Walking alone: Aldgate to St James's Palace... and beyond

Monday August 31, 2026.

Sunny with cloudy spells 24°C (75.2°F)

The last Bank Holiday saw me take on a solo walk, which wasn't set in stone until I was aboard the train.

A Baker Street-bound train from Watford took me to Finchley Road, where I finally decided on a route. So, a few minutes later I boarded an Aldgate-bound train, deciding to start on the eastern edge of the City of London and head towards the West End.

On leaving Aldgate station I headed along Aldgate High Street, before moving onto Leadenhall Street and then Whittington Avenue. After a wander around Leadenhall Market, where I saw the new Leadenhall Wunderkammer at No. 27¼, which opens properly on Thursday September 3 and runs until December. It consists if the City’s smallest serving window, a miniature wool boutique and a mouse-sized video shop.

I then headed to the new viewing terrace at One Leadenhall, which offers views from the fourth floor out over Leadenhall Market. The walkie-talkie, The Shard, the Cheesegrater, Tower 42 and St Paul's Cathedral were just some of the buildings that you can see from this terrace. With benches and planted boxes, I can see this becoming a very popular place.

On leaving the terrace I rejoined Leadenhall Street and continued my walk westward. Cornhill and Poultry brought me to Cheapside, from where I joined Newgate Street. I then turned south, along Warwick Lane, and joined Ludgate Hill which then became Fleet Street and then Strand. Feeling a little thirsty I popped into the Old Bank of England, where I enjoyed a pint in the garden courtyard, which also houses an old red double-decker bus.

Suitably refreshed I crossed the road and visited Twinings, where I explored the history of the company and how some of its blends were created, before continuing onward. Arundel Street took me down to Victoria Embankment Gardens: Temple Place, where a display of public art was on show. 

After a look at the various pieces on display I continued along the Embankment to Victoria Embankment Gardens, where I sat on a bench in the shade. Like many benches in London's gardens and parks, they usually have a plaque saying who the bench is in memory of. This bench was no exception. However, it was in memory of one Patricia Louise Morrissey, who just so happens to have the same surname as myself and her first name was also that of my father's mum. Her husband also shares my father's first name, Joseph. However, they are no relation to me, as far as I can ascertain, as this Patricia Morrissey was American, as I later found out, but still a great coincidence.

I then visited Carting Lane before rejoining the Embankment, before heading along Northumberland Avenue and onto Cockspur Street, before turning along Pall Mall. For a Bank Holiday this area was particularly quiet, with the paths fairly clear. Ahead of me part of St James's Palace was having scaffolding put up, making taking a decent photo more difficult, but not impossible.

From here I headed along Cleveland Row and used the small, stepped path to reach the bridleway and Green Park. Because of the recent heatwaves, and lack of rain, Green Park, like the rest of London's green spaces, was like straw, with the light breeze blowing dust around. Even the trees weren't as green as usual. I made my way along the paths, passing the Canada Memorial, until I reached Hyde Park Corner. I crossed the road and passed the Wellington Arch, before crossing Piccadilly and entered Hyde Park.

I followed Rotten Row and The Broadwalk and entered Hyde Park Rose Garden, with its various roses, shrubs, trees and the Boy and Dolphin fountain and Huntress fountain. After taking some photos of the blooms I continued along Serpentine Road. 

I passed the Serpentine where many of the boats were being used by families, while the wildlife sat at the edge of the lake basking in the sun, before I turned north with the Serpentine and Ranger's Lodges to my left. I then found myself outside an incredible red brick building, which was originally the Hyde Park Police station.

I then followed various paths, meandering my way through the park until I found myself at the spot where the Reformer's Tree once stood. The Reformers' Tree was an oak tree which became the focus of protests by the Reform League, a group campaigning to give all men the right to vote, in 1866. It is believed that during these protests the tree was set alight, ending as a charred stump by the following morning. A wonderful mosaic now marks the spot where once the tree stood.

Onward I walked, before I left the park and found myself on Park Lane. I decided to head north, arriving a few minutes later at Marble Arch. I crossed Bayswater and stopped for a break on one of the two wooden seats at the site of where the Tyburn Tree once stood. Three trees have been planted on this small island, but there are just two seats, making me believe that someone really missed an opportunity here.

From here I headed east, along Oxford Street, before turning north along Portman Street so as to avoid the bustling crowds and then east along George Street until I reached Baker Street. Baker Street is a wonderful place to spot plaques denoting the areas clandestine history, with the Special Operations Executive having many premises in the area. By now I was feeling peckish so I stopped for some food at KFC. 

Once I had eaten I crossed Marylebone Road and entered The Metropolitan Bar for drink, before I caught a train home. I found a table and sat down and opened my phone, to look through some of the photos and videos that I had taken on my walk. That's when the confusion set in. There were photos from when I arrived at Aldgate through to reaching Leadenhall Market, but then there was nothing until I reached Victoria Embankment Gardens. There was an almost two hour gap between images. No photos or videos from the terrace, the Old Bank of England, Twinings, Fleet Street, or the Victoria Embankment Public Art. A warning then popped up stating that there was no SD card installed! I was confused and a little upset, but there was nothing that I could do about it until I reached home. 

So, I finished my drink, left the bar, headed down to the ticket hall, went down more stairs to Platform 1, where a Watford-bound train was almost ready to leave. On boarding the train I sat and watched the world rushing by the window. As we approached Northwood rain began to fall, leaving diagonal trails across the windows. By the time the train pulled out of Croxley station the rain had ceased, which made me breathe a sigh of relief, as I wasn't dressed for rain.

The walk home was uneventful, although my mind was still trying to work out how, or even if, I could recover the photos and videos from the SD card. We shall have to wait and see.

It was still a great day out, visiting new places (even if I don't currently have the evidence) and revisiting some very familiar places.

Distance travelled:

• Bus - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
• Cable Car - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
• Car - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
• DLR - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
• Ferry - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
• Overground - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
• River Boat - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
• Taxi - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
• Train - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
• Tram - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
• Underground - 38.9 miles (62.60 kms)
• Walking - 9.31 miles (14.98 kms)