Thursday, November 07, 2024

16 'Alkham Road: Site of first bomb of World War I

16 Alkham Road

This typical house in Stoke Newington, Hackney, looks a lot like the rest of the houses in this terrace. However, unlike the majority of the other homes, this one has had the top floors extensively rebuilt.

The house also holds a rather unique place in London history, but we will have to travel back over 100 years to find out why.

Shortly after 23:00 on Monday May 31, 1915, the German Zeppelin LZ38 dropped its first bomb on London. This incendiary bomb crashed through the roof of 16 Alkham Road setting the upper floors alight.

The occupants, the Lovell family and two guests, all escaped without injury, with the fire being quickly extinguished by the fire brigade.

Zeppelin LZ33

Zeppelin LZ38 continued travelling over Hackney, Dalston, Shoreditch, Whitechapel, Tower Hamlets and Stepney, dropping high-explosive and incendiary bombs on the unsuspecting, and sleeping, people below.

On this first raid 7 people were killed, 35 were injured and 41 fires were reported.

Between 1915 and 1918 there were over 20 air raids by Zeppelin and aircraft.

Trivia: The bomb that hit 16 Alkham Road was the first time London had been attacked by a foreign military power in almost 1,000 years. The last time had been 1066, when William the Conqueror entered London.

Commemorative Plaque

Monday, November 04, 2024

Walking with Keilyn: Stoke Newington to Abney Park Cemetery... and beyond

Ghost Sign
'Ghost' signs.

Wednesday October 30, 2024.

Following my minor leg operation, last Friday (25th), this was my first chance to venture out for a walk. So, with Keilyn at my side, we headed out for a short walk to test my leg. However, this 'short walk' ended up being longer than I expected. Still it was good to be out and about again.

We grabbed a taxi to Watford Underground station and caught a train to Finchley Road, where we waited for an Aldgate train that would take us to Liverpool Street. 

At Liverpool Street we caught a London Overground train bound for Cheshunt, which we alighted from at Stoke Newington. 

Cedra Court
Some of these flats were owned by the Kray twins.

We headed along Cazenove Road to Cedra Court, where the Kray twins once owned properties, before heading down Geldeston Road in search of my grandfather's old family home. Unfortunately, the house had been demolished, with flats taking up the space. 

Royal Sovereign public house
The Royal Sovereign public house.

However, on the corner was the Royal Sovereign pub, which was used as a location in the Scott Adkins 2018 movie 'Accident Man'.

16 Alkham Road plaque
Site of the first attack on London by a foreign military power in nearly 1,000 years.

We then turned down Northwold Road, stopping at 16 Alkham Road, site of the first bomb to be dropped on London during World War I, before reaching the Yellow Warbler coffee shop, where hot drinks were purchased.

Abney Park Cemetery Egyptian revival entrance
The Egyptian revival entrance to Abney Park Cemetery.

With drinks in hand we crossed Stoke Newington High Street and entered Abney Park Cemetery via the Egyptian revival entrance.

Thursday, October 31, 2024

'Peter Pan' by Sir George Frampton

Peter Pan statue

Walking through Kensington Gardens, near the Long Water, you will discover this bronze sculpture of Peter Pan.

J.M. Barrie lived nearby, on Bayswater Road, and said that Kensington Gardens inspired his stories and so commissioned a statue that was designed by Sir George Frampton, 

J.M. Barrie was said to be disappointed with the final sculpture, complaining that it "didn't show the Devil in Peter".

Monday, October 28, 2024

Christmas lights switch-on, 2024

Battersea Power Station at Christmas

With Christmas fast approaching various areas of London will begin to switch-on their Christmas lights, which begin in November.

Regent Street at Christmas

With the switch-on London becomes a cluster of areas that bring their own Christmas style, as they all try to entice as many visitors as possible.

Waterloo Place at Christmas

Below is a list of some of the areas, with dates, that will getting into the festive season from November.

November 5th
    
    Oxford Street

November 7th

    Carnaby Street
    Regent Street
    St James's 

November 8th

    Battersea Power Station

November 12th

    Covent Garden

November 13th

    Kew Gardens
    Marylebone Village
    Old Spitalfields Market

November 14th

    Leadenhall Market
    Savile Row

November 16th

    Mayfair

November 17th

    Belgravia

December 5th

    Trafalgar Square

January 2025

    Canary Wharf Light Festival

Of course, there other areas throughout London that have Christmas lights, festive activities and light festivals that are worth seeking out, too.

