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Dirty Dicks

What Makes ‘Dicks’ so Dirty?

Posted on September 15, 2020
in etymology, London, Pubs
0 Comments

Steady on. We're talking about Dirty Dicks pub near Liverpool Street Station, which has quite the filthy historical story attached to it....

Tanner Street Gardens

The Abandoned Church Tower in Bermondsey

Posted on September 4, 2020
in architecture, Churches and Graveyards, London, Look Up London, South London
4 Comments

In Bermondsey, what once was a drinking fountain has an even stranger story behind it...

Open House London St Anne's Limehouse Clock Tower

What To See At Open House London 2020 (That You Don’t Need To Book)

Posted on August 28, 2020
in architecture, Interiors, London, Look Up London, Things to do in London
17 Comments

Hundreds of London buildings are available to snoop around on 19-20 September 2020 (for free!) Here are my recommendations...

Asia House, Lime Street

Sculptures on Asia House, 31-33 Lime Street

Posted on August 25, 2020
in architecture, City of London, London, Look Up London
0 Comments

Walking along the narrow Lime Street in the City, look up to spot these beautiful sculptures on Asia House. What's their story?...

St George-in-the-East Mortuary Shadwell

St George-in-the-East Mortuary, Shadwell

Posted on August 18, 2020
in Churches and Graveyards, East London, London, Look Up London
1 Comment

The surprising and macabre story behind these ruins beside St George-in-the-East in Shadwell...

London Underground Animals

London Underground Safari | Spotted These Animals on the Tube?!

Posted on August 10, 2020
in etymology, London, London Underground
3 Comments

We're going on safari! (On the underground...

St Brides - American History London

American History in the City of London

Posted on August 3, 2020
in Churches and Graveyards, City of London, London
22 Comments

There's quite a lot of surprising US connections in the City of London. Here are my favourites to look out for...

Cable Street Mural

Admiring The Battle of Cable Street Mural

Posted on July 25, 2020
in East London, Hidden Gems, London, Look Up London
3 Comments

Unveiled in 1983, The Cable Street Mural is a powerful reminder of an extraordinary event in 1936; The Battle of Cable Street....

Best London Walking Routes

The 8 Best London Walking Routes (Off the Beaten Track)

Posted on July 21, 2020
in London, nature, Things to do in London
0 Comments

During lockdown I ended up discovering some these by accident! Here are my favourite strolls amid greenery and away from crowds...

Carreras Cigarette Factory

History of the Former Carreras Cigarette Factory

Posted on July 14, 2020
in architecture, London, Look Up London, North London
9 Comments

The black cats staring down at you are the clue! Discover the history of one of London's most unusual buildings...

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If you’re planning a visit to Greenwich anytime If you’re planning a visit to Greenwich anytime soon, the historic maritime centre can get pretty crowded (especially at the weekend).

