Oh West London, traditionally the fancy part of town with beautiful houses and the Royal connections, is there lots more to discover? Yes you can bet there is!
Chelsea sometimes gets described as a ‘village’ and if you know where to look you can certainly find some nice historic reminders. If you look up along the King’s Road in Chelsea you can spot some cows heads staring back at you. So what’s the......
It might not have the immediate charm of Soho Square, but Golden Square has a fascinating history (and a good reason for its messy hodge-podge of architectural styles and ages). While walking through on a sunny afternoon I was struck by how many little details......
Within Kensington Garden’s Italian Gardens you can find the monumental Queen Anne’s Alcove. Not only was it designed by Christopher Wren but it has a surprising history! The Italian Gardens were laid out around 1860, spearheaded by Prince Albert. They followed a similar plan for......
It’s no surprise that people fail to appreciate Palladium House. Standing opposite the glorious facade of Liberty’s, the majority of people take photos of that wonderful black and white entrance. Now, this isn’t to say that Liberty doesn’t have its own historic credentials (you can......
In the streets close to Bayswater tube station you can admire row upon row of Victorian, stucco terraces. But 23 & 24 Leinster Gardens hold a sneaky surprise. They are London’s fake houses! History of Leinster Gardens Leinster Gardens was laid out around 1855 and......
On the wall of St Paul’s Knightsbridge, there’s a surprising war memorial where all the names are women. It remembers the members of the Women’s Transport Service (later known as FANY). History of FANY The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry was founded back in 1907. It......
Set back from busy Oxford Street is Stratford Place and at the very end you can find Stratford House, the beautiful building that’s now home to the Oriental Club. The club has only been here since 1962 but the history of the building (and the......
Along the busy Wandsworth High Street it’s easy to miss this small brick building. Even if you do take a moment to appreciate the ‘Society of Friends’ sign, you might not realise quite how historic a building it is. Built in 1778, this is the......
Just under two miles away from Battersea Power Station is Lots Road Power Station. Not quite as famous perhaps, but this fascinating place is currently undergoing its own major renovation. Derelict since 2002, It’s being transformed into Powerhouse, a luxury residential address complete with riverside......
Along Endell Street, just north of Covent Garden, it’s easy to miss this fairly simple plaque that celebrates the former Endell Street Military Hospital. It commemorates an inspiring story of courage, defiance and dogged determination. The two heroines are Louisa Garrett Anderson and Flora Murray. ......
For such a tiny area of London, Soho has helped fuel well over its quota of the nation’s creative talent. Look up along its network of streets and blue plaques abound with nods to musicians, artists and scientists. So next time you’re walking along Greek......
For the everyday passerby, there’s not much reason to venture into Strand Lane. It’s not a convenient cut through to the Strand however it has two quite amazing bits of history to discover! I’ve previously covered one of them on the blog, the history of......