Battersea Power Station at Christmas

Please check before you travel as times and dates can be changed at the last minute.

Trafalgar Square at Christmas

(All dates were correct at time of publishing, but may be subject to change).

Thursday, October 24, 2024

'Lea Bridge Bubble Curtain' by ISS-Flowthrough

ISS-Flowthrough Lea Bridge Bubble Curtain
ISS-Flowthrough Lea Bridge Bubble Curtain.

On the River Lea Navigation, close to the Middlesex Filter Beds Weir, there is a stream of bubbles that rise in a line across the width of the river. This is the ISS-Flowthrough Bubble Curtain.

I found it to be quite calming and therapeutic as I gazed at it from the Capital Ring, that runs along this part of the River Lea. 

Middlesex Filter Beds Weir
Middlesex Filter Beds Weir.

However, it is not unique, as there is also one at Shadwell Basin, plus many more around the country and internationally, but each one is bespoke to the area in which it is used.

The Canal and River Trust, who manage the watercourse, committed vast personnel and resources, that they could barely afford, being a Charitable Trust, in the collection of debris and litter, which would have ended up in the River Thames and, eventually, the sea. They approached ISS-Flowthrough in the hopes of finding a solution.

The solution was a bubble barrier. This barrier would arrest issues that were impacting this navigable channel. These issues included, excessive growth of aquatic plants which interfered with river traffic, saline intrusion from the tidal River Thames, of which the River Lea is a major contributory, water quality from storm overflow discharges and, because of its urban setting, a large amount of floating debris.

ISS-Flowthrough Lea Bridge Bubble Curtain
Bubble Curtain.

The bubble barrier was designed with a rubber membrane disc diffuser and had to meet specific criteria for the area. This included, ensuring that the River Lea Navigation was still accessible to river traffic, be highly robust and be low maintenance and prevent the downstream movement of litter and facilitate its collection.

The bespoke bubble barrier, installed in May 2020, was set at an angle across the river, thus ensuring that any litter or debris, coming upstream, would be redirected to a collection point. This collection point was created by using the existing bridge buttresses and the channel wall.

So, if you are ever passing this way, stop and take in this calming bubble curtain that helps to keep this waterway clear of litter and excessive plant growth, while still keeping the channel open to boats and other river traffic.

Monday, October 21, 2024

'The Southwark Tavern'


The Southwark Tavern, on Southwark Street, is a wonderful pub situated on a corner opposite the busy Borough Market.

Its caramel-coloured tiles and leaded windows give the building an appealing look, especially in this area on the south bank.

Inside, the pub is not overly lit, which, along with its dark wood panelling, harkens back to days of old.

Debtor's Bar

There is a large bar offering a wide selection of drinks, while meals can be ordered to be eaten at the various tables. 

Thursday, October 17, 2024

'Jacob' by Shirley Pace

Jacob the Dray Horse

Wandering on the south side of the River Thames, where many of the old buildings have been repurposed as dwellings and businesses, you still come across new developments.

While many of these newer buildings still fit in with the aesthetic of the area, some do not. The latter can not be said of 'The Circle', on Queen Elizabeth Street. These newer buildings have been designed so as to not appear out of place, while still offering something new.

However, what caught my eye, as I strolled along the street, was this bronze statue of a Dray horse, named 'Jacob', stood in the centre of the road on a plinth.

Jacob the Dray Horse at The Circle

When 'The Circle' was being developed the architects and designers wished to pay homage to the history of the area, hence the statue. 

As stated on the affixed plaque, Dray horses, from the nearby Courage Brewery, were stabled here from the early nineteenth century.

It is a wonderful statue that has caught the power of these mighty animals, that trekked back and forth through London, delivering beer.

The inscription on the plaque states:

"Jacob

The Circle Dray Horse

The famous Courage dray horses were stabled

on this site from the early nineteenth

century and delivered beer around London

from the brewery on Horselydown Lane

by Tower Bridge.

In the sixteenth century the area became

known as Horselydown, which derives from

'Horse-lie-down', a description of working

horses resting before crossing London Bridge

into the City of London.

Jacob was commissioned by 

Jacobs Island Company and Farlane Properties

as the centrepiece of The Circle

to commemorate the history of the site.

He was flown over London by helicopter

into Queen Elizabeth Street to launch

The Circle in 1987."

As a little footnote, I am not entirely sure that this is the actual derivation of Horselydown.


