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.
Had a quick run around Prague after a 4 hour train trip from Vienna. I was last in Prague 9 years ago, all seems familiar except Wenceslas Square....apart from the statue of Good King Wenceslas on his horse, the rest of the square that used to be an elegant collection of historic buildings, hotels, cafes, etc......has now turned into Oxford Street, London...Primark, C&A, Half Price, the list goes on......who thought that was a good idea????
#prague #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme #charlesbridgeprague
A crowd gathers every hour to watch the Astronomical Clock in Prague put on a show 😂 Then some people clap and cheer, and some people laugh in an `is that it` kind of way.
#prague #astronomicalclockprague🏰 #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
Strolling around Sydney`s Royal Botanic Gardens and Government House✨️ looking out across Sydney Harbour on a sunny mid winters day☀️
#rbg #sydneylocal #sydneyharbour #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #sydneyharbourwalks
The house where the Governor General lives in the Royal Botanic Gardens on the edge of Sydney Harbour. I`m thinking of applying for the job!!
You can wander around the gardens and go on free booked tours of inside parts of the house most weekends - I love the way we all look around as if its a property inspection and we`re looking to buy it😂
#governmenthousesydney #sydneyrbg #sydney #sydneyharbourwalks #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
Sydney`s Royal Botanic Gardens on the edge of the CBD and Sydney Harbour all sparkling on an unseasonably hot day for June ✨️ Who would have thought hats and sunscreen would still be the order of the day, I would expect hats and coats at this time of year!!!
#royalbotanicgardens #urbanoasis #walkinthepark #sydney #sydneyharbourwalks
The best part of the day trip from Vienna to Bratislava was the boat trip back to Vienna on the Danube!! The hydofoiling catamaran was fast, about 90 minutes, the crew were great. It was freezing cold and windy outside, but I couldn`t help myself, I just had to keep going out to take photos, then running back in to sip my wine 🥂!!!
Great for solo travelers, I met so many other travellers onboard.
#cruisingonthedanube #twinliner #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme
Sydney is having an unbelievably warm winter so far, all blue sky, blue water and sunshine today ☀️!!
After catching the tram across the river, I strolled through Letna Park, there are stunning views of Prague`s Vltava river, the bridges and the castle, not to mention all the flowers in the park.
#flowerseverywhere #viewsfordays #praguelife #solotrip #walkinthepark
More sculptures in the streets, and I found another one of the minitures that are dotted all over the city. It`s hard to tell what it is, but perched on the wall near the castle, the little guy in the last photo is looking through his telecope at the city below!!
#streetsculptures #budapest #artinthe streets #solotravel
Yesterday evenings stroll to walk off my enormous Christmas lunch ✨️ past Fortnum & Mason, up Bond St, past the Royal Arcade, then past all the fashion shops dressed up to the nines. Chanel was my favourite 💖 Then Oxford St and back down Regent St to Piccadilly. Londin really knows how to do Christmas lights 🥂✨️💖
#londonatchristmastime #christmaslights #streetsoflondon #bondstreetlondon #regentstreetlondon
Arriving in Vienna, I found my hotel at set off exploring the neighbourhood, the architecture is all gobsmacking, but hard to get far enough away from to photograph!!
#vienna #traveltheworldwithme #neverstopexploring #solotravel
At the top of Wenceslas Square stands the National Museum in Prague, an impressive building with breathtaking views from the Cupola.
#praguenationalmuseum #solotravel #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
A quick ferry trip across the Grand Harbour from Valletta to the area known as the Three Cities. Grab a seat up on the top deck forthe best views. Vittoriosa, Senglea, and Cospicua are all worth exploring on foot, cobbled streets, little parks, the maritime museum just near where the ferry arrives, and the Knights of St John HQ at the amazing Fort St Angelo, not to mention the harbour full of yachts of all shapes and sizes.
Read more about my solo 10 day trip over to Malta by clicking the link to my website in the bio.
#malta #valletta #threecitiesmalta #solotravelinmalta #solotravelwoman
It was a lovely sunny London day to walk through Kensington Gardens from South Kensington to Baystwater Rd. Kensington Palace was all locked up for the Christmas break.
#kensingtonpalace #kensingtongardenslondon #london #solotravelinlondon #traveltheworldwithme
Back to Schonbrunn Palace to see the Imperial Apartments. Gold was definitely the order of the day ✨️ but I reckon I could live there quite comfortably with a few more mod cons!!
#schönbrunnpalace #imperialapartments #traveltheworldwithme #solotrip
Vienna is magnificent to just wander around aimlessly, the buildings, the parks, everything, just perfect.
#vienna #solotravel #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme
Caught the train from Vienna to Bratislava for a day trip. Walking up the hill to visit the castle is not for the faint hearted!! And the walk back down 🥴 brutal on the dodgy knee!!! But I made it 😃!!!
