Bradshaw’s Hand Book to London, The West, District III, Pall Mall, (no.19)
This route covers the area known as St James’s which falls into three main parts (Pevsner): the L-shape of Pall Mall and St James’s Street, the 17C suburb planned by Henry Jermyn, Earl of St Albans, and centred on St James’s Square, … Continued
Bradshaw’s Hand Book, Part III, The West – Westminster Abbey and precincts (no.17)
Westminster Abbey, says Mr Bradshaw is a ‘..magnificent edifice, .. said to have been founded by Sebert, King of the East Saxons in 616. This spot of ground was then a small insulated tract, surrounded by the Thames, and called Thorney Island..’. … Continued
Parliament Square
This extraordinary and iconic space carries a weight of history. A Hall over 1,000 years old – And memorials to men who have shaped history –
Bradshaw’s Hand Book, Part III, The West, District II (no.16) Charing Cross, Whitehall, Westminster
Today’s route begins at Charing Cross and ends at Chelsea New Bridge, from where Mr Bradshaw suggests ‘..we can take an omnibus back to Charing Cross, or stroll leisurely through St James’s Park, by way of varying our return..’. Well, … Continued
Bradshaw’s Hand Book, Trafalgar Square (no.15)
This post completes my last one, in which I was rained off! Trafalgar Square is today a great open space in the centre of the City of Westminster, a major tourist attraction, known all over the world. These explorations with Mr … Continued
Bradshaw’s Hand Book, Part III – The West, The Strand, including St Clement Danes (no.14)
My spirits were low today, so, before embarking on ‘the route’ I visited Lincoln’s Inn to see how the garden was progressing in our rather gloomy spring weather. It was beautiful, and tranquil. ‘We now proceed from Temple Bar westward, … Continued
East India Docks
‘..About the middle of the seventeenth century the [East India] Company constructed a small wet dock at Blackwall for fitting out their vessels after launching from the adjacent shipbuilding yards. This dock was the first on the Thames to be … Continued
The Gagliano Ensemble at the National Gallery
The tradition of concerts in the National Gallery dates back to 1922 when students of the Royal College of Music gave the first musical performance in the Gallery. And ‘..when the National Gallery was founded in 1824, one of its stated … Continued