Trip Over to London
Long Walk Through London’s History
The South West East End Area!
As London is a fantastic city for walking, and the weather in early October was quite pleasant, I seemed to quite unintentionally find myself walking and exploring all day. Exploring one area then coming across something else, which led to something else, until I found myself in in 500 year old pub down by The Thames eating fish and chips.
It developed into a day of history and art, as there were many sculptures along the way mixed in with all the historic buildings. The map of my walk is here.
I started off catching the tube to St Paul’s Station, as I came out of the station looking up Newgate St, on the corner of King Edward St I caught a glimpse of a bombed out ruined church. Greyfriars Church was originally built in 1225, destroyed in 1666 in the Great Fire of London, rebuilt by 1704 and was left in its current state after a WWll bombing raid in 1940. Now a beautiful garden with flower beds laid out in the floorplan of the church. Surrounded by modern buildings and the extraordinary amount construction work going on all over London at the moment, I’m sure it is a well used sanctuary for the workers in the area.
Now, to get back on track for my loose plans for the day, I walked back down Newgate St and turned left up St Martin’s Le Grand and I discovered Postman’s Park on the left. This little park, on the grounds of the original London General Post Office HQ, houses the ‘Memorial to Heroic Self Sacrifice Wall’, after reading some of the tiles, they were from much simpler times before political correctness ruled the world!!
After walking through the park I turned right on to King Edward St, continued up here on to Little Britain – yes, that is the name of the street, and there I was thinking it was just a TV show of ‘Computer says no….’ fame! Apparently named as the Duke of Brittany lived here in the 1500s. I continued along Little Britain as it veered to the left and led up to St Bartholomew the Great, and its historic Gate House.
St Bartholomew’s Gatehouse was built in the 1500s above the archway that dates back to the 1300s. A fairly small Tudor style place at the entrance to the church, it was saved from the Great Fire of London by the Priory walls. Then for some unknown reason, in the 1700s is was covered over with a Georgian façade and everyone forgot about the little Tudor building – until a bombing raid in 1917 crumbled the Georgian façade away leaving the Tudor building intact as it stands today.
Just past Bartholomew’s Gate I turned right on to Cloth Fair, London’s oldest House is at #42, opposite St Bartholomew’s Church. It too survived the Great Fire which was blocked by the Priory walls and it also survived both World Wars. Built in the late 1500s, it has been a house, a warehouse, a factory, an abandoned health hazard that was saved from being demolished in the early 1900s when it was bought and extensively restored. The restoration continued turning it into the 4 bedroom house with roof top terrace, worth millions, that stands there today.
I am sure London’s oldest house is not older than the place next door, which has the same brickwork, but who am I to decide these things? The Blue Plaque on the place next door says it was the home of writer and broadcaster, Sir John Betjeman.
Back up Cloth Fair to West Smithfield I turned right and crossed over Long Lane, walked through Smithfield Market, which seemed to be closed, I then crossed Charterhouse St and walked up St John’s Lane to St John’s Gate. Built in 1504 as the entrance to Clerkenwell Priory, the HQ of the Knights of the Order of St John.
Then turning right on to Clerkenwell Rd I walked down here until I reached Goswell Rd and turned right, I walked all the way down Goswell Rd, past the Barbican, where Goswell Rd becomes Aldersgate St. I came across a beautiful old building called Ironmongers Hall, which I believe is a private club with history dating back to when Ironmongers traded in this area. I did go up to the door to find out about the building, but the doorman treated me like I wasn’t worth speaking to – maybe he was right!! But I doubt it!!! I continued on to the London Museum, only to find out it was closed, (note to self:- stuff might be closed on Tuesdays!) I just noticed as I was creating a map of my walk, it says on Google Maps that London Museum is Temporarily Closed!?!
Turning left on to London Wall and crossing the road, there is an amazing area of Roman Ruins, a few 2000 year old structures that were the original settlement of Londinium. Today really was becoming a lesson in London’s history – love it.
I continued down London Wall, crossing back to the north side of the street I came across the old entrance to Elsyng Spital, a hospital built in 1330. Now just the entrance remains after fires, a couple of world wars and the ravages of time. Continuing down London Wall, I turned left in to Circus Pl, right on Finsbury Circus and through Liverpool St Station to Bishopsgate. I crossed over into Brushfield St to Spitalfields Markets – mostly closed, must be that Tuesday thing again!
I loved all the sculptures at Spitalfields, I found another Rabbitwoman and Dogman Gillie and Marc Sculpture, along with a herd of elephants, The Herd of Hope. A series of 20 orphaned elephants and one mother, all created in bronze by Gillie and Marc, to help raise awareness of poaching and the habitat destruction they are falling victim to. Each one has a plaque telling you about their rescue.
On Commercial St I was hoping to see the Van Gogh Exhibition – but, you guessed it – not open on Tuesdays.
I walked through to Brick Lane as I had heard it is interesting – it isn’t……
I went back to Commercial St, recalibrated, and decided to head south to see what I could find. As I crossed Aldgate and continued down Leman St, I decided St Katherine Docks area would be my next destination.
On the left just past Alie St I came across The Goodman’s Field Horse sculptures made to commemorate the historic link to the Goodman family’s horse grazing land that was once here.
Lenan St eventually became Dock St, then further down it became Vaughan Way and suddenly I was at Hermitage Bay and the Ornamental Canal at St Katherine Docks, I walked along Spirit Quay next to the Canal with a couple of swans for company, then wound my way through a few lanes and right on to Reardon St, then left on to Tench St, the right on to Wapping Lane and followed that down to Wapping High St, turned left and walked along here until I came to Wapping Wall, I was deep in old London now, on narrow cobbled streets, then the Prospect of Whitby came into view, arguably the oldest pub on the Thames, built in 1520 – that’s 500 years ago!!! I had a late lunch/early dinner here, delicious fish and chips and a glass or 2 of Rosé. I deserved that after the miles I had walked to get here!
When I arrived at the top of Pelican Stairs next to the pub, the tide was so high it was lapping at the top step, by the time I had finished eating the tide was so low, I could walk down on to the ‘beach’. The stairs are named after the original name of the pub, The Prospect of Whitby as it was later named, was after a ship that was moored on The Thames out the front.
The pub is an amazing building filled with signs listing all the reigning monarchs, from Henry Vlll to Charles lll, who have reigned during the pubs long history, and signs telling stories of the pub. This all adds to the historic atmosphere. Not sure about the noose hanging out over the river……..
From outside the pub, fortunately, I was able to catch the #100 bus back to St Pauls Cathedral and make my way back to my hotel to get ready for my next big day out in London Town.
While in London you might like to visit the beautiful Kew Gardens, take a walk from Camden Town along Regent’s Canal, or be part of London’s amazing history at the Tower of London or for a leisurely day out, catch a boat up the Thames to Hampton Court
If you’re in London in Spring, visiting the Chelsea Flower Show is a must.
Read the PostCards I wrote on my recent Trip Over to London, shorter stories and pictures of places I visited.
Itinerary for my Trip Over to London
Flew from Sydney to London Heathrow via Singapore, with Qantas on QF1, then QF2 to come home.
Stayed at the Royal Overseas League in St James’s.
Caught the Underground Piccadilly Line from Heathrow to Green Park.
Travelled around London using a Visitor Oyster Card.
