Grosvenor Gardens to Knightsbridge: Exploring the Exclusive Side of London

February 26, 2017February 27, 2017 londonwlogger42 Comments

Welcome one and all to another walk across London! This week I’ll be visiting the exclusive and wealthy side of the capital, as my journey begins in Grosvenor Gardens. From there I go via upmarket Belgravia to Sloane Square before finishing at one of the world’s most famous department stores, Harrods in Knightsbridge. So let’s grab the walking boots and go!

map1 — Grosvenor Gardens to Knightsbridge

My walk starts in Upper Grosvenor Gardens which has only been open to the public recently, and with its plants and benches is the perfect place to relax. The name Grosvenor derives from the Grosvenor family who were landowners in the area.

One of the distinctive features within the garden is a sculpture of a Lioness chasing a Lesser Kudu. It was created by the famous animal sculptor Jonathan Kenworthy, and has been there since 2000 to mark the opening of the gardens to the people of Westminster. It certainly is an eye-catching aspect of the gardens which you don’t miss!

At one of the entrances also stands this war memorial with poppy wreaths laid in remembrance.

Whenever you’re in a garden you normally only take in the plants, grass area and sculptures, however, the outer fencing has this really unique and stylish design!

It’s time to move onto my next location on today’s walk as I head for affluent Belgravia and Eaton Square. Now if you thought living in London was expensive, you’ve not seen anything yet! In December Eaton Square was given the honour of being the most expensive place to buy a home in the UK. The average home in this area costs a staggering £17 million! Some properties in the area have been on the market for as much as over £50 million! Looking at the size of the houses you can see why!

Opposite the houses sits some beautiful gardens too, which are private to the residents of the mansions!

I must say walking through all these expensive and fancy mansions is actually quite fun to get a glimpse of the high life! Though I’ll never be able to afford them, or you never know if this blog takes off and makes me a millionaire I might…. but for now strolling past them will have to do!

I leave the well-heeled Belgravia mansions to go onto my next stop, Sloane Square! Located in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the square used to be called ‘Hans Town’ after Sir Hans Sloane whose estates owned the land at the time. The square was laid out in 1771 by architects Henry Holland Snr and Henry Holland Jnr.

Within the square sits The Venus Fountain which was sculptured in 1953 by Gilbert Ledward. The life-sized bronze Venus is seen kneeling on top of a large vase whilst pouring water into a pool lined with light blue ceramic tiles. The Venus is sitting on a relief of King Charles II and his mistress, Nell Gywnn.

At the opposite end of The Venus Fountain you find a Royal Naval Air Service memorial which again has poppy wreaths laid out on it in remembrance.

Next to Sloane Square you’ll find the picturesque Parish Church of Holy Trinity Sloane Square which is an Anglican parish church built between 1888-1890, and designed by architect John Dando Sedding.

The Parish Church of Holy Trinity Sloane Square

A walk along Sloane Street takes you to one of London’s secret hidden gems at Cadogan Place Gardens. Once known as the London Botanic Gardens, they were laid out at the end of the 18th century by William Sailsbury. Walking through the gardens feels like you’re in one of London’s Royal Parks or the countryside, not a small pretty garden near Knightsbridge. Within the gardens sits lawns, plants, hedges and sculptures, everything you’d expect from a beautiful garden! The more you walk through it, you discover lots of picturesque surprises!

It’s time to move onto my final location in Knightsbridge, Harrods. To get there I pass many high-end brands from Gucci to Chanel and many other brands I don’t normally buy from!

One of Knightsbridge’s most recognisable stores is Harrods which was founded in 1834 by Charles Henry Harrod. The store is 20,000 m²with 330 departments that covers 90,000 m² of retail space. Harrods’ motto is Omnia Omnibus Ubique, which means “all things for all people, everywhere” in Latin! From clothing to electronics to jewellery to toys to furniture, it’s all there for you! I do love the distinctive green colouring of the branding and with its unique products makes it a huge tourist hot spot!

