Category: Central London
Notting Hill (Part Three) – From Pigsty to Posh
By the 1830s, there already existed a little hamlet in Notting Hill known as the “Potteries and Piggeries”. But it wasn’t quite designer earthenware and gourmet sausage shops as I’d […]
Nottinghill (Part Two) – The Grand Union Canal to Kensal Green Cemetery
What a difference a few minutes makes in London. One moment I’m in scrubs infested by snakes in Saxon times. And the next, I’m on a canal from the industrial […]
Notting Hill (Part One) – Westway, Wormwood Scrubs and the Mitre Bridge
As the Hammersmith Line makes its way overground to Ladbroke Grove, a busy dual carriageway known as [1] Westway dominates the view. Built in the 1960s, it writhes through North […]
Belgravia – Cubitt’s Squares
From a dangerous swamp in the Middle Ages, #Belgravia gets handed over to the #Grosvenors as part of a marriage dowry. Part Two wanders amongst the grand white stuccos and the story of #ThomasCubitt and his wonderful #Belgravia #squares.
Belgravia – A Dangerous Swamp
It’s the Middle Ages. The Westbourne flows by [1] Sloane Square. Blandell Bridge is nothing more than a plank across the river. Around are wide, open fields. It’s pleasant enough […]
A Crescent Shaped Stroll Around Aldwych
For a short crescent, it’s jam packed with stories. King Alfred the Great once walked amongst his people here. A church at one end of Aldwych dedicates itself to the […]
Marble Arch to Hyde Park
The archbishop’s men surround St. Mary-Le Bow on the Strand. The charismatic, university-educated William Fitz Osbert is trapped inside. He is smoked out, stabbed and then dragged naked by horse […]
Around Somerset House on The Strand
The Strand connects the royal enclave of Westminster and London. It also runs along the Thames. Which makes it an attractive location for riverside mansions for aristocrats. With the added […]
Bloomsbury – Discovering The Hidden Treasures of UCL
After my circumnavigation of #EustonStation, I head to #Bloomsbury next. My dayout starts at a wonderful #bookshop, followed by roaming around #UCL’s campus discovering its #freemuseums. And ends at its #iconicLondonlbuilding which features in #GeorgeOrwell’s 1984.
In and Around Euston Station
Are train stations only ever associated with travel misery ? Not so I find, when I drop into [1] Euston Station. To my surprise, and delight, just in and around […]