Walking with family and friends: St John's Wood to King's Cross... and beyond

Tuesday August 11, 2026

Sunny with a high of 26°C (78.8°F)

Yesterday my family, myself and our friend Steve should have been on a flight to Lanzarote, for a well deserved holiday. Unfortunately, due to issues at the hotel, and with no other options available, our holiday was cancelled. But, we will get the money back and we still have great weather here in the UK. With that in mind, Steve, Erin and myself decided to head off to London.

Erin and I met up with Steve at Watford underground station, where we boarded a Baker Street-bound train, that we took to Finchley Road. From here we crossed the platform and continued our journey to St John's Wood, via the Jubilee line.

On exiting the station we headed south along Finchley Road, before turning along Circus Road, where we stopped at the Tesco Express to grab some snacks and extra drinks. From here we travelled along St John's Wood High Street where I discovered well-kept rows of coal hole covers. Usually these have been removed or worn away. But here, there were rows of up to thirteen covers still in situ. St John's Wood High Street brought us to Prince Albert Road, where we joined the Regent's Canal at the North Gate.

The towpath was remarkably quiet as we made our way eastward, passing beneath the Macclesfield 'Blow Up' Bridge before passing by the Snowdon Aviary. The aviary, opened in 1965, was Britain's first walk-through aviary. housing many exotic birds. Today it has been reimagined, following a multi-million pound renovation, and is now called Monkey Valley, and is home to eastern black-and-white colobus monkeys. As we passed we could see the monkeys with their bushy white tails, munching on branches and clambering along ropes.

Fleet Street: London's printing heart

A map of Fleet Street, circa 1680.

Fleet Street was for centuries synonymous with the popular press. 

In about 1500, Wynkyn de Worde, an assistant to William Caxton, brought printing to Fleet Street. Other early printers soon joined him, which began the tradition of printing in this street, which continued until the late 1980s.

Following William Caxton's death, Wynkyn de Worde inherited Caxton's presses and moved them from Westminster to a house opposite Shoe Lane. Once Wynkyn de Worde was established he became a prolific printer, transforming Caxton's scholarly printing business into a thriving business. This was due, in part, by de Worde's move into the market of reasonably priced publications.

Wynkyn de Worde also introduced the world to the publication of romantic novels. He also developed the early newspaper market, where he published shorter works which were sold for a penny or two. He also became known for sensationalism as a way to sell his papers.

He became aware of what the public were reading and, using this knowledge, began printing volumes that were easy to handle and were quite cheap. These included children's books, instructional guides on good manners, husbandry, marriage and medicine. He also produced religious books, cashing in on Fleet Street's abundance of religious clerics and ministers.

In the 1500s Fleet Street was a road of houses and was more like a country village than what we know today.

Gunpowder Square Cannon, City of London

A King George III cannon.

On one of many walks, through the City of London, I was travelling along Fleet Street and looking at the countless alleys and side streets that lead to various courtyards, buildings and, sometimes, nowhere, just being shortcuts to another road or street.

It was as I walked up Wine Office Court, passing Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, that I discovered this little cannon stood on a plinth. The plaque, transcribed below, didn't give much away, but it was still something new to discover.

Opened on

29th November 1989

by

Sir Hugh Bidwell GBE

Lord Mayor of London

After reaching home I tried to do some research, but all to no avail. I can find nothing to say why the square (although it's not a square, rather an open space with a path) was named 'Gunpowder Square', nor who had the idea of placing a cannon that is over two-hundred years old, here.

A newspaper cutting.

I did find this excerpt, from a newspaper, in a book that was gifted to me, though.

If any of my readers know any more information about this little cannon, or how the area came to be called Gunpowder Square, please get in touch.

'Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese'

Is that the River Fleet, I hear?

One of my favourite pubs, in the City of London, is Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. I first discovered it a number of years back, when I ducked into an alleyway to avoid some freezing rain, on a cold January day. Seeing the light of the pub I wandered in.

Heading into the cellar.

On entering I found it to be quite dark, with wood panelling and little in the way of natural light. Spread across a number of floors, with various bars, it has a feeling of being lost in time.

Throughout the reigns of...

Once my eyes adjusted to the diffused light, the building almost came alive with its history.

A cosy little space in the cellar.

Buying a pint of bitter I took a seat in one of the near empty spaces and savoured the atmosphere of this historic place.