosvenor family in 1677 when Sir Thomas Grosvenor married
Mary Davies, heiress to part of the ancient manor of Ebury. The northern part
of the manor takes its name from the fortnight-long May Fair, held annually
until well into the 1700s. In 1720 Sir Richard Grosvenor, the eldest son of Sir
Thomas and Mary Davies, started developing the area, beginning with Grosvenor Square.
Throughout the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries
Mayfair, with the finest residential architecture in London, was the centre of Society. While much
this fine architecture remains to be seen in Mayfair,
almost all the original houses of Grosvenor
Square itself were demolished during the 20th
century, and replaced by blocks of flats in a neo-Georgian style, by hotels and
by embassies. The very obvious security measures surrounding the US embassy are a further blot on what was once
one of London’s
finest residential squares.
Famous
past residents have included the present monarch Queen Elizabeth II, John
Adams, 2nd American president (1735-1826), Dwight David Eisenhower, 34th
American president (1890-1969), Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, surgeon and mayor
(1836-1917), Elizabeth Barrett Browning, poet (1806-1861), Robert Clive,
soldier & administrator (1725-1774), Earl Benjamin Disraeli, prime minister
(1804-1881), Sir Robert Peel, prime minister (1788-1850), Sir Henry Pelham,
prime minister (1695-1754), Charles James Fox, British statesman (1749-1806),
Jimi Hendrix, guitarist & songwriter (1942-1970), William Somerset Maugham,
novelist (1874-1965), and Richard Brinsley Sheridan, dramatist (1751-1816).
Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell,
once also known as London's "Little Italy" - due to its extensive
Italian population from the 1850s to the 1960s - took its name from the Clerk's
Well in Farringdon Lane, where in the Middle Ages, the London Parish clerks
performed annual mystery plays, based on biblical themes. Later, the Monastic
Order of the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem established its
English headquarters in the area. In the 17th century Clerkenwell became a
fashionable place of residence, but was also the location of three prisons. The
Industrial Revolution changed the area greatly, and it became a centre for
breweries, distilleries and the printing industry. Clerkenwell Green lies at
the centre of the old village, and has historically been associated with
radicalism, from the Lollards in the 16th century, the Chartists in the 19th
century and communists in the early 20th century. After the Second World War
Clerkenwell suffered from industrial decline, but a general revival and
gentrification process began in the 1990s, and the area is now known for
loft-living young professionals, nightclubs, restaurants and art galleries.
Kensal
Green Cemetery
The
General Cemetery of All Souls, Kensal Green, is one of Britain's oldest and most beautiful
public burial grounds. One of the world's first garden cemeteries, and doyen of
London's Magnificent
Seven, Kensal Green received its first funeral in January 1833, and still
conducts burials and cremations daily. The cemetery was innovative in having
most of the site consecrated by the Church of England, but reserving the
eastern spur for Dissenters and others to practise their own rites. Over
250,000 people have been laid to rest at the General Cemetery of All Souls,
Kensal Green, since 1833, as burials and cremated remains, in graves and
catacombs. Amongst princes and paupers, the great and the good, the famous and
the infamous, over 1500 notable personalities -- including over 550 with
entries in the Dictionary of
National Biography -- are buried at Kensal Green, from the children
of George III to the servants of Queen Victoria.
Engineers and artists, politicians and preachers, scientists and sportsmen,
writers and actors, doctors and lawyers, financiers and philanthropists,
explorers and wastrels, lie as neighbours in the aptly-named All Souls.
Hampstead
Garden Suburb
Hampstead
Garden Suburb was inspired by Dame Henrietta Barnett who was married to Samuel
Barnett, vicar of St Jude's Whitechapel and founder of Toynbee Hall. The
establishment of the suburb followed the campaign to preserve what is now the
Hampstead Heath extension. Mrs Barnett wrote an article proposing housing for
working classes and larger houses and shops in 1905. The Trust was formed in
1906 with responsibility for house type and plan and street layout. Until 1914
Sir Raymond Unwin was its chief architect. A number of other architects were
involved but the Trust's control ensured harmony of character. It is
internationally recognised as one of the finest examples of early twentieth
century domestic architecture and town planning and is home to approximately
13,000 people.