However, if you take a few minutes to walk into the backstreets you’re rewarded with beautiful sites like this lovely pub! The Prince of Greenwich used to be called ‘The Albert’ after Queen Victoria’s husband and dates from the 19th century. Highly recommend a wander along Royal Hill and Crooms Hill for a weekend stroll! 
Have you been? #lookuplondon . . . Hi I’m Katie 🙋🏻‍♀️ Blue Badge Tourist Guide and London history blogger. You can book onto a public walk in my bio @look_uplondon 👈🏼 I also offer private, bespoke tours (real and virtual!) get in touch for details. . . . #london #greenwich #visitgreenwich #londonpubs #pubhistory #pubsoflondon #inspiremyinstagram #prettycitylondon #prettylittlelondon #offthebeatentrack #historiclondon #londonhistory #explorelondon #southeastlondon
Somewhat unbelievably, I can report this is in fac Somewhat unbelievably, I can report this is in fact London! Welcome to Morden Hall Park, run by the National Trust and open daily - for free - for a lovely little stroll. It stands on land formerly owned by Westminster Abbey but the cute white house was built in the 1750s by the owners; the Garth family. The house itself is surrounded by a moat created from the River Wandle which became an industrial hub in the 19th century and there are fun reminders of this - like the former snuff mill - throughout the park. Now run by the National Trust, Morden Hall has a lively recent history too, used as a home for military patients during the First World War then being used by the Salvation Army. Did you manage to enjoy the London sunshine today?! #lookuplondon . . . Hi I’m Katie 🙋🏻‍♀️ Blue Badge Tourist Guide and London history blogger. You can book onto a public walk in my bio @look_uplondon 👈🏼 I also offer private, bespoke tours (real and virtual!) get in touch for details. . . . #london #visitlonfon #becauseimalondoner #explorelondon #mordenhall #mordenhallpark #London #ThisisLOndon #Offthebeatentrack #discoverlondon #londonguide #londontourguide #londonpark #greenspace #hiddengem @nationaltrust
Less than a week until the best weekend of the yea Less than a week until the best weekend of the year! I’m of course referring to Open House Weekend, two days where hundreds of buildings, homes, offices, religious sites and galleries open there doors - for free - to curious Londoners. If you haven’t made plans for 19th and 20th September yet, never fear! I’m here to help. The full listings can be daunting so I’ve written a blog of my top 20 buildings to visit, none of which need any pre-booking. 📍Read the post in my bio link; @look_uplondon 👈🏼 Where are you planning to go?! . . . #london #lookuplondon #openhouse #OHL2020 #openhouselondon #lookup #mysecretlondon #hiddengems #offthebeatentrack #historiclondon #thingstodoinlondon #londonhistory #visitlondon #explorelondon
The 3rd of October is you last chance to admire on The 3rd of October is you last chance to admire one of the best sculptures in the City of London… South Korean artist Do Ho Suh’s ‘Bridging Home’ seems to have arrived from space, falling from earth and crashing onto an elevated walkway on Wormwood Street. It’s been here since 2018 and each time I’ve walked past it’s been a great reminder to look up! I always smile as it reminds me of Dorothy landing into Oz after the storm. Part of Sculpture in the City, there’s always new artworks springing up across the Square Mile but I’ll be sad to see this one go. It’s a replica of the artist’s childhood home, a traditional Korean dwelling that even lights up at night. I wonder if its going ‘home’ or where it might land next! Have you seen it? Will you be sad to see it go? #lookuplondon . . . Hi I’m Katie 🙋🏻‍♀️ Blue Badge Tourist Guide and London history blogger. You can book onto a public walk in my bio @look_uplondon 👈🏼 I also offer private, bespoke tours (real and virtual!) get in touch for details. . . . #london #becauseimalondoner #sculptureinthecity #liverpoolstreet #londonsculpture #londonart #publicart #moorgate #lookup #dohosuh #visitlondon #mysecretlondon #timeoutlondon #londonguide #londonprivatetour #bluebadgetouristguide
Everyone’s heard of the Great Fire of London, bu Everyone’s heard of the Great Fire of London, but another disaster in 1861 also deserves to be remembered. The Tooley Street fire is often described as the worst fire in London since 1666, starting on 22 June at Cotton’s Wharf. With the warehouses along the South of the River full of flammable goods and the Rover Thames at a very low tide, the fire raged and thousands of Londoners flocked to watch on, horrified. It took TWO WEEKS to fully extinguish the fire. In today’s money there was around £166million worth of damage caused. 
Today near London Bridge, you can see a plaque to one of the heroes of the fire, James Braidwood (swipe ➡️). As the first director of what would become the London Fire Brigade he was in the thick of the action and died instantly when a section of warehouse collapsed on top of him. Look up next time you’re on Tooley Street and maybe pause to remember this forgotten London disaster. #lookuplondon . . . Hi I’m Katie 🙋🏻‍♀️ Blue Badge Tourist Guide and London history blogger. You can book onto a public walk in my bio @look_uplondon 👈🏼 I also offer private, bespoke tours (real and virtual!) get in touch for details. . . . #london #londonbridge #londonheroes #tooleystreet #londonhistory #londonfire #becauseimalondoner #londonplaque #hiddenhistory #londonsecrets #publicart #lookup #mysecretlondon #londonguide #londonprivatetour #londonwalks #bluebadgetouristguide
A short walk from Hawksmoor’s St George-in-the-E A short walk from Hawksmoor’s St George-in-the-East Church is a building that needs a little more tlc. Swipe ➡️ to see the dilapidated Victorian building in the church gardens and you’d struggle to guess that this is in fact a former mortuary.

Over on the blog I’ve written about the macabre link with the East End and the surprising evolution of the building as a school trip destination, yes really! 📍TAP @look_uplondon 👈🏼 for the link in my bio to have a read! #lookuplondon . . . #london #londonhistory #eastend #shadwell #londonruins #abandonedlondon #londonwalks #londonguide #historiclondon
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