Along Vestry Road in Walthamstow there’s a huge Ionic Capital which looks very out of place. It’s the last piece of the General Post Office Building and once stood 7 miles away in the City of London. The General Post Office Building Although the history of a national...
Poor old Westminster Cathedral, forever being confused with Westminster Abbey and even once being mistaken for a mosque, it's well worth admiring this stripy brick beauty set back from Victoria Street Built on the site of a prison and still incomplete after over 100 years, Westminster...
You wouldn’t guess, looking at peaceful Cavendish Square today, that it’s been the site of several historic controversies. The three we're covering today include two artistic mishaps and one full blown riot! But first, a bit of background… Cavendish Square History Like many of the West End’s squares, Cavendish...
Climbing the steep hills up towards Wimbledon Village provides ample reward. Not only are you treated with an epic view back across London from Marryat Road, but you can also visit an enchanting Buddhist Temple. View from Marryat Road, Wimbledon The Wat (temple) in Wimbledon was built...
We all love a London historic oddity right? Over the years running my London walking tours (and blog) I've spotted many a curiosity, but here are my top 10 best London oddities to look out for...
Just off the Strand you can find an amazing historic survivor. Today the Savoy Chapel is hemmed in by taller buildings but, if anything, that kind of adds to its appeal and charm… With parts dating back to the 16th Century (and earlier!) the Savoy Chapel...
On Chelsea Embankment, overlooking the River Thames is an impressive-looking Tudor Mansion. Now known as Crosby Moran Hall, it shouldn't be dismissed as a modern folly, Crosby Hall has a rather incredible history...
Along Jamaica Road in Bermondsey, look up and you’ll spot a curious gargoyle on top of Millstream House. A helpful plaque (at a more eye-catching height) informs you that this gargoyle was once part of the Houses of Parliament and was moved here after bomb damage...
Newcomen Street is somewhere we visit on the Bankside Behaving Badly tour and on a recent walk I looked up (taking my own advice!) And spotted a new detail, a curious plaque on the wall. Of course, it’s not a new detail at all, it’s been...
Just off Leicester Square, not somewhere you’d normally associate with peace and quiet, you can find a hidden Catholic Church. This is Notre Dame de France, a Catholic Church for the French Community in London that was established in 1861. Above the entrance of the church is...