Exploring the vanishing Jewish East End
(Part I)
The
walk passed through some of East London’s most handsome Georgian streets,
but concentrated on the historic Jewish links with the area which go back to
1656 when Oliver Cromwell allowed Jews to return to England. The walk started outside
St Botolph’s, Aldgate, in the ward of Portsoken in the City of London. Situated within
the ward is one of the oldest synagogues in England, Bevis Marks. The nearby
Petticoat Lane Market was once almost entirely Jewish, while in Brune Street is to
be found an expensive apartment block, which was originally the Jewish Soup
Kitchen for the Poor. The Jews Free School,
founded in the 19th century, was located in adjacent Bell Lane, while
the Sandy’s Row Synagogue is one of only
four synagogues still active in the East End
– there used to be 150! (It is estimated that 120,000 Jews lived in the
Borough of Stepney in 1910.)
Among
the most prominent members of the Jewish community associated with the area are
Bud Flanagan, a member of the Crazy Gang, and Arnold Wesker, the playwright,
and of course the Rothschild family, through their charitable support of the
Jewish community.
Canonbury to Newington
Green
This
route, often following the New River, passed
through two contrasting 19th century suburbs. Canonbury took its
late Georgian form in the early part of the century around a medieval manor.
Highbury New Town was developed on a more spacious scale in the later decades. Highbury New Park
was one of the two estates laid out in the 1850s, and consisted of large
detached and semi-detached houses, often in Italo-Romanesque style. Newington
Green, however, was a much earlier urban outpost, starting in the 15th
century as a forest clearing. Some of the earliest surviving terraced buildings
in London, dating to around 1650, are to be found on the west side of the
green. Newington Green was a haven for non-conformists, and the Unitarian
Chapel is the old non-conformist chapel still used for worship in the UK. In
the late 18th century the minister Dr Richard Price was a friend of
many American revolutionaries, including Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson,
John Quincy Adams, David Hume and Tom Paine, several of whom visited him on the
green. Other famous personalities with links to the area are Daniel Defoe,
Samuel Wesley, Mary Wollstonecroft, and Edgar Allen Poe who went to school
nearby.
London’s Central Parks
This
walk extended from Westminster to Kensington
through green swathe made up of four Royal Parks: St James’s Park, Green Park,
Hyde Park and Kensington
Gardens. Places of
interest along the route included the Treasury and Foreign Office, the Cabinet
War Rooms, Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, Apsley House (the Wellington Museum)
at Hyde Park Corner, the Serpentine, the Peter Pan statue and Speke memorial in
Kensington Gardens, where the walk finished. From
here it was but a short distance to the pub in Moscow Road!
Rotherhithe &
Southwark Park
Rotherhithe
was originally a low-lying area known as Redriff. It became a tight-knit
community of shipbuilders and sailors until the closure of the docks in 1970.
The old village around the church has been designated as a conservation area.
The world's first tunnel under a major navigable river was constructed from
Rotherhithe. Finishing in Bermondsey, this walk started at the Canada Water
tube station and explored Southwark Park and the old riverside village of Rotherhithe
in which major restorations and improvements have recently taken place.
Riverside London
This
riverside walk started at St Paul’s
Cathedral and zigzagged its way back and forth along the north and south banks
of the Thames, encompassing a wide range of
buildings, young and old. Many of the old warehouses and wharves, once derelict
and a sad memorial to the Port
of London’s former
prosperity, have in recent years undergone a transformation into new offices,
shops, restaurants and expensive apartments. Among the buildings en route were
the College of Arms,
Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Southwark Cathedral,
Billingsgate Market, the Custom House, the GLA Headquarters, the Tower of London, and St Katherine’s Dock.
The walk finished at Butler’s Wharf, now
home of the Design
Museum.
Kensington and Holland Park
Kensington
is an historic village suburb in West London, close to Kensington
Palace and Kensington Gardens.
It is spread out on the south-facing slope of Campden Hill and bisected by its
fashionable High Street. While Kensington
Palace was in use gentry
and nobility dominated the area but when the court moved out, artists and
writers settled here. This circular walk started and finished in Kensington
High Street and included the parish church, Kensington’s two historic
squares (one now 300 years old), Holland House and Park, the Melbury Road
artists’ colony centred on Leighton House Museum and Art Gallery, and
many attractive streets and houses in a rich variety of architectural styles.
