The history of and secret spots in London’s beautiful parks and gardens
Hidden away in Lambeth, just over the river from Westminster, is a 465 year old fig tree. For context, the year it was planted in 1556, Mary I, daughter of King Henry VIII was on the throne, the population of London was roughly 100,000 and Lambeth was predominantly marshland and fields. So where is this […]
The 465 Year Old Fig Tree Hidden In Lambeth Read More »
London has many ‘lost’ rivers, that have played a huge role in defining the landscape of the city: the hills, the valleys, the shapes of roads. They are now predominantly buried in pipes under the streets of modern London. The city’s most famous lost river is the River Fleet. The name Fleet comes from the
The Lost River Fleet: A Self-Guided Walk And Map Read More »
St-Mary-at-Lambeth church is, bar Lambeth Palace, probably the most historic building in Lambeth. It is incredibly significant to London’s heritage for a number of reasons. There has been a church on the site since at least 1062. It would have been a wooden church at first before being rebuilt in stone. In the 13th century
St-Mary-At-Lambeth: A Medieval Hidden Gem Read More »
One of my favourite things about walking around the City of London is the number of hidden pocket parks you find. Many of these are on the sites of old churches and churchyards lost either in the Great Fire or during the Blitz. I love that despite what must be astronomical land values, you get
A Historic Hidden Courtyard And Its Amazing Carved Benches Read More »
Did you know London is officially a forest?! 1/5 of the capital is made up of trees making it (by UN standards) a forest. Despite bringing nature and greenery into the urban landscape, trees are easy to overlook as subjects of particular historical interest. Some, however, have been with us for far longer than many
The Fascinating History And Legends Of Four London Trees Read More »