My walk has taken me through some of London’s richest and most exclusive areas, whether it’s the mansions of Belgravia to the gardens near Knightsbridge, it has been a trip through the capital’s upmarket side! Hope you’ve enjoyed reading my walk, and you can catch me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and don’t forget to sign up to my blog too!

Until next time, have a great week, and see you soon!

Sources: (not the food sauces)

Information on Grosvenor Gardens – London is Cool

Information on Grosvenor Gardens – Secret London

Information on Grosvenor Gardens – My Parks Westminster

Information on Sloane Square – The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

London’s Most Beautiful Fountains – Londonist

About The Parish Church of Holy Trinity Sloane Square – Holy Trinity Sloane Square

Information about Cadogan Place Gardens – London Gardens Trust

History of Harrods – Harrods

Reaching 1,000 Subscribers: A Review of my Walks and an Insight into the London Wlogger

February 19, 2017 londonwlogger85 Comments

A few days ago I surpassed the dizzy heights of 1,000 subscribers! A MASSIVE thank you to everyone that follows my blog! So this week I’m doing something a little different and looking back on all of my previous walks over the past three months. Also I’m going to provide some useful insights behind my walks that you might not normally get to know from each of my routes!

1000

My walks have taken me to the parks, markets, squares, streets, bridges, and riverside views, whilst uncovering the capital’s true hidden gems! Here’s quick recap of them all!

Victoria to Green Park

My first walk visited some of the capital’s famous parks and palaces! My journey started at Victoria Station before heading to Buckingham Palace via St James’s Park and The Mall. I ended up at London’s smallest Royal Park, Green Park! Discover more of the journey and the history of these sights here – Victoria to Green Park.

St James’s Park

The Mall

Buckingham Palace

Green Park

Marble Arch to Mayfair

When I walked from Marble Arch to Mayfair I discovered some of London’s famous streets, namely Oxford Street, Regent’s Street and New Bond Street! Through the streets you come across two beautiful squares, Cavendish Square and Berkeley Square. A finish in the retro Shepherd Market in Mayfair is the perfect place to end a walk! Check out the full walk here – Marble Arch to Mayfair.

Marble Arch

Oxford Street

Berkeley Square

Shepherd Market

The Shard to Monument

Even though when you walk from The Shard to Monument it’s a short stroll, but you do see a lot! Going from The Shard takes you past Borough Market and Southwark Cathedral over London Bridge before you end at Monument! Fancy finding out more about each of their histories? Read the walk here – The Shard to Monument.

The Shard

Southwark Cathedral

London Bridge

Monument

King’s Cross to Hampstead Heath

I’d have to say that one of my favourite walks I’ve done over the past few months is that of King’s Cross to Hampstead Heath! This is because it encompasses one of the loveliest walks along the Regent’s Canal and the wonderful view from Hampstead Heath across London. In between that you see many of London’s canal locks, including Camden Market, as well as hidden gems like the St Pancras Basin and Gas Holder No. 8! Perhaps my longest walk, but it’s definitely full of amazing sights! Check out all of them here – King’s Cross to Hampstead Heath.

St Pancras Basin

Kentish Town Lock

Camden Lock

Hampstead Heath

Leadenhall Market to Old Spitalfields Market

If you want to see a mix of London’s renowned markets and modern day landmarks, then this is the walk for you! Beginning at the pretty Leadenhall Market you can take a wander past two iconic buildings of the London skyline, The Gherkin and The Cheese Grater, before going via London Liverpool Street Station. The markets keep coming as you go past both Petticoat Market and Old Spitalfields Market. See more of the walks wonders here – Leadenhall Market to Old Spitalfields Market.