Woolwich
“Woolwich, in
Kent, situated on the Thames, nine miles from London-bridge - Can be reached by
South-Eastern Railway or by the Great Eastern…….. There is no good
hotel accommodation in Woolwich, but on the other side of the river dinners are
well served at the North Woolwich Gardens Hotel. Woolwich is celebrated for its
arsenal. Visitors must be furnished with a ticket from the War Office, obtained
by personal application, or by letter to the “Secretary of State for War,
War Office, Pall Mall, S.W.,” stating names and addresses, and declaring
that they are British subjects. Visitors with tickets are admitted on Tuesday
or Thursday between the hours of 10 and 11.30 a.m. and 2 till 4.30 p.m.
Foreigners must have special tickets, obtained through their ambassador in London. The four principal
departments of the arsenal, which covers 350 acres of ground, are the
“Gun” Factory the “Laboratory” the
“Carriage,” and “Control” Departments. A Torpedo
Department, not open to the public, has recently been added.”
So
wrote Charles Dickens in 1879. Things have of course somewhat changed since
then. Though many of the original buildings remain, they have found new uses,
and of course foreigners no longer need special tickets to visit the site.
Besides the Arsenal itself the walk took in buildings of interest in central
Woolwich. These are linked to the Royal Arsenal by a riverside walk which
includes a new park.
Little Venice
The
“Little Venice” district is a tiny exclusive area of about a square
mile within London’s
Maida Vale district. It comprises ten or so streets of beautiful white stucco
buildings, originally built in the 1860’s, plus two little streets of
shops, Formosa Street
and Clifton Gardens. They all cluster around the Regents Canal Basin,
originally constructed by engineering genius Isambard Kingdom Brunel to link
with nearby Paddington Station. “Little Venice” proper is so named because
three canals meet here. The combination of peace, grace and style together with
convenient access to the West End has made it
both fashionable and expensive. The later stages of the walk explored the new
Paddington Waterside district, a major regeneration project surrounding the Paddington Basin.
Bedford
Park
This
walk explored a Victorian residential community (Bedford
Park) and a 21st century business
community (Chiswick
Park).
The
walk started at the Chiswick
Business Park
which occupies a 33 acre site that was formerly a London Transport depot.
Development by Stanhope began in the 1990s to a masterplan by Terry Farrell but
was halted in the recession. The present project by Richards Rogers features
buildings with concrete framing which can be customised by tenants. Extensive
sun-screening has been devised and parking is included in the undercrofts. The
buildings are set within a landscaped park with water features.
The
first houses in Bedford
Park were designed by E W
Godwin but these were criticised and he resigned to be replaced with Richard
Norman Shaw. Shaw's houses, in 'Queen Anne' style, featured red bricks &
tiles, tall chimneys, steep roofs & dormers, bay windows, balconies and
stained glass. Trees were retained and planted and gardens had wooden fences.
The houses were intended for the well-educated middle classes of moderate. A
few larger detached houses were built including Carr's own home Tower House
which had 16 rooms and a large garden with tennis and badminton courts. Bedford Park was popular with artists and
writers and supporters of the Arts & Crafts movement, as championed by John
Ruskin and William Morris.
Millwall
This
walk covered just under a three mile section of the Thames Path (which is a
national trail extending 180 miles from the river’s source in
Gloucestershire to the Thames Barrier in London).
The section runs on the north side of the Thames from Limekiln Dock to Island Gardens,
taking in some of the most interesting riverside in London. It skirts the Millwall Dock and Cubitt Town.
Cubitt Town was developed in the 1840s to 1850s
and was originally a relatively prosperous area, with two thirds of the
population being from the upper/middle and skilled classes, occupying a range
of housing, including large villas. However the nature of the area slowly
changed and by 1927 two thirds of the population was unskilled. The
redevelopment of the London
docks is again changing the nature of the area, with extensive, often upmarket,
private housing now being built. The walk ended at Island
Garden, with its Cannelletto view of Greenwich.
Highgate to Hampstead via Kenwood House
This
was a hilly walk across London’s Northern Heights. Starting from Archway tube
station the walk skirted Highgate Cemetery, before passing through Waterlow Park
in which is set Lauderdale House, once the summer retreat of Charles II’s
mistress Nell Gwyn, and now a centre for exhibitions and concerts. Along
Highgate Hill and Highgate High
Street there are fine views south towards the City
and east towards Hornsey. The Grove is Highgate’s finest street, with
some houses dating from the 1680s. The walk down from Highgate along West Hill
lead to Hampstead Heath and hence to Kenwood House. Until 1927 a private house,
Kenwood is now a public museum with fine 18th century Adam interiors
and a notable collection of paintings.
