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...
Within the extensive grounds of Chatsworth House in Derbyshire you can find remnants of inspiration for one of London’s most extraordinary buildings, The Crystal Palace. It gave its name to an area of London (and a football team!) but thanks to a disastrous fire you won’t...
Have you admired this dolls house-esque building on Tower Hill? This is Trinity House, an institution whose history stretches back to 1514, based here since 1794. What is Trinity House? Today Trinity House is a charity and its primary concern is the safety of shipping and mariners. It...
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...
I was recently invited to a preview of Sambourne House, the family home of Linley Sambourne. You can find it at 18 Stafford Terrace and by stepping inside you enter a Victorian Time Capsule. Morning Room, Sambourne House Meet Linley Sambourne Edward Linley Sambourne (1844-1910) was an illustrator...
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...
Standing in the shadow of St Paul's, this stone arch often gets overlooked. However Temple Bar is not only older than the current Cathedral, but it was designed by the same architect! Its history is a strange (and sometimes gruesome) tale...