Usually reserved for the Queen’s annual garden party guests, the Summer of 2021 saw Buckingham Palace throw open the doors to its extensive gardens to the public for the first time. The History of the Palace Buckingham House, as it was originally called, was built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703. It was then […]
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One of things I love about exploring the City of London is its abundance of hidden pocket parks and courtyards. Not only are they calm, little oases of green but they also have fascinating and layered histories. Discovering Cleary Garden, off Queen Victoria Street, on a peaceful Sunday afternoon put it firmly towards the top
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London is blessed with so many bizarre but brilliant street names. Street names are also often a great window into the history of the area. Here are 10 of my favourites… 1. Bleeding Heart Yard Bleeding Heart Yard in Holborn has two stories behind the name. One of which is likely to be the truth
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The Charterhouse is one of London’s best historical hidden gems. The site has an astonishingly rich story, going back to the area’s usage as a plague pit, then monastery, Tudor mansion, school and finally the almshouse that still occupies part of the site today. All of this fascinating, layered and also living history can be
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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
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