Leadenhall Market

The Gherkin

The Cheese Grater

Old Spitalfields Market

Waterloo to The London Eye

A good walk in London has to begin somewhere and this one began at Waterloo, Britain’s busiest train station and ended at The London Eye, Britain’s busiest tourist attraction! The trip will take you to the distinctive bridges along the Thames, Waterloo Bridge, the Golden Jubilee Bridge and the Hungerford Bridge! All of the sights on my walk have their own fascinating tales, which you can find out more about here – Waterloo to The London Eye.

Waterloo Station

Waterloo Bridge

Golden Jubilee Bridge either side of Hungerford Bridge

The London Eye

St Paul’s Cathedral to Moorgate

You don’t have to walk through a park or along the river to enjoy a great stroll in London! This walk explored the city centre perfectly by starting at the iconic St Paul’s Cathedral and going via Bank to The Royal Exchange, Mansion House and the Bank of England before finishing in Finsbury Circus in Moorgate! Explore its sights here – St Paul’s Cathedral to Moorgate.

St Paul’s Cathedral

The Royal Exchange

Bank of England

Finsbury Circus

Mile End Park to London Fields

Now as I mentioned earlier, I do love the Regent’s Canal and this walk once again illustrates London’s beauty perfectly! Beginning at the redeveloped Mile End Park you take a stroll along the canal via the stunning Victoria Park before finishing in the peaceful London Fields. Some great pics and history here – Mile End Park to London Fields

Mile End Park

Victoria Park

Regent’s Canal outside Victoria Park

London Fields

Hyde Park Corner to Italian Gardens

For my next walk I had the pleasure to see some of the capital’s watery wonders and amazing arches! I started my route at the Wellington Arch via Hyde Park and The Serpentine before passing by Henry Moore’s arch, and finishing in the ever so pretty Italian Gardens! If you enjoy gardens and water features, this is the one for you – Hyde Park Corner to Italian Gardens.

Wellington Arch

Hyde Park

The Serpentine

Italian Gardens

Little Venice to Abbey Road

London isn’t just famous for its tourist hot spots, there are many notable landmarks from the sporting and musical worlds! This walk featured two of them! Lord’s Cricket Ground and Abbey Road. But in addition to them, I walked through one of the cutest places in London, Little Venice and to two famous religious monuments, The Liberal Jewish Synagogue and St John’s Wood Church. A walk for those who enjoy cricket, music and pretty riverside walks – Little Venice to Abbey Road.

Little Venice

Riverside in Maida Vale

Lord’s Cricket Ground

Abbey Road

Regent’s Park to Soho Square

The Royal Parks of London are green areas of tranquility and beauty, and this walk started at one of the most picturesque places, Regent’s Park. After taking in its splendour I ventured via a London skyline icon in the BT Tower before finishing in the hidden Soho Square! A perfect short stroll – Regent’s Park to Soho Square

Regent’s Park

BT Tower

Soho Square

Clapham Common to The Albert Bridge

My most recent walk explored the ponds and parks of the south of London where I began at Clapham Common went via Battersea Park before ending at the splendid view on The Albert Bridge. One of London’s unknown walks, but it’s ever so wonderful – Clapham Common to The Albert Bridge

Clapham Common

Mount Pond in Clapham Common

Battersea Park

The Albert Bridge

Well my twelve walks have certainly covered some distance in London, and explored so much beauty. Which one of them was your favourite? How many of them have you done? Please let me know in the comments section!

Insight into The London Wlogger

Now in the form of a Q&A, I’m going to give you all a bit more info on the inspiration behind the London Wlogger and some useful facts about it!

Do you do all your walks in one go? Or several trips?

One thing I found out was when I’m taking pics, notes, and trying to concentrate on all the different wonders of London I pass, it takes some time! So I can’t do all the walks in one day unfortunately! Also so far all the walks are being done during the autumn and winter, so I have to make sure I finish by sunset… not an easy task!

How long in advance do you do the walks before writing about them?

Now this is a bit of a secret behind the London Wlogger! But I do many walks in advance as I try to stay ahead of myself, so if we do have many weeks of bad weather, I might not be able to get out there and walk. So to avoid this I would’ve done a few walks before I post about them. For instance, as we speak, I’ve already completed and got pics for four week’s worth of posts!