#bratislava #daytripfromvienna #daytripfromviennatobratislava #traveltheworldwithme #solotravel
Exploring Trapani Salt Pans on the west coast of Sicily with a day trip tour from Palermo - what a quirky spot! Windmills, old boats, and epic views. The last shot shows the hilltop medieval city of Erice, which I featured in my previous posts. The solo adventure continues.....
#trapani #trapanisaltpans #sicily #solotravelinsicily
Sunrise on my last day in London, after a few very cold, cloudy days, today we are going with a freezing 2 degrees, and sunshine ❄️❄️❄️
#sunriseinlondon #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #londonlife #coldmornings❄️ #solotrip
Even if Fortnum & Mason on Piccadilly is too packed with people to fit inside, the outside of the building and the window displays are worth seeing.
#fortnums #piccadilly #londonatchristmastime #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme
Exploring Erice ✨️ a medieval city perched high on a hill in western Sicily. It`s a beautiful spot to wander around for a few hours. The city has roots in the pre-Roman era, but most of the structures standing today date back to the Normans in 1148.
I was going to make my own way there on the train from Palermo to Trapani, then up to Erice on the cable car, but I found a small group tour that went to Erice, Trapani Salt Pans and Segesta so joined that instead. It meant I missed spending time in Trapani town centre, but I wouldn`t have been able to get to the Temple of Segesta by myself. You win some, you lose some!!
That just means one day I`ll have to go back to Sicily again 💖🥂!!
#erice #ericesicily #sicily #solotravelinsicily #medievalsicily
Decided to escape the heat in Sydney🔥 for the cold, and a cozy London Christmas🎄☃️ ❄️❄️❄️ ✨️And London has delivered with a lovely 4 degree (and falling ❄️❄️❄️) evening to start things off.
Merry Christmas to everyone 🎄☃️❄️🎄☃️❄️🥂!!
#solotravel #traveltheworldwithme #merrychristmas #londonforchristmas #christmaslights
Aimlessly wandering around the streets of Prague - beautiful💖
#prague #praguelife #solotrip #praguearchitecture
After visiting the Easter Markets at Schonbrunn Palace , I went for a walk up through the gardens, all the way up to the `Gloriette` at the top of the hill way off in the distance.
The Gloriette was built in 1775 for no other reason than the view - when the Habsburgs were sitting on the balcony of their summer Schloss, they wanted something nice to look at, so they had the Gloriette built along with a few ponds and fountains. The world became a better place!!
#schönbrunnpalace #schönbrunnschloss #solotravel #habsburgfamilyresidence #vienna
Chilly morning in Vienna today, but apparently its going to warm up big time tomorrow! First stop Naschmarkt, then strolling past Karlskirche on my way to Schloss Belvedere.......
#naschmarkt #karlskirche #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme
St Paul`s Cathedral dome as seen from the top of 1 New Change, the shopping centre across the road. I walked down Ludgate Hill, Fleet St and The Strand, coming across the Royal Exchange, Australia House, the dragon marking the boundary of London City. Every building along this street has incredible history.
#stpaulscathedral #royalexchange #australiahouse #londondragon #historiclondon
The gardens at Sydney`s Government House and into the Royal Botanic Gardens on the edge of Sydney Harbour.
#royalbotanicgarden #sydneylocal #sydneyharbour #sydneylife #walkinthepark
Explored the stunning Belvedere Palace in Vienna, a former imperial residence that`s truly breathtaking. The gardens were gorgeous, especially with the ponds and fountains coming to life now that winter`s loosening its grip, slightly....!!
#belvedere #schlossbelvedere #vienna #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme
The streets of Valletta, Malta. Endless hours of exploring this amazing place. A wonderful place for solo travellers, easy to get around and very safe. Something for everyone, especially for history buffs!!
#solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #solotravelinmalta
After visiting Monreale Cathedral and marveling at all the gold✨️ I enjoyed a serene walk around town. With most people still attending the service, I had the place almost to myself.
#monreale #monrealecathedral #solotravelinsicily #traveltheworldwithme #neverstopexploring
As usual, when it cones to museums, I usually find the building more interesting than the exhibits!! Vienna Natural History Museum was no exception!!
#viennanaturalhistorymuseum #vienna #solotrip #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
Leaving Budapest from Keleti station, I found my ticket gave me access to the Business Lounge waiting room!!
Next stop on my solo adventure - Vienna🥂!!
#solotravel #budapest #keletistation #travelbytrain #traveltheworldwithme
It`s a museum kind of day in Vienna, 2 to 5 degrees, we`ve had a bit of snow, a bit of sleet, a bit of rain and a lot of cold ❄️❄️❄️
The Furniture Museum is a collection of furnture and other items from the Imperial Palaces, including a display of the toilets from the day.
The museum holds huge stores of furniture that they lend out for movies, plays and other events needing furnishings from that era.
#viennafurnituremuseum #coldday❄️ #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme
The Hungarian Parliament Building from across the Danube at night ❄️ It was a freezing cold evening, but a quick trip under the Danube on the Metro to get a few photos is just what needs to he done!
