Hidden Gems

London’s historical hidden gems

The Crystal Palace Subway: A True Hidden Gem

The Crystal Palace Subway is somewhere that I have had on my list to visit for a good few years now. I was therefore delighted to have recently been given access by the team at the Crystal Park Palace Trust. Designed by Charles Barry Junior, the Crystal Palace Subway was originally constructed as the first […]

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Going Through The Doors Of Freemasons’ Hall

freemasons hall history

Walk a few minutes North East from Covent Garden along Long Acre and you will turn the corner to be presented with one of the most impressive views of a building in London. Ahead of you is the stunning Art Deco masterpiece that is Freemasons’ Hall.  Freemasons’ Hall is the headquarters of the United Grand

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Coffee And Commerce: Visiting The Amazing Lloyd’s Building

lloyd's building history

The Worshipful Company of Insurers, one of the City’s livery companies, says that ‘London Insures the World’. It is safe to say that finance and insurance are crucial to the history of London and its place today as a global city. Lloyd’s of London has been at the heart of that story since the 1680s.

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Visiting The Site Of One Of Victorian London’s Worst Slums

arnold circus history boundary estate

Skimming over the East End of London on Google maps (or your maps provider of choice), you will notice the generally pretty jumbled, but organic, street pattern. Winding roads, little lanes, diagonals and dog-legs. This is an area that has been developed piecemeal over the centuries, with no overarching organisation. That is until you come

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