Another trip to London!
Thursday started with cloud and sunny spells and continued like that all day (18C/65F at home, and 19C/66F in London). We washed some laundry overnight so that it went out to dry on the line, and then I set off for London to meet up with the WEA group I'm joining for the next few weeks on walks around London.
We started at Lambeth North tube station which is an example of the oxblood red faience tiles used by the architect Lesley Green when he was asked to redesign the underground stations. The station was built in 1906.
More about some other interesting things in the area under the cut.
Close up of the tile details on the station:
We walked down to Westminster Bridge House which is currently empty. This is all that survives of the Necropolis Railway a company specifically set up to transport the dead from central London because the cemeteries were getting too full between 1854 and 1941. The railway went through calming leafy countryside to Surrey where the loved ones were interred. The First Class passengers went through the front entrance (and had return tickets) the other passengers had one-way tickets. You can read more about it here.
From here we walked to St George's Cathedral in Southwark The original building was designed by Auguste Pugin and was opened in 1848 with later additions in 1888 and 1905. It was going to have spires and towers, but the funds were never raised. It was badly damaged in World War II and rebuilt again and reopened in 1958.
It's rather lovely inside.
This is a tomb that was in the original church.
I rather liked the carving
These are the remains of the original windows (ignore the 'stained glass' which are cut-outs done by children). The shape of the top of the windows is lovely IMO
Rather gaudy stained glass window from 1996
And there was this...
I much preferred this window in a small chapel which was being refurbished.
There was a lot of bomb damage in the area, but some little architectural things have survived like this wrought-iron work on 17th-century houses:
This is part of the China Walk - an Estate built between 1928-34 to be in keeping with the area. There are six, five-storey blocks, each named after a famous British China manufacturer: Wedgewood, Devonport, Coalport, Worcester, Minton and Derby. This one is Minton House.
This is a lovely little building that was part of Holy Trinity Primary School in 1880 but is now part of the Fairley House School (for children with learning difficulties). I love the turret!
From there we passed The Bell Building. On the site of this building, there has always been a Bell Inn or a Bell Public House since the 16th century. The last pub closed in 1958 and it's been developed into a commercial space.
I rather liked the nod to the past with the Portland stone figure of a monk holding the rope of a huge bell.
We moved along to the International Maritime Organisation which has a rather impressive memorial to those maritime workers lost at sea.
By this time we were down near the River Thames and could see the Houses of Parliament in the distance:
We walked on past the 15th-century gatehouse of Lambeth Palace - the London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury:
We headed back towards Lambeth North station, going through Archbishop's Park where we saw this statue of The Tuckshop Tanner
The statue was created by Jessica Wetherley in 2017 to symbolise human kindness. On this site stood the tuck shop which was part of the Archbishop Temple School. The lady who ran the shop (Lizzie Lambert) was known to give children a sixpence (a 'tanner' in London slang) on their birthdays so they could buy a treat from the shop until the school closed in 1974. There is a sixpence relief on her stomach which can be rubbed for good luck.
It was a long walk - we covered nearly six miles, and on the way back to Waterloo East (my station home) I passed the Old Vic Theatre. I used to go regularly to the theatre here when I was studying for my exams in school. It's years since I've been back!
Later we're off to our Thursday Pilates - I shall sleep well tonight!
We started at Lambeth North tube station which is an example of the oxblood red faience tiles used by the architect Lesley Green when he was asked to redesign the underground stations. The station was built in 1906.
More about some other interesting things in the area under the cut.
Close up of the tile details on the station:
We walked down to Westminster Bridge House which is currently empty. This is all that survives of the Necropolis Railway a company specifically set up to transport the dead from central London because the cemeteries were getting too full between 1854 and 1941. The railway went through calming leafy countryside to Surrey where the loved ones were interred. The First Class passengers went through the front entrance (and had return tickets) the other passengers had one-way tickets. You can read more about it here.
From here we walked to St George's Cathedral in Southwark The original building was designed by Auguste Pugin and was opened in 1848 with later additions in 1888 and 1905. It was going to have spires and towers, but the funds were never raised. It was badly damaged in World War II and rebuilt again and reopened in 1958.
It's rather lovely inside.
This is a tomb that was in the original church.
I rather liked the carving
These are the remains of the original windows (ignore the 'stained glass' which are cut-outs done by children). The shape of the top of the windows is lovely IMO
Rather gaudy stained glass window from 1996
And there was this...
I much preferred this window in a small chapel which was being refurbished.
There was a lot of bomb damage in the area, but some little architectural things have survived like this wrought-iron work on 17th-century houses:
This is part of the China Walk - an Estate built between 1928-34 to be in keeping with the area. There are six, five-storey blocks, each named after a famous British China manufacturer: Wedgewood, Devonport, Coalport, Worcester, Minton and Derby. This one is Minton House.
This is a lovely little building that was part of Holy Trinity Primary School in 1880 but is now part of the Fairley House School (for children with learning difficulties). I love the turret!
From there we passed The Bell Building. On the site of this building, there has always been a Bell Inn or a Bell Public House since the 16th century. The last pub closed in 1958 and it's been developed into a commercial space.
I rather liked the nod to the past with the Portland stone figure of a monk holding the rope of a huge bell.
We moved along to the International Maritime Organisation which has a rather impressive memorial to those maritime workers lost at sea.
By this time we were down near the River Thames and could see the Houses of Parliament in the distance:
We walked on past the 15th-century gatehouse of Lambeth Palace - the London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury:
We headed back towards Lambeth North station, going through Archbishop's Park where we saw this statue of The Tuckshop Tanner
The statue was created by Jessica Wetherley in 2017 to symbolise human kindness. On this site stood the tuck shop which was part of the Archbishop Temple School. The lady who ran the shop (Lizzie Lambert) was known to give children a sixpence (a 'tanner' in London slang) on their birthdays so they could buy a treat from the shop until the school closed in 1974. There is a sixpence relief on her stomach which can be rubbed for good luck.
It was a long walk - we covered nearly six miles, and on the way back to Waterloo East (my station home) I passed the Old Vic Theatre. I used to go regularly to the theatre here when I was studying for my exams in school. It's years since I've been back!
Later we're off to our Thursday Pilates - I shall sleep well tonight!