Victoria Street
(Westminster Cathedral to Westminster Abbey)
Victoria Street has some of the most banal
architecture built in the post war years. Yet to the south and north are many
attractive streets. This walk concentrated on the streets to the south and took
in a number of attractive and historic squares such as Eccleston, Warwick,
Vincent and Smith. Also on route was Westminster Cathedral and several 18th
century streets with strong political links, such as Cowley Street, where the headquarters of
the Liberal Democrats are to be found. Towards the end of the walk was the
Middlesex Guildhall and of course Westminster Abbey.
North Isle of Dogs and Canary
Wharf Walk
No
matter from which direction you come, the first glimpse of Canary Wharf rising
out of Docklands, like a breathtaking Manhattan skyline magically transported
to the East End, never fails to amaze and surprise. The estate now extends to
86 acres and rivals the City as a major financial centre. And yet amongst all
this modernity there are to be found many buildings from the area’s
historic past as an important part of the London
docks. These include the magnificent Grade I listed West India Quay Warehouses.
Starting at the West India Docks, the walk included the Poplar Dock and Blackwall Basin,
the tree-lined Cabot Square and of course No.1 Canada Square, popularly know as
“Canary Wharf”. As with some earlier walks
the walk finished in the Limehouse
Basin.
East
London Canal
Walk Part II
With
over 200 years of history, London’s canals
were originally built to connect the great docks on the River Thames to Birmingham and the industrial Midlands.
The walk started at the Bow Church DLR Station and explored the Hertford Union
Canal and Regent’s Canal section
of the East London canal network. This
included the Mile End Park
with its unique Green
Bridge. Limehouse Basin,
where the walk ended, was the hub of the canal system nationwide. Nowadays the
canal banks are worlds apart from their hectic past, instead providing a
peaceful haven, while Limehouse
Basin has been
transformed from a working dock to a charming marina.
Hoxton & Shoreditch
Hoxton
had begun as an area with large houses, fashionable squares and numerous
almshouses, but from the late 18th century was overwhelmed by
industrial development and the large number of people, many of them poor, who
came to live and work here. Much of the industry has now gone and the slum
housing cleared. Remnants of both its prosperous and hard times remain, but the
area is now undergoing a dramatic transformation.
The
Geffrye Museum towards the end of the walk has a
series of rooms set out in the attractive former ironmongers’ almshouses.
There is also a walled period and herb garden
East
London Canal
Walk Part I
With
over 200 years of history, London’s canals
were originally built to connect the great docks on the River Thames to Birmingham and the industrial Midlands.
The walk started at the Bow Church DLR Station and explored the Three Mills
Island area and the
Limehouse Cut. Limehouse
Basin, where the walk
ended, was the hub of the canal system nationwide. Nowadays the canal banks are
worlds apart from their hectic past, instead providing a peaceful haven, while Limehouse Basin has been transformed from a working
dock to a charming marina.
Kennington
The
walk started at the Oval Tube Station and took in much of the property in
Kennington which has belonged to the Duchy of Cornwall since the time of James
I. Even earlier the Black Prince had a palace in the area. The Vauxhall
Pleasure Gardens were a major attraction from 1661-1859, but especially in the
18th century. The Lambeth riverfront changed dramatically with the
construction of the Albert Embankment. The walk finished at the Museum of Garden History which
is worthy of a visit in its own right.
Dulwich
Village
Edward
Alleyn, an actor and contemporary of Shakespeare, made a fortune as a
theatrical entrepreneur which enabled him to buy the Manor of Dulwich. He had
built a chapel, school and almshouses and dying childless in 1626 bequeathed
the manor to these establishments. The control held by the Estates Governors
has enabled the village to remain largely unspoilt. The walk included the
Dulwich Picture Gallery, England’s oldest public picture gallery, Dulwich College,
with its chapel and almshouses, Dulwich
Park and Dulwich Common,
as well as a number of attractive domestic houses and cottages.
