Orange Street doesn’t look very historic at first glance. The narrow Westminster street lies between the National Gallery and Leicester Square but there’s a lot more to see than you might guess. Firstly, it was only known as Orange Street from 1905, a reference to the Prince...
Nestled behind the Bank of England you can find St Margaret Lothbury. It’s easy to miss, hemmed in by other buildings, but if open it’s well worth popping in to admire its treasures and history. (I've previously written about the beautiful Italianate building next door, read...
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! View of Strand Lane from Temple Lane I’ve previously covered one of them on...
As part of my new walking tour Hidden Wonders of Waterloo I've been researching the history of Surrey Chapel, an 18th century church that once stood by Southwark Station. Although it no longer stands today, it's a prime example of the historic twists and turns...
Transport a 12th century monk to Aldgate today and there’s very little that they’d recognise. However inside this office block you can find a tiny part of an epic Medieval Priory where they'd feel right at home! If you’re passing 77 Leadenhall Street, peer through the...
Today Bunhill Fields is a wonderful slice of calm alongside the busy Old Street roundabout. But its history is macabre, curious and full of surprises. History of Bunhill Fields Its name is a derivation of bone hill, literally where cartloads of bones from St Paul’s Cathedral’s Charnel...
Having visited most of them, I thought it would be a fun long-term project to write about every City Church. There are 43 within the Square Mile (give or take a couple, depending on which you include) and in this post we're visiting the only...
Crossing Lambeth Bridge provides an epic panoramic view of the House of Parliament, London Eye and Lambeth Palace. However, a building that doesn’t get as much attention is Norwest House, previously Imperial Chemical House. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 This post is why it’s worth having a...
If you find yourself in the City of London with a bit of spare time, it's always worthwhile to soak up some history by popping into one of the 50-odd City churches. This week, with some time between private tours, I did just that and think...
Look up at 22 Endell Street in Covent Garden, and you’ll see the striking facade of a former stained glass studio. Built in 1859 and designed by Robert Jewell Withers, between the multi-coloured decorative brickwork you can make out the proclamation in stone; Lavers and Barraud,...