Monday, October 14, 2024

Walking with family and friends: Mile End to Old Street... and beyond

Regent's Canal
Regent's Canal.

Saturday October 12, 2024.

Keilyn and I set off from home at just after 09:05, for a short walk to Watford underground station, where we met my friend Steve. We boarded a train to Baker Street, changing to an Aldgate train at Finchley Road. We alighted at Liverpool Street and headed into the depths to catch a Central line train to Mile End, from where our walk would begin.

Mile End station

Leaving Mile End station we immediately headed to a small independent coffee shop, Coffee London, for some refreshments.

Across the road we noticed a mural and murals would become something that we would see a lot of on this walk, although we were yet to know this. 

Aberavon Road mural

With hot drinks in had we crossed Mile End Road, to check pout the mural, before we turned onto Grove Road and began our journey. 

V1 Blue Plaque

Ahead of us was a railway bridge that carries the mainline from Liverpool Street over Grove Road. It is this mainline that we plan to follow back towards the City of London. However, this bridge was severely damaged on June 13, 1944, when the first V1 'flying bomb' to fall on London destroyed it and severely damaged homes on nearby Antill Road, to the east, and Burnside Street and Belhaven Street to the west. The latter streets were later demolished and a small park is now in their place. Walking through this park we could hear skittering sounds in the undergrowth, which turned out to be mice that seemed unperturbed by our presence as they darted from tree to tree. 

Keilyn and a Towpath Horse statue

The path led us to the Regent's Canal, where we spotted three metal portraits by the towpath, so we went down to investigate. One of the metal statues was of a Towpath Horse, which were essential to pull boats along the canal, bringing trade and business to the area. The second was of Sylvia Pankhurst, who was a leading member of the suffragette movement and who worked tirelessly for better living conditions in the East End. The final statue is of Ledley King, an East Ender who would go on to play for Tottenham Hotspur FC and represent England at the World Cup.

Meath Gardens

We then crossed the Regent's Canal and found ourselves entering Meath Gardens, from its southeast corner. This landscaped garden was opened in 18 and has a children's playground, a fitness gym and basketball and football facilities. There is also a large Black Poplar in the centre of the gardens which has been here since the 1840s, making it one of the oldest trees in the area. 

Meath Gardens

Meath Gardens has an interesting history, too. It originally began life as one of the eight private cemeteries that sprung up in the 1840s. However, Victoria Park Cemetery, which opened in 1846, was so poorly run that it couldn't make money in this poverty stricken area. By 1856 it had fallen into such a state of squalor that calls for its closure soon rang out. It finally closed to burials in 1876, after 1000,000 interments, the majority of which were children. Nearly all of the monuments and gravestones were cleared and the grounds landscaped, with it opening as Meath Gardens in 1894. The bodies were never removed.

The Carpenter's Arms

Continuing our walk we crossed beneath the mainline and continued west along Bancroft Road, before heading back under the mainline to Three Colts Lane. We crossed Vallance Road, where I took a photo of some newish houses that stand on the spot of some now demolished homes, one of which, 178, was home to Ronnie and Reggie Kray. A little further and we reached 'The Carpenter's Arms'. once the local pub of the Krays.

William Davis Primary School

From here we headed north along St Matthew's Row where we spotted various mosaic designs, affixed to the walls of William Davis Primary School, and a Watch House, opposite, attached to the grounds of St Matthew's Church Gardens. 

Watch House

This is a much larger Watch House than the one I had previously seen in Rotherhithe. We soon found ourselves on Bethnal Green Road which followed westward, before turning down Chilton Street and onto Cheshire Street. Here trendy cafes and vintage shops filled both sides of the road, which brought us out to Brick Lane. 

On Sclater Street a few market stalls were beginning to unpack their wares, so we stopped for a browse. Keilyn picked up a small 'bum bag', while I purchased two old London bottles and a couple of whisky miniatures, one of which I gave to Steve. Sclater Street soon rejoined Bethnal Green Road and we found ourselves beside Shoreditch Boxpark.

The Old Blue Last mural

We headed south, along Shoreditch High Street, before heading west along Great Eastern Street until we reached Leonard Street. It was here that we stopped for some refreshments at 'The Griffin'.

Thursday, October 10, 2024

'Dick Whittington's Cat' statue and the 'Whittington Stone'

Dick Whittington's Cat Statue

On Highgate Hill there is a stone with a statue of a cat, protected behind an iron cage.

This is the Whittington Stone and Dick Whittington's Cat.