Westminster and St James’s
If
the City of London represents the heart of Britain’s
financial world, then the areas surrounding St James’s Park is where
political power is exercised and the establishment wines and dines. The walk
starts in Green Park and explores the streets to the
north of The Mall where some of the most influential dining clubs in the
country are located. Heading towards Whitehall
we shall pass through Carlton House Terrace with its magnificent regency
buildings reminiscent of those surrounding Regent’s Park, before reaching
Horse Guards Parade, surrounded by impressive government buildings. Skirting St
James’s Park the walk then takes in Queen Anne’s Gate,
architecturally one of London’s
finest streets, and the picturesque streets leading to Smith Square. The square is best known as
the location of the Conservative Party headquarters, but also has at its centre
the extraordinary baroque church
of St John’s.
Heading along Millbank and passing Westminster Abbey and the Houses of
Parliament, the walk finishes at Westminster
tube station.
Regent’s Park
At
the time of George becoming Prince Regent in the first quarter of the 19th
Century leases on farmland to the north of London expired and this provided the impetus
for Nash’s grand scheme of 50 detached villas in a parkland setting
surrounded by great terraces. Yet ironically had Nash’s plans been
realised in their entirety there would be no public park on this site to enjoy
today. In fact only 8 villas were actually built, and of these only two remain.
Nevertheless the palatial cream-stuccoed terraces which surround the
Regent’s Park are still an impressive sight. The walk started at Regents Park tube station taking in the terraces
in the east side of the park, then crossed the park to see the two remaining
original detached villas and reach the western terraces. Other places of
interest on route included the Diorama, Regents College, and Wingfield House.
The latter is the official residence of the American Ambassador. The walk ended
on the edge of St John’s
Wood church yard (now a public park).
London’s East
End (Old Street
to Shadwell)
The
exact parameters of London’s East End are hotly debated. The walk started in the
Bricklayers Arms, which is not part of the official “East
End”, where Rivington
Street meets Charlotte Road, just off Old Street. However
the walk included some of the best parts of the East End
– from Shoreditch to Limehouse. During the course of the walk there were
two of Hawksmoor’s six London
churches. A third is to be found not far from where the walk ended in
Limehouse. On route we passed the famous Spitalfields Market. Spitalfields was
the home of the first Huguenot immigrants, who were later followed by Irish
driven out of their land by the potato famine, by Jews driven out of
continental Europe by pogroms, and of course most recently by Bangladeshis. The
area around St George’s
Town Hall was the site of
clashes between local residents and Moseley supporters a few years before the
outbreak of WWII. The walk ended at the Prospect of Whitby pub in Limehouse.
This area has since the 1980s been extensively transformed with modern flats,
houses and commercial developments.
St John’s
Wood
As
the name implies, St John’s Wood this was once a wooded area owned by the
Knights of St John of Jerusalem. The area developed in the 19th century with
the formation of Regent's Park and the construction of the Canal. There are
attractive buildings in a wide variety of styles to be seen. Church Street is lined with stalls and
shops, including antiques shops. The former churchyard of St John's Wood
Church has been made into
a pleasant park. Marylebone Station was built in 1899 by H W Braddock for the
Great Central Railway on the Portman Nursery site. (An M&S food-store
occupies the old wood-panelled ticket office.) Octavia Hill, founder of the
National Trust, is also associated with the area, while parts for the Spitfire
aircraft were manufactured here during WWII. The London Central Mosque with its
copper dome and minaret was built in 1977. The area is however perhaps best
known as the site of Lords Cricket Ground and as the home of someone who never
existed, namely Sherlock Holmes, who lived at 221B Baker Street with Dr Watson his friend
and Mrs Hudson his housekeeper.
Regent’s Canal – Kings Cross
to Camden Lock
Regent’s
Canal opened in 1820, linking the Grand Junction
Canal at Paddington to the Thames at Limehouse. The two canals merged in 1929 to
form the Grand Union Canal.
Commercial traffic was heavy until the 1940s but by 1960 it had all but
disappeared. Now used for leisure, you can still see the relics of the past all
along its course.
The
walk took in the picturesque Keystone
Crescent, the Maiden Lane
Bridge with its fine cast
iron work, and the St Pancras Basin which is a base for the St Pancras Cruising
club – not that type of cruising! The walk ended at Camden Lock.