Have you considered doing separate walks that are all connected into one?

I did! There are a few reasons why each week the routes are random, and not in the same area. Firstly, it keeps the audience guessing where the next route will be, one week I’m in Victoria, the next in Hampstead, quite the difference in distance!

Secondly, as all the walks are done in separate trips, it would mean I would have to start from a certain point each time. For instance, if my walk finished at Green Park, the next time I do a walk I would need to start from there.

Lastly, the best way to see London is to not restrict yourself to certain areas, but spread it out, which I hope makes a better series!

What’s your favourite place in London?

Oooo it has to be along the Regent’s Canal, and my favourite view is from Hampstead Heath!

How do you plan each route?

Many of the walks I do are ones that I’ve done many times, or discovered by just walking around London with no plan in place. However, as time has gone on, I’ve planned out routes based on a few factors. Firstly, what there is to see on it, such as landmarks, historical places, or natural beauty. Also how close each area is in proximity to each other, for instance, a walk from Bank to Camden is lovely, but a bit long for a short blog post! Finally, I try to spread out as much of London as possible, so I won’t stay in just Central, but go as far as the outskirts.

Where did the word ‘Wlogger’ come from?

One day I hope this features in the Oxford Dictionary! But the word ‘Wlogger’ is a play on ‘Walking Blogger = Wlogger’! Catchy and clever, but hard to say, think of Vlogger with a W!

What camera to use? Do you take all the pics?

I’d love to say some swanky, expensive camera brand… but it’s my little old iPhone 6s! And yep, the majority of the pics are taken by me, the only ones which aren’t would be inside areas I can’t access such as The Royal Festival Hall and a skyline view of a landmark like The Cheese Grater. All photos not taken by me are credited, but the majority are taken me!

Ever thought of going outside London?

Of course, who knows! I’d love to do more walks in Britain and perhaps further afield, watch this space…

Still want to ask me something? Write me a question in the comments section, and I’ll answer it!

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading a review of all my walks, and gaining a little bit more of an insight into the London Wlogger!

I’ll be back walking again next week, but in the meantime you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and don’t forget to sign up to my blog too!

See you soon!

Clapham Common to The Albert Bridge: Ponds, Parks and Picturesque Views

February 12, 2017 londonwlogger64 Comments

A warm welcome to you, and thanks for joining me on another walk around London! Throughout my walks of the capital I’ve explored many parks, and today I shall be exploring two of South London’s most wonderful natural spaces. My walk begins in Clapham Common takes me via Battersea Park before ending along the Thames at the splendid Albert Bridge.

I’ll admit I’d never actually been to either Clapham Common or Battersea Park before this walk, so for me it was even more exciting to do!

My journey starts in Clapham Common which dates back to the late 17th century when the recreational area was used for horse racing and cricket. It wasn’t until the 1760s when a wealthy local resident by the name of Christopher Baldwin led an initiative to improve the Common by leveling it off and filling in its ditches and planting trees.

During the 19th century the Common was managed by a group of local trustees who continued to level it out and plant trees. As late as the 1920s sheep were still grazing on the Common, though it was now becoming a well-known area of leisure for people within the suburb which was growing both in size and wealth.

However, in the 1860s Commons in London were at risk of being sold to developers as new legislation meant they could be purchased for the benefits of the public. In 1877, the Metropolitan Board of Works bought Clapham Common from its Manorial Owners with its aim to be ‘free and unenclosed forever’!

Both the board and its successor, the London County Council, continued to make improvements to it and in 1890 they responded to public demand to build one of the largest and best surviving Victorian bandstands in the country.

During the First World War troops would be trained in digging trenches on the Common. Whilst in the Second World War the site was used for big events and housed an anti-aircraft battery, with bomb shelters being dug within it.

