Showing posts with label Ghost Sign. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ghost Sign. Show all posts

Saturday, May 30, 2026

Walking alone: Baker Street to Paddington... and beyond

Bathurst Mews

Thursday May 28, 2026
Sunny with a high of 30°C (86°F).

Having a few days away from work it was obvious that would end up going to London, at some point. The problem that I had was where to go.

I toyed with the idea of starting in East Ham and heading south to the Royal Docks, as there are some sites that I was interested in seeing. But, there were also the Walthamstow Wetlands and reservoirs, which would be pleasing on what was looking to be a hot day. 

In the end I decided to head to Baker Street and, from there, see where my feet took me. So, I took a taxi to Watford underground station and boarded a Baker Street-bound train. 

On exiting Baker Street station, via the Marylebone Road exit, I turned right, crossed Baker Street and followed Marylebone Road until I turned down Old Marylebone Road. From here I took Chapel Street to Praed Street, passing Paddington station and various mews, before I joined Craven Road. 

Conduit Mews

From here I headed south along Westbourne Terrace to Sussex Gardens, which took me to Spring Street and Conduit Mews. Now, London is full of mews which, historically, are a row or courtyard of stables and carriage houses, typically with living quarters above. They were built behind large city houses, especially in London, to house horses, coaches, and stable-servants. Today, these are highly desirable, modern residential homes situated in quiet, traffic-free, cobbled lanes. So, I decided to walk along its length, wondering about these architectural buildings, many of which are brightly painted.