Whittington Stone

The Whittington Stone

The Whittington Stone is a large two-segment Portland Stone tablet, erected in 1821, and marks, roughly, where Dick Whittington supposedly turned at the sound of the bells of St Mary-le-Bow.

The stone was restored in 1935.

The Cat statue was added in 1964 and was designed by Jonathan Kenworthy and is made of Kellymount limestone. It was originally polished-black.

On its two faces are inscriptions of the life of Dick Whittington. The inscription on one side has been completely eroded, but some of the inscription can still be read on the other face.

Whittington Stone and the Statue of Dick Whittington's Cat


Dick Whittington and His Cat

Dick Whittington and His Cat is an English folklore telling the rise of poverty-stricken Dick Whittington, who sold his cat to a rat infested country, to attain a fortune.

Another story tells of his heading home to Highgate Hill, but stopping when he heard the sound of Bow Bells, some 4.5 miles away, promising him that he would be mayor of London, one day.

Monday, October 07, 2024

23-24 Leinster Gardens (False Houses)

Leinster Gardens False Facades
A real house (left) and a fake house (right).

Leinster Gardens, Bayswater, is a wonderful place to find mid-Victorian terraced houses, lining the majority of one side of the road. Some of these buildings are listed as Grade II or Grade II*, including the 'Leinster Arms' public house.

However, midway along the western side there are some false houses, which are barely distinguishable from the other homes along the street. It is not until you get up close to them that these false facades are more noticeable.

Unlike the homes either side of numbers 23-24, these buildings have fake doors with no letter boxes and the windows are painted a grey colour. 

The facades match perfectly with the rest of the terrace, including balustraded balconies, above columned porches, that are shared with their neighbours.

Thursday, October 03, 2024

'Athena' by Nasser Azam

'Athena' by Nasser Azam

I spotted this large bronze statue, in the centre of a roundabout, outside London City Airport and was immediately struck by its size. Unfortunately, as it was a cloudy day, I couldn't get a photo with the sun lighting up the silver coating that covers this giant bronze statue.

Standing at 12 metres (39 feet), it has to be one of the tallest bronze statues that I have ever seen. In fact, it is the tallest bronze statue in the United Kingdom.

Newham Council's Strategic Development Committee were the ones who commissioned the statue, stating:

“London Athena will face east towards the airport and its approach road with her head looking up at the sky and her arms outstretched about her as if greeting or waving to aircraft in and out of the airport.”

Nasser Azam, who designed 'The Dance' on the South Bank, was commissioned to design the figure and it was unveiled in 2012. 

Athena is the Greek Goddess of war, handicraft and practical reason.

London City Airport objected to the statue, who had requested to use the roundabout for signage and advertising related to the airport. They lost their objection, which I am glad about as this statue is definitely an improvement for the area.

Nasser Azam, who was originally from Newham, had the bronze cast at his foundry, Zahra Modern Art Foundries, which he had purchased in 2010. This foundry, originally called the Morris Singer Art Foundry, was the one that cast the Trafalgar Square Lions.

Because of the finish, applied to the statue, many people forget that it is made of bronze.

A small disc states:

"Athena

by

Nasser Azam

bronze

2012

with the support of

Elan Corporation, plc"

Wednesday, October 02, 2024

Walking with family: London Bridge to St Katharine Docks... and beyond

HMS Belfast and Tower Bridge

Sunday September 29, 2024.

With the Metropolitan line completely closed and the London Overground (Lioness line) not going beyond Finsbury Park, uncle Martin, Keilyn and I took the 09:24 fast train from Watford Junction to Euston, then a Northern line, via Bank, to London Bridge.

From here we crossed Tooley Street and took the stairs down to the Contorted Tunnel, which would lead us to Hay's Galleria.

Keilyn with her hot chocolate at Café Piazza

Our first stop was Café Piazza, where we sat and had hot drinks. Vanilla latte, for me, Cappuccino, for Martin and a Hot Chocolate with cream and mini marshmallows for Keilyn.

Suitably refreshed we headed out of Hay's Galleria and headed to HMS Belfast.

The Corvette-class Magdeburg

With tickets in hand we boarded this historic vessel and begun our exploration. Our first surprise was seeing a German Navy Corvette-class ship, named Magdeburg, moored on her port side.

Across nine decks we clambered, exploring every inch of the ship that was open. The boiler room and one of the gun turrets were closed for maintenance. 