Sports facilities and entertainments continued on the Common after the War with the London County Council and its successor, the Greater London Council, making improvements to it. The Common was the venue for the International London Horse Show from 1954 to 1985. However, by the 1990s local residents became unhappy with the large scale concerts and other events which they thought were unsuited and damaging the local recreational space. Since 1971, the Common has been owned and managed by the London Borough of Lambeth.

Today, it’s 220 acres of wonderful grass areas, the lovely Mount Pond, many football pitches, and is one of London’s most famous Commons. I did love standing by the pond, with all you can hear is the sound of the birds and the wind, truly the definition of peaceful!

Opposite the Bandstand you’ll find the very popular and convenient La Baita, which in Italian means ‘the hut’. This cafe serves authentic Italian cuisine with sandwiches and drinks offered too. The perfect way to sit there and enjoy the Common on a sunny day.

Outside Clapham Common you’ll find the pretty St. Barnabas Church which was erected in 1897.

It’s now time to continue my walk through Clapham Common and along the main road to Battersea Park.

Along my walk I go past Battersea Park train station, and this rather vintage railway bridge!

IMG_1080 (2).jpg — Entrance to Battersea Park

Back in 1843 property developer Thomas Cubitt and the local vicar, the Honourable Reverend Robert Eden, reported to Queen Victoria’s Commison on improving the Metropolis. In 1846 an Act of Parliament was passed which gave to the authorisation of a formation of a park on part of Battersea Common and Battersea Fields.

A year before in 1845 architect James Pennethorne produced a preliminary layout of the park, but it wasn’t until 1854 when the main developments of the park took place. The park was formally opened to the public by Queen Victoria in 1858.

Like with Clapham Common, the park was used during the First World War. Allotments were laid out in the park, an anti-aircraft station was set up on the croquet field, and a clothing depot was installed on one of the cricket fields. The park was also used during World War Two for an allotment, a piggery, an experimental radio station, and the running track became an anti-aircraft gun site. Today, the 200 acre park is managed by Wandsworth Council.

It’s not just Clapham Common that has a beautiful and picturesque pond, as Battersea Park has this amazing one too!

Every pond should have somewhere to enjoy its splendour, and next to it you can relax in this riverside cafe!

It’s only when you walk through the park that you find out how vast it is! Also the hidden gems within it keep appearing with more ponds and pathways filled with trees.

Near the northern side of the park sits the Festival Gardens that were designed by Russell Page. In 1951 they were transformed into the ‘Pleasure Gardens’ as part of the Festival of Britain which celebrated the British industry, arts and science to promote the feeling of recovery after the World War.

The event was intended to be a one-off year exhibition, but the fun fair remained there as a permanent attraction until it closed in 1974.

One of the eye-catching features within the park is this cool metal structure!

At the end of Festival Gardens you find the distinctive and rather amazing structure of the Peace Pagoda. Regular London Wlogger readers will remember another Pagoda appearing in Victoria Park in one of my previous walks!

The construction of the Peace Pagoda actually relates to the unlikely town of Milton Keynes in the UK. Back in 1978, the Reverend Gyoro Nagase arrived in England from Japan to assist with the construction of the first Peace Pagoda in the UK in Milton Keynes. Now you might think, it’s very random for a famous Japanese religious monument to be in Milton Keynes, but there is logic behind it! Back in the seventies when the new town of Milton Keynes was being developed, one of the planning advisers had visited Sri Lanka where he saw a Peace Pagoda. It was proposed to the Milton Keynes Development Corporation who loved the idea, and it remains there today.

In 1984, Reverend Gyoro Nagase moved to London to assist with 50 volunteers and Buddhist monks and nuns of the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Order to construct the Peace Pagoda in the park, and its amazing structure was completed in 1985.

To get to my final destination today I need to take a walk along the side of the Thames, and the view across it is simply stunning from the Peace Pagoda. You can tell I enjoyed taking videos on this walk!

A famous place for morning joggers and dog walkers, I walk along the side of the river to reach The Albert Bridge!