Kew
Kew is thought to take its name from the old Anglo–Saxon word
for quay or landing place. This is plausible since the village grew up at the
south end of a ford across the Thames, the
north side of which gave its name to Brentford. However throughout most of its
existence it was of little importance. It was only the development of Richmond as a royal residence by Henry VIII that put Kew on the map. Kew became popular with courtiers because
of its easy accessibility to London.
In the 18th Century Kew as we know it today started to emerge, particularly
after George I moved into Richmond Lodge in what is now Kew Gardens.
Ironically all the royal residences and many of the other houses in the area
were eventually demolished, with the exception of Kew
Palace, in order to form what we now
know as Kew Gardens.
We
did not have time to explore the gardens. Rather the walk took in the
attractive 18th Century St Anne’s Church, with the graves of the painters
Thomas Gainsborough and Joshua Zoffany. There is also a fine collection of
period houses, particularly around Kew Green. Directly across the river is Strand on the Green, a former fishing hamlet, where
Zoffany lived in a fine five-bay house.
Fleet Street and St Paul’s
(The City West)
Twenty
or more years ago the western part of the City of London
was the traditional centre of London’s
printing, publishing and newspaper industries. All that is now gone, but this
circular walk took in many places associated with the area’s literary
past, such as St Paul’s churchyard and Fleet Street, the printers’
church of St Bride’s, Stationer’s Hall and Dr Johnson’s
House. The walk’s other main features included the Old Bailey courthouse
together with Newgate and Bridewell prisons, the College of Arms, the site of
Blackfriars Monastery, St Paul’s Cathedral and other Wren churches, and
Playhouse Yard where Shakespeare was an actor and partner in the Blackfriars
Playhouse.
Belgravia
Belgravia takes its name from a small village in Leicestershire, Belgrave,
where the Dukes of Westminster once had a small estate. The same family still
owns much of Belgravia, and Mayfair too. This
aristocratic quarter was developed by the family between the 1820s and the
1850s, and centres on Belgrave and Eaton Squares. Eaton Hall in Cheshire is the
duke’s country house. Although Belgravia
as a whole is still largely residential, most of the houses in Belgrave Square are
either embassies or the headquarters of various organisations. The area is also
dotted with mews, once crowded with horses and carriages belonging to the big
houses in the square and adjoining streets. Starting and finishing at Apsley House, the former home of the
Duke of Wellington, the walk also took in one of the most attractive
residential areas of Knightsbridge.
Notting Hill
Notting
Hill is the scene of the Notting Hill Carnival, Europe’s
largest street carnival, and of the world-famous Portobello Road antiques market. However
the walk, which started at Notting Hill Gate, concentrated on the area’s
attractive residential developments. Though Notting Hill itself is the site of London’s finest
Victorian housing, the Notting Hill district later became associated with the
practice called Rachmanism, named after Peter Rachman, and defined by the
Oxford English Dictionary as “the exploitation and intimidation of
tenants by unscrupulous landlords”.
From
1957 onwards Peter Rachman bought run down houses in the area and to maximise
his profits forced out existing tenants to re-let the properties at much higher
rents. The new tenants were usually immigrant families from the West Indies who had nowhere else to go and had to pay
extortionate rents for tiny squalid rooms. Today of course Notting Hill one of
the most desirable and fashionable parts of London. The final part of the walk climbed
leafy Holland Park Avenue and crossed Campden
Hill Square to the top of Campden Hill, before
returning to Notting Hill.
Chelsea
This
small part of London, a slender triangle of land
sandwiched between the river Thames and the
borough of Kensington, can claim more fame to the acre than almost any other,
brimming with notable residents throughout six centuries. Chelsea originated as a Saxon settlement, and
later developed strong links with royalty. Henry VIII acquired the manor of Chelsea in 1536 and the
future Queen Elizabeth I was a resident there for a time. James I founded a
theological college on a site later to be occupied by The Royal Hospital.
Founded by Charles II for the care of permanently disabled soldiers, the
Hospital is still there today and its uniformed residents have become known
worldwide as the Chelsea Pensioners. Among the later residents of this once
bohemian district were: George Eliot, James Whistler, Thomas Carlyle, Tobias
Smollett and Hilaire Belloc; and the area’s former MP is of course
Michael Portillo.