Keilyn at the top of HMS Belfast

We made our way from the Quarter deck towards the Fo'c'sle, before we headed up the decks sitting in the Admiral's chair, the Captain and Navigating Officer chairs, before reaching the Flag deck.

Martin in the cells aboard HMS Belfast

Then we headed down to visit the Mess decks, Sick bay, the Galley, the Engine room, the Chapel, Operations room, the Lower steering position, Gun turret and everything in-between.

The view from HMS Belfast

Two and a half hours later we disembarked HMS Belfast and stopped for some lunch from one of the street vendors, that had setup along The Queen's Walk.

Monday, September 30, 2024

London's 'Magnificent Seven' Cemeteries. But, originally, there were eight

Highgate Cemetery West

During the 1830s and 1840s eight private cemeteries were created in an attempt to solve the problem of overcrowding in Victorian London's churchyards. 

This was brought about by a number of factors that included the rapidly increasing rates in birth and mortality and a migration of people from rural areas to the city, due, in part, to the Industrial Revolution.

In 1831 London suffered a cholera epidemic and public health became a major issue. It was believed that poisonous vapours from decomposing bodies was a factor in the outbreak of both cholera and typhoid.

As churchyards became full graves were dug at a depth of just 3 feet (1 metre) and, within a few months, were used again. 

'Resurrection Men' were another problem. These Resurrectionists would raid cemeteries in order to snatch a body, which would then be sold to hospitals for medical students to dissect. These body snatchers would select a grave and then dig a hole at the head end. They then broke the coffin and, using a rope, dragged out the body, thus not having to do a full excavation. They were also careful not to take any jewellery or clothes, as this would result in more serious charges, punishable by transportation to the colonies. Bodies belonged to no one, so their removal was a far less serious charge. 

Watch House Rotherhithe

Such was the proliferation of 'body snatching' that Watch Houses were built, besides graveyards, and were manned by armed watchmen.

In 1832 an Act was passed by Parliament that encouraged the construction of private cemeteries outside central London.

Between 1833 and 1845 eight garden cemeteries were established, four of which were consecrated by the Bishop of London, Charles James Blomfield.

Bunhill Fields Cemetery

According to census records London's population was one million, in 1801, but had doubled to two million by 1841. At this point London had a death rate of over 45,000 people a year, or 125 people a day.

In 1981 Hugh Meller, an architectural historian, dubbed the surviving group of cemeteries 'The Magnificent Seven', after the movie of the same name.

Each of these cemeteries is unique, making them all worthy of a visit.

Kensal Green Cemetery (General Cemetery of All Souls)

Opened 1833, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and founded by George Frederick Carden, a barrister. 

The main buildings were designed in the Greek Revival style, by John Griffith, and it originally covered an area of 54 acres, which was later increased to 72 acres.

It is still in operation.

Kensal Green

West Norwood Cemetery (South Metropolitan Cemetery)

Opened 1837, in the London Borough of Lambeth.

The main buildings were designed in the Gothic style, by Sir William Tite and covers an area of 40 acres.

In 1966 it was purchased by Lambeth Council who run it with the Diocese of Southwark.

It is still in operation, partially.

West Norwood

Highgate Cemetery

Opened 1839 (west) 1860 (east), in the London Borough of Camden.

Architect Stephen Geary chose this site for its views over London, which had once been the grounds of Ashurst House but now had St Michael's Church built on it in 1832.

Stephen Geary was assisted by David Ramsay, a nurseryman, in making Highgate the most beautiful and popular cemetery of its time.

It is still in operation.

Highgate

Abney Park Cemetery

Opened 1840, in the London Borough of Hackney.

Situated in the grounds of Abney House, once home to Isaac Watts, this cemetery was left unconsecrated, making it a popular burial ground for Dissenters, especially after Bunhill Fields closed to burials.

The chapel was the first non-denominational cemetery chapel in Europe.

In 1979 the London Borough of Hackney took ownership of the site.

It is still in operation.

Abney Park

Brompton Cemetery (West of London and Westminster Cemetery)

Opened 1840, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Stephen Geary was the original architect, but he was replaced by Benjamin Baud who designed a more formal layout, including the central avenue and domed chapel.

It is the only Crown Cemetery and is managed by The Royal Parks.

It is still in operation.

Brompton

Nunhead Cemetery (All Saints' Cemetery)

Opened 1840, in the London Borough of Southwark.

Built on a hill, with views over London, it was designed by architect James Bunstone Bunning, who had replaced Stephen Geary.