Located over the River Thames connecting Chelsea on the north bank to Battersea on the south bank, the Albert Bridge was designed and built by Rowland Mason Ordish in 1873. However, it proved to be structurally unsound, so between 1884 and 1887 Sir Joseph Bazalgette incorporated design elements of a suspension bridge to it.

Two concrete piers were added to it to further strengthen it in 1973, which means today the bridge is an odd hybrid of three different design styles! For six years after it was opened it became a toll bridge, though this was unsuccessful and the charge was lifted.

End of the Bridge with the Old Tollbooths

The bridge was given the nickname of ‘The Trembling Lady’ as it had the tenancy to vibrate when large numbers of people walked across it. The entrance sign to warn troops from the nearby Chelsea Barracks is still there today.

Today, there are still traffic control limits over it to prolong its life, making it the least busy of London’s bridges. The bold colouring of the bridge was painted on it in 1992 to make it more visible for ships, and I think you’d find it hard to miss it! At night the bridge is illuminated with 4,000 bulbs, and with Grade II listed status it’s one of the capital’s riverside icons.

The view from it you can imagine is amazing! On one side you can see the Chelsea Bridge, and on the other is Battersea Bridge.

Across the Thames with Chelsea Bridge in the Distance

I couldn’t think of many nicer places to end a walking adventure of London! I’ve taken a trip through South London to visit a famous Common, Park and Bridge, and seen how the first two played their part in both World Wars. Hope you had a great time reading my walk, and please share your thoughts below! Whilst I have you here, you can give me a follow on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and don’t forget to sign up to my blog too!

I’ll see you next week!

Sources: (not the food sauces)

History of Clapham Common – Clapham Common Management Advisory Committee

History of St Barnabas Church – British History Online

History of Battersea Park – Historic England

History of the Festival of Britain – Historic UK

History of the Peace Pagoda – Battersea Park History

History of The Albert Bridge – Transport Trust

Regent’s Park to Soho Square: London’s Prettiest Gardens

February 5, 2017February 5, 2017 londonwlogger70 Comments

Greetings one and all! My walks have taken me to some of London’s most famous parks including Hyde Park, Green Park, and St James’s Park. Today, I visit another one of the capital’s beauty natural areas, Regent’s Park. From there I’ll go past the distinctive BT (British Telecom) Tower before ending in my final destination of Soho Square!

My journey begins in one of London’s eight Royal Park, Regent’s Park. Designed by John Nash, the park covers 395 acres of land and includes the Queen Mary’s Gardens which features over 12,000 roses of 400 varieties!

Originally part of the vast Forest of Middlesex, known as Marylebone Park, in 1538 the land was seized by King Henry VII. He turned the 554 acres of land into a hunting chase, and for the next 50 years it became a place where the King and Queen would entertain visiting dignitaries.

However, between 1649 and 1660 after the Civil War, the Commonwealth Government under Oliver Cromwell chopped down many the park’s trees to help pay off the debts from the war. When Cromwell died, Charles II became King and the park returned to the crown. Over the next 150 years the land was leased out to tenant farmers as hunting had gone out of fashion.

In 1811, there became a greater financial opportunity to start building on parkland than farming on it, and the new Prince Regent, later King George IV, wanted to take advantage of this. This lead to designs being produced for a new summer palace in the grounds.

The government architect, John Nash, was the man behind the redesigned park which was renamed Regent’s Park. The park featured a huge lake, canal, and the new royal residence. 56 villas and a series of grand regency terraces were built within the park by John Nash to pay for it.

However, the Prince’s attention turned to improving Buckingham Palace, so the idea of a summer house didn’t materialise. Nor did the 56 villas either, as only 8 were built! The park was originally only exclusive for residents of the villas and terraces, but in 1835 it was open to the public!

Like most of London during World War Two the park was bombed, with rubble from the buildings that were destroyed being dumped on the park’s lawns. In 1932, the Queen Mary’s Gardens opened to the public, with the rose gardens being completed in 1934.