#hungarianparliamentbuilding #budapest #soloteavel #traveltheworldwithme
Inside the Monreale Cathedral, I was surrounded by gold everywhere. This stunning building was constructed between 1174 and 1267 and later adorned with millions of gold-covered glass tiles by skilled local and Venetian craftsmen. Unfortunately, my visit coincided with a packed Easter Sunday service, limiting my exploration of the intricate mosaic work, but what I did see close up at the back of the cathedral was amazing, I even loved the enormous doors to the Cathedral.
#monrealecathedral #glassmosaics #goldmosaics #solotravelinsicily #traveltheworldwithme
I spent 10 fantastic days exploring Malta 💖 A great place for solo travellers who love history and endless exploring.
✨️ Read about the places I visited by clicking the link to my website in the bio.
1. St Ursula St, Valletta
2. Victoria Gate, Valletta.
3. Upper Barraka Gardens, Valletta
4. The view from my hotel over The Grand Harbour
5. Victoria Gate, Valletta
6. Valletta street scene
#malta #solotravelinmalta #solotravelwoman #valletta #historylovers neverstopexploring
As promised, a beautiful sunny Easter Sunday in Vienna ☀️☀️☀️ After being in Palermo last Easter, where it was underwhelming, Vienna really knows how to take Easter to the extreme!!!
#easterinvienna #eastermarkets #soloadventure #vienna
Beautiful day to have another amble around the gardens at Schonbrunn Palace after exploring the Imperial Apartments, in another month these gardens will be in full bloom☀️☀️☀️
#schönbrunnpalace #schönbrunnschloss #palacegardens #solotrip
Wandering through Palermo in search of the bus to Monreale in the hills, I stumbled upon Porta Nuova, the ancient gate to Palermo. Which was a good find as it was the land mark I needed to make sure I was heading in the right direction.
#palermo #portanuovapalermo #solotravelinsicily #sicilytravel
The fairytale world of Castle District, perched high above the Danube on the Buda side. Hours of leisurely strolling are a must!!
My solo adventures in Budapest continue...
#budapestcastledistrict #budapest #solotrip
Budapest Central Market Hall built in the late 1800s, extensively damaged in WWll, left in ruins until the late 1900s when it was returned to it`s former glory.....only to now be mainly selling tourist trash.
#budapestcentralmarket #budapest #traveltheworldwithme #solotravel
Vienna`s Easter markets are in full swing now, with beautifully decorated eggs and plenty of food and drink. Great to amble around in the sun, even though it was a bit chilly!!
#solotravel #vienna #eastermarkets #traveltheworldwithme
Cesky Krumlov, a quaint medieval town in the south of the Czech Republic, a simple day trip by train from Prague....then lots and lots of walking on cobble stone paths!!
#ceskykrumlov #daytripfromprague #solotrip #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
Another short bus trip from Palermo in Sicily, up the coast to Mondello Beach✨️ lovely to walk along the promenade, but I have never had so many Indian market stall holders trying to sell me a sarong, and this was a quiet day in early spring, peak summer must be horrendous!!! I was hoping to have lunch at Alle Terrazze, a beautiful castle like restaurant just off the beach, but sadly they were closed for a private event, but further along I found a lovely seafood restaurant🥂
#solotravelinsicily #journeywoman #traveltheworldwithme #mondellobeach #sicily
St Matthias Church in the Castle District near Fisherman`s Bastion. Climb the steep stone spiral staircase for a stunning view into the main church and explore the artifacts on display. This historic church dates back to the 11th century.
#solotrip #stmatthiaschurch #budapestcastledistrict
On a day trip to Agrigento from Palermo, I had about 2 hours or more to wander around the ancient Greek ruins in the Valley of Temples ✨️Is it just me, or do you love walking around places knowing that others have been walking there for more than 2000 years too?
#agrigento #valleyofthetemples #solotravelinsicily #daytripfrompalermo #sicily
Quattro Canti, or Piazza Vigliena, is a stunning Baroque square at the heart of Palermo`s historic centre. Located where Via Maqueda meets Corso Vittorio Emanuele, each corner symbolises one of the city`s ancient districts, built in 1620. Via Maqueda is now a pedestrian zone, bustling with restaurants, ranging from great spots to tourist traps, and it`s the perfect place to stroll around in the evenings.
#palermo #quattrocantipalermo #viamaquedapalermo #solotravelinsicily
More from my ambling around exploring the medieval city of Erice in Sicily, more than 700mtrs above sea level and somehow, back in the 1100s they were able to get all this rock up there to build a castle and so many churches, not to mention a few shops and places to live!!
#ericesicily #medievalsicily #solotravelinsicily #traveltheworldwithme #exploresicily
The gardens at the Governor Generals house in Sydney`s Royal Botanic Gardens are open to walk around most weekends.
✨️ Feels weird to go and sit on the balcony of someone else`s house and look out at the harbour, but it`s a very relaxing way to spend a bit of time!!
#royalbotanicgarden #fountains #beautifulgardensoftheworld #seeeverythingdoeverything
