Memorials and Monuments

London’s memorials and monuments- the history behind them and the people they honour

A Country Church In The Heart Of The City: St Olave Hart Street

st olave hart street history

Nestled amongst the skyscrapers and ceaseless energy of the City of London, the nation’s financial heart, lies a small pocket of stillness, steeped in history. On the corner of Seething Lane and Hart Street you will find what almost looks and feels like a countryside parish church, St Olave Hart Street. Indeed, John Betjeman, poet […]

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A Visit To Methodist Central Hall: Where History Happened

methodist central hall history

There are so many incredible historic buildings in a relatively small area in Westminster. Many, quite reasonably, are focussed on Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament and do not pay a huge amount of attention to Methodist Central Hall. It is just on the other side of the road from Westminster Abbey and is

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The Stafford Hotel: A War Legend And 17th Century Wine Cellars

the stafford hotel history

Picture the scene. It is 2001 and you wander off the streets of St James’s into the American Bar of the Stafford Hotel. You grab a drink and sit at the bar. At the other end of the bar is an elderly lady, with an enraptured crowd around her, gathered to listen as she regales

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Australia House And Its Hidden 900 Year Old well

australia house history

Australia House is one of the buildings I have talked about for years now on my Hidden Strand: Power, Wealth and Empire tour. I had never however been lucky enough to see inside, until very recently.  It is the Australian High Commission, i.e. the Australian diplomatic mission in the UK. It is not an embassy,

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