London’s streets- the history of them and the stories behind their names
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 […]
Visiting The Site Of One Of Victorian London’s Worst Slums Read More »
Just behind Cheapside, one of London’s most historic streets, is a tiny little, overlooked pocket park. As is often the case with the City, even the smallest plots of ground have many stories to tell. It was once the site of a medieval church called St Peter, Westcheap and today contains a famous tree. Cheapside
St Peter Westcheap: A Tiny Pocket Park And A Famous Tree Read More »
Down Ely Place in Holborn, tucked between a terrace of Georgian townhouses, you will find one of London’s great medieval treasures: St Etheldreda’s. You can see its location here: It is often said to be London’s oldest Catholic church. As is often the case, it depends on how you define ‘oldest’. A more accurate description
St Etheldreda’s, Holborn: London’s Oldest Catholic Church Read More »
The tight grid and tangle of streets in Spitalfields are some of the best preserved and atmospheric in the city. The area has an extraordinary amount of surviving eighteenth century architecture; townhouses built largely for the Huguenot silk-weavers who moved to London to after fleeing religious persecution in France. I was lucky enough recently to
Through The Keyhole: A Look Inside 13 Princelet Street Read More »
Austin Friars is a street in London, just to the North East of the Bank of England. In terms of its shape it looks a bit like a wonky ‘T’ and has a couple of little alleyways shooting off from it such as Pinner’s Passage and Austin Friars Passage. You enter through an archway on
Thomas Cromwell And The Curious History Of Austin Friars Read More »