Bloomsbury
This
walk took us to an area of London
long associated with those who lived an alternative life style – the
Bloomsbury Group of artists and writers. The district was laid out between the
late 17th and early 19th centuries, mainly by the Dukes of Bedford, and became
a highly fashionable area. Among the six squares visited was Bedford Square, probably the finest
surviving Georgian Square
in London. Russell Square had
of course a certain attraction for some gays, and it will be interesting to see
whether the recent changes have any affect on its reputation. Other notable
buildings on route included the British
Museum, The Dickens House Museum and Great Ormond
Street Hospital
and London University Senate House.
Marylebone
Marylebone
is just north of Oxford Street
in the West End. It was one of the closest
villages to central London
until two landowners in the area began to lay out the regular grid of
impressive streets and squares for which the area is chiefly known today. Many
fine houses from that time (the 18th and 19th centuries)
still remain, although most have been converted to offices. Features on the
walk included the old High Street and parish church (grave of the hymn-writer
Charles Wesley), four squares (including Manchester Square where the Wallace
Collection is based), Harley Street, Madame Tussaud’s waxworks, Oxford Street, and
the award-winning shopping precinct St. Christopher’s Place. One of the
area’s special delights is the many and varied mews tucked behind its
main streets.
London Walls
Almost
2000 years ago, the Romans were enjoying British hospitality. They were
enjoying it so much that they decided to build a wall around various cities so
that they were the only ones enjoying it. One such city was London. As you may realise, most of the London wall is no longer
in existence. So this walk traced the 4.5 kilometres that was the City of London wall. Along the
way, various historical sites and points of interest were pointed out, which
included everything from Roman times to modern times, plus the few remaining
bits of the original London Wall.
We also discovered such things as:
·
Why certain roads are called as they are, such as Houndsditch
·
Where some modern expressions have come from, such as 'It's Bedlam
in here!'
·
Where some famous London
residents lived
·
Where some of the gates within the Wall existed
·
Where some of the Jack the Ripper murders were committed
Old Chiswick
From
as early as the mid-15th century Chiswick was known to city-dwellers
as an attractive and healthy place to live. The Russell family, later Earls and
now Dukes of Bedford, lived at Corney House west of the village from 1542. In
the late 17th and early 18th centuries, people also began
to build fine houses in Church
Street and along the riverside lane leading from
the church to the manor house. In time the whole of this lane was built up to
form a one-sided street called Chiswick Mall, one of the finest riverside
promenades. Church Street,
though mutilated at its top end, is still one of London’s most picturesque streets,
while Chiswick House, which also featured on the walk, is one of the finest
examples of the Palladian style of architecture in the country. Unfortunately we
did not have time to visit the interior, but we were able to visit the little
country house, now called Hogarth House, once occupied by the painter and
engraver William Hogarth.
Mayfair
The
districts of Mayfair and Belgravia came into
the ownership of the Grosvenor family in 1677. The northern part takes its name
from the May Fair held annually into the 1770’s. In 1720 Sir Richard
Grosvenor started developing the area. Grosvenor Square was the first square to
have terraced houses grouped behind a unified façade. With the finest
residential architecture in London, Mayfair became the centre of Society in the 18th,
19th and 20th centuries. In the 19th shops
were built along Mount Street
and Oxford Street,
while in the 1930s commercial pressure brought bigger shops to Oxford Street.
Embassies and diplomatic residences took other premises throughout the
district, and along Park Lane
luxury hotels were developed. After the war Grosvenor Square itself was largely
rebuilt to a neo-Georgian design.
The
walk through Mayfair offered views of typical Mayfair
houses and other buildings. These included 53 Davies Street, originally built in
the18th century, but with a 19th century front. This now houses the
offices of the Grosvenor Estate. Other interesting properties were Claridges
Hotel built in 1856, Bourdon House, with a pleasing Georgian façade,
which was once the home of the Duke of Westminster, the “Audley”,
one of the few Mayfair pubs to survive the Victorian purge on licensed
premises, the Grosvenor Chapel (St George’s), and John Adams’
House, the only original house left from the original 18th century
square.
Highgate
Back
in the Middle Ages the Bishop of London had a large hunting park, fenced to
keep the deer in, on top of the hills to the north of London. In the early 1300’s the then
bishop decided to start charging travellers using the roads across the park. He
put up three gates at various points and installed gatekeepers to collect the
tolls and to see to the maintenance of the roads. The most easterly gate was
the most important because it controlled the main road from London to the northern counties. Here the
gatekeeper and road-mender was a hermit. With pilgrims visiting the hermitage
chapel, and thirsty visitors requiring refreshment and accommodation, a settlement
soon grew up, centred on the road to the south of the gatehouse. In time, being
on a hilltop site, the settlement acquired the name of Highgate.
