From Doulton To Mrs Beeton: Exploring The Amazing West Norwood Cemetery

All posts, Cemeteries, Hidden Gems /
west norwood cemetery history

West Norwood Cemetery is one of the famous ‘Magnificent Seven’ cemeteries in London. Others I have written about previously include Highgate, here and Abney Park here. They are all fascinating, sombre, atmospheric places to wander around, bursting with stories but also spaces of peace, solitude and nature. West Norwood is the resting place for a

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A Visit To Paddington’s Jewel: St Mary Magdalene Church

All posts, Churches, Hidden Gems, Memorials and Monuments /
st mary magdalene paddington history

Sitting proudly next to the Grand Union Canal, today in its own grassy enclave, you can find the jewel of Paddington: St Mary Magdalene Church.  It is a Gothic Revival masterpiece and filled with beautiful details, including a breathtaking treasure in the crypt. For me, it was very much a ‘why have I not been here

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Tracing The Peasants’ Revolt Through London’s Streets

All posts, Churches, Hidden Gems, London Landmarks, London Museums, London streets, Memorials and Monuments, Self-Guided Walks /
peasants revolt in london

The Peasants’ Revolt, or the ‘Great Uprising’ of 1381, was one of the great defining and dramatic events of medieval England. That summer, rebellion erupted across parts of Southern and Eastern England. Thousands of ordinary people arrived at the gates of London and, for a brief moment, threatened the established order of English society. They

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Visiting The Francis Crick Institute: Ancient DNA And Groundbreaking Discoveries

All posts, Hidden Gems, London Museums /
francis crick institute visit

Next to St Pancras Station and behind the British Library you will find another very important building, this one particularly in the world of science: the Francis Crick Institute, otherwise known as The Crick. It is the single largest biomedical laboratory under one roof in all of Europe and carries out world-leading research. They also have

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Writers, Radicals And Rescuers: A History Of Hazlitt’s Hotel

All posts, Hidden Gems /
hazlitt's hotel history

Soho is one of London’s most eclectic areas packed with art, creativity and history. It also has some wonderful architectural survivors. Just off the busy Soho Square and down Frith Street you can find a row of three charming Georgian townhouses. Today these make up Hazlitt’s Hotel. Hazlitt’s has been a favourite of many visitors

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