Today, the beautiful rivers, scrubs, plants and fields provide a reminder of what it was like to be in Regency London. You do feel very lucky to have such stylish and peaceful gardens in London, as you feel like you’re in the countryside, not the centre of a city!

The park also features many sporting facilities with football and cricket pitches. It’s the perfect combination. On one part of the park you have the rivers and plants, and the other the sporting side of a park!

The park also features the amazing Jubilee Gates which are made from iron and were installed to mark the Silver Jubilee of King George V, and the official opening of the Queen Mary’s Gardens in 1935. The gates have Grade II listed status and were donated by Sigismund Goetze who was a wealthy and successful artist that lived in Grove House on the northern perimeter of the park from 1909 to 1939.

I’d love to stay in the pleasant Regent’s Park, but I’ll continue my walk to Soho Square, and doing so I pass by one of the distinct buildings of the London skyline in Fitzrovia, the BT Tower.

Opened in 1965 by Prime Minster Harold Wilson, the BT Tower was built from 13,000 tonnes of steel and 4,600 square meters of glass. It was commissioned by the General Post Office to support microwave aerials carrying telecommunications transmissions from London to the rest of the country.

Architects Eric Bedford and G.R.Yeats were the men behind its unique design, with a cylindrical shape chosen for it so the building wouldn’t shift no more than 20cm in the high winds. The aerials on the tower were originally designed to handle up to 150,000 simultaneous telephone conversations and 40 television channels! Imagine the demand for those aerials now if they were used for WiFi signals…!

The tower stands at 189 metres high which at the time made it the tallest building in London until 1980, when the NatWest Tower overtook it. Today, it’s the 11th tallest building in the capital, and you do sometimes forget it’s there as more notable buildings like The Shard and The Cheesegrater in London get more attention! Over the years the tower has gone by many names including the Museum Tower, the Post Office Tower, the London Telecom Tower, and currently the British Telecom (BT) Tower.

It was awarded Grade II listed status in 2003, and even today it’s still a major broadcasting and communications hub with most UK TV’s passing through it. Regularly fundraising events such as BBC Children in Need are still held there.

With great phone signal in the area by the BT Tower, I now move onto the final destination of today’s walk, Soho Square. Outside Soho Square stands St Patrick’s Church, which is a Roman Catholic Parish Church which was built between 1891 and 1893 and designed by John Kelly. The current structure had replaced an earlier and smaller chapel which was built by Father Arthur O’Leary in the 1790s.

My journey ends in pretty Soho Square which dates back to 1670s and was formally known as King Square after Charles II.

In the middle of the square sits a statue of Charles II which was carved by Danish sculptor Caius Gabriel Cibber in 1681. However, in 1875 when the square was altered it was removed from the square due to its poor state and it was given to artist Frederick Goodall. He placed the statue on the island in his lake at Grim’s Dyke until 1890 when dramatist W.S. Gilbert purchased the property. When Gilbert died in 1911, Lady Gilbert directed it to be returned to the square, and in 1938 it was restored into its original place.

The picturesque Tudor-like hut in the middle surprisingly has only been there since 1925. During World War Two the hut was used as a bomb shelter with 12 inches of brick and a concrete roof to accommodate around 150 to 200 people. However, today I’d love to say there is a magical use for it, but alas, it’s now just a shed, filled with gardening tools to help keep the square looking lovely!

My walk has taken me from one of London’s most famous parks to a secret square via one of London’s tallest building. I hope you found the walk both enjoyable and fascinating, and I look forward to you joining me again next week! In the meantime, why not follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and don’t forget to sign up to my blog too.

See you soon!

Sources: (not the food sauces)

History of Regent’s Park – Royal Parks

History of the BT Tower – BT

History of St Patrick’s Church – St Patrick’s Church

History of Soho Square – British History Online

What’s in the Soho Square Hut – Londonist