By
the 1500s the village had begun to grow significantly. Merchants and lawyers
from London were attracted by its healthy
position and fantastic views of London
a few miles away. By the 1660s Highgate had become the largest centre of
population in the area.
In
the 19th century Highgate’s hilltop position, and the fact
that it was always able to attract the wealthiest and most influential
residents, saved it from being engulfed by suburbia. The village benefited from
the preservation of both Hampstead Heath and the private estate centred on
Kenwood as public open spaces. To the north the Bishops of London continued to
own land (now the Highgate gold course) well into the 19th century,
which also helped limit development. And lastly the building of the Great North Road in
1867 provided the village with a bypass. All these factors result in Highgate
being one of the most elegant and best-preserved villages in London.
The
walk featured a fine collection of 17th and 18th century
houses, Waterlow Park,
Hampstead Heath and Highgate ponds, combined with spectacular views of London.
Islington
The
walk explored Islington and Canonbury and covered the history of the area,
including historic buildings in the area and some of its gay residents over the
years.
Soho
The
tour covered the gay history of Soho, including the 17th century
molly trials, the gay scene of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, the
haunts of its more famous (or infamous) characters and the current gay scene.
Blackheath
Blackheath
takes its name from the Heath which divides it from Greenwich, its riverside neighbour to the
south. The first developments were in the 1690’s when the Earls of
Dartmouth built Dartford Row. Later in the 18th Century speculators
built fine houses on the south side of the heath. Tradesmen moved into the area
to service these houses and so the village gradually came into existence.
Development proceeded apace after the opening of Blackheath Station in 1849.
Much of this development took place on the largest single property in the area,
the Cator Estate. The first property built here in 1695 was a large almshouse
for Turkey Company merchants. This is still in existence today, and features in
the walk. In the late 18th Century and early 19th Century
John Cator, a self-made businessman from Beckenham, acquired the site and
developed what is now Montpelier
Row, South Row and The Paragon. Building on the interior of the estate started
in 1806 and continued over a long period of time.
Starting
at Blackheath Station, the walk took in the Cator Estate and other Georgian and
Victorian developments on the surrounding heights. It also of course included the
village centre and parts of the heath, but unfortunately not the Dartmouth
streets of the 1690’s which are a little too far away.
Greenwich
Greenwich was established as a little fishing port on the Thames
long before the Norman Conquest. However subsequently Greenwich
became famous for the old royal palace and park, the former Royal Greenwich
Observatory and the Greenwich meridian, as well
as the concentration of maritime history in the shape of the National Maritime
Museum and the Cutty
Sark and Gypsy Moth IV. From the steep hill behind the town there
are panoramic views of Greenwich, the Isle of
Dogs, the River Thames, and south London.
Kentish Town
to Hampstead
The
walk started in Kentish Town and explored some of the charming and picturesque
streets tucked away from the main Highgate Road, before turning east onto the
Heath towards Parliament Hill and Boadicea’s Burial Mound. In Hampstead
the first port of call was Keat’s House, en route to Downshire Hill,
perhaps Hampstead’s grandest street. From here Rossyln Hill leads to Hampstead High Street
in which of course the King William IV pub is be to found. Continuing towards
Church Row, another of Hampstead’s finest streets, St John’s Church
and St Mary’s Church are close at hand, as is a house in which Robert
Louise Stevenson once stayed.
Clerkenwell
This
walk centred on the historic district of Clerkenwell, now the home to the
well-healed, whether gay or straight. The walk started at the Barbican Tube
Station and ended in Islington at the Edward VI in Bromfield Street. Smithfield was of
course the home to a famous meat market, while in the 15th and 16th
centuries, when cloth was the main source of England’s wealth, St
Bartholomew’s Fair was the country’s biggest cloth trade fair. The area
around Clerkenwell Green has links with variety of religious and radical
movements, including the Fenians, Lenin and the Knights Templar. Before
reaching the Angel the walk passed through the historic spa district in the
vicinity of Sadler’s Wells.