In 1976 it was purchased after it was allowed to fall into neglect by its owners United Cemeteries Limited, who were looking to build on some of the land.

It is still in operation.

Nunhead

Tower Hamlets Cemetery (City of London and Tower Hamlets Cemetery) (Bow Cemetery)

Opened 1841 (closed in 1966), in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Many of the burials here were made in common graves. In 1966 it closed, when the Greater London Council bought it, with the intention of turning it into a park. Many of the monuments and trees were removed, but, following a public outcry, it became a nature reserves and urban woodland.

It is no longer in operation.

Tower Hamlets

Victoria Park Cemetery

Opened in 1845 (closed in 1876), in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

This was the last of the eight garden cemeteries, but was the first to close.

Following its closure the monuments were cleared and it was turned into a public park, opening in 1894.

It is now called Meath Gardens, with only its original archway, inscribed with 'VPC', giving any hint to its original purpose. I wonder how many people use this park, without realising what lies beneath?

Meath Gardens

Thursday, September 26, 2024

Olympic Bell (London 2012)

Olympic Bell London 2012

The Olympic Bell, which Bradley Wiggins rung to signal the opening of the London 2012 Olympics, now hangs rather forlornly outside the London Stadium.

It is a monster of a bell that will, in all likelihood, hang hear for the rest of its days, never to be rung again. This seems to be a waste of a bell, to me, as a bell is designed and tuned to be rung.

Having never seen it up close I was shocked by the sheer size of it.

Olympic Bell Inscription
"Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises" - The Tempest

Brief History

The Whitechapel Bell Foundry was commissioned to make the bell for the London 2012 Olympic Games, in September 2011. They finalised the design, kettering and tuning but found that no longer had the capability to cast such a massive bell. Controversially, they subcontracted the casting to Royal Eijsbouts, in the Netherlands. The Loughborough based Taylor's Bell Foundry, which had also tendered to the cast the bell, took exception at the bell being cast by a non-British company. 

The framework, from which to hang the bell, and the hammer mechanism, which alone weighed a half-ton, were made by various companies. In total there were twenty different companies, from three countries, that brought the bell to completion.

Monday, September 23, 2024

Watch House, Rotherhithe

Watch House, Rotherhithe

This Watch House, on St Marychurch Street, was used by Watchmen in the 19th century. 

Constructed in 1821 it was built as a twin to the Old Rotherhithe Fire Engine House, just a bit further along Saint Marychurch Street.

It has a single floor, above ground, and a basement level, which contained a cell.

The Watchmen who were stationed here would patrol the local area in an effort to deter criminal activity. If a watchman found someone acting suspiciously they would be brought back to the Watch House, where they were kept in a cell until either being discharged or imprisoned.

This particular Watch House backs on to St Mary's Churchyard. One of the jobs watchmen were called upon to undertake was the protection of the dead. Bodysnatchers, or 'Resurrection Men' as they were known, who stole corpses for for medical research at Guy's Hospital, often visited graveyards in an attempt to find 'fresh' bodies.

The former burial ground is now St Mary's Churchyard Gardens, and the Watch House is now the Watchhouse Cafe. 

The building is Grade II listed.

Charlie Rouse
Charles 'Charlie' Rouse, circa 1850.

Being a Watchmen was originally an unpaid civic duty for the local townspeople. Eventually it would become a 'profession', with Watchmen receiving a small sum for their time.

Their local parish would set down the routes that were to be followed, which they would patrol from 21:00 to 06:00. 

They were known to call out the time and weather every hour, check for fires, ensure that the village folk had locked their doors, among other things. Occasionally, townsfolk would pay the Watchmen a small sum of money to act as a walking alarm clock, waking those that had paid at a specific time.

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Obelisk & St George's Circus

Obelisk

Walking through Southwark, along Borough Road towards Westminster Bridge Road, you will come to a junction where the aforementioned roads meet London Road. At the centre of the roundabout stands an obelisk. This is St George's Circus, and it has an interesting history.

Built in 1771, St George's Circus was London's first purpose built traffic junction. The original obelisk, at the centre of the roundabout, was affixed with four oil lamps to aid traffic in the evenings.

In 1897 the obelisk was removed and replaced with a clock tower, to honour Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. The obelisk was then erected in front of the Imperial War Museum, in what is now known as grounds of Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park, in 1905, while the clock tower remained at St George's Circus until the 1930s, when it was demolished.