Myddelton Passage Etchings: A unique historical record

On first turning on to Myddelton Passage it looks like a typical London road. Houses along one side stand opposite a brick wall, that, although old, looks rather plain.

It is not until you begin to walk along the path that you will notice etchings in the bricks. Random numbers, initials and letters can soon be seen. Although sporadic, at first, they begin to fill entire areas of the wall.

Could they be some form of code or something else, entirely?

'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.

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

'Theatreship', South Quay, Isle of Dogs

Theatreship open for entertainment.

The Theatreship is a new, as of 2024, world-class performing arts space on a historic ship, moored on the Millwall Cutting on the Isle of Dogs. It is the Millwall Cutting that links the South Dock with the Millwall Inner Dock and, until the 1950s, continued to the River Thames via the Millwall Slipway.

I visited the ship just weeks after it opened to hear a talk by Niki Gorick, about her book 'Dock Life Renewed', for which the Theatreship was the perfect venue.

Lovingly restored and fitted with a new spacious interior bar area and an events space, with tiered seating, it is a remarkable piece of renovation and foresight.

A new name for a historic ship.

Brief History

The ship was built in 1913 and weighs 300-tonnes. She began life as a sailing cargo barge, that transported cargo like coal and grain from Europe to London. She would continue in service for over 100 years serving the ports of Northern Europe, before she was retired.

Oldest House in the City of London

41-42 Cloth Fair

Wandering, as I do, along the labyrinthine streets of London I always discover something to which I was unaware. This is exactly what happened whilst I walked from Farringdon towards Barbican.

Having headed south from Farringdon station and along the Grand Avenue, that divides Smithfield Market, I headed onto West Smithfield and turned onto a narrow road named Cloth Fair. 

As I approached the courtyard of the Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great I noticed a timber framed building to my left. It was unlike any other building on the street, so I took some photos.

Needle of Thutmose III

 

A piece of Egypt in London.

As you walk along the Victoria Embankment, outside of the quaint Victoria Embankment Gardens, there stands an Egyptian Needle made of granite. 

It is flanked by two bronze fake Egyptian sphinxes, which stare towards the needle, rather than having their backs to it in a typical guarding posture. This, apparently, was due to an error when they were installed.

My eldest, Alysha, sits with the undamaged sphinx.

On close inspection you can see shrapnel damage, in one of the sphinx, from when a bomb was dropped during a German air raid, in 1917, which detonated close to the needle.

Shrapnel Damage.

Also, the benches along the Victoria Embankment have winged sphinxes as armrests, which adds even more of an Egyptian feel to the area. 

One of the Egyptian styled benches that can be found along Victoria Embankment.

This bench uses Camels as the armrests.

Metropolitan line

Metropolitan 1 steam locomotive, celebrating 150 years of the Met line, in 2018.

Living in Watford, which is the largest town in Hertfordshire, I have access to excellent transport links to London, as well as other areas of the country. Just 16 miles from Central London I have a choice of National Rail, London Overground services or Transport for London's Metropolitan line service. It is the latter that I invariably use.

Trains at Watford Metropolitan station awaiting the morning rush hour.

The Metropolitan line station is just a 15 minute walk from my home and will get me to central London in just 40 minutes. I can also change to a different line like the Jubilee, while enroute, and end up in east London in a little over an hour.

Watford Metropolitan station decorated in celebration of 150 years.

As this is the line that I most commonly use, and it being the first of its kind in the world, I thought I would do a blog about its history.

'The Ferry House'

The Ferry House

Monday May 16, 2022

For the second time in a matter of weeks I found myself back on the Isle of Dogs and back inside The Ferry House pub. This historic pub has been continuously occupied since 1722 and is the oldest on the island and sits on the corner of Ferry Street, from where the ferry to Greenwich departed from the slipway opposite.

Looking out onto the decking and beer garden.

Inside the pub is tastefully decorated and the two bars - saloon and public - that were norm until fairly recently, have been turned into just a single bar. Small rooms with comfy sofas and a large garden make this pub a wonderful place to stop for refreshments.

Walking with friends: Borough Market to the Isle of Dogs... and beyond

With Covid-19 and the various lockdowns putting a pause on my walks with friends, around The Unfinished City, it is great to be able to start them up again.

Saturday April 2, 2022

After a breakfast of Pulled Pork Burger with apple sauce and sage & onion stuffing, from Hobbs in Borough Market, my friend Stephen and I began our first walk of 2022.

Borough Market is a food lovers paradise.

Heading towards the River Thames we made our way through the Contorted Tunnel, which Stephen had never seen, to the basement of Hay's Galleria. Climbing the stairs we headed out on to the embankment, by HMS Belfast, and followed the path to Tower Bridge. 

Tower Bridge and the Girl with a Dolphin.

Taking the eastern pedestrian path, across the bridge, we headed to St Katharine Docks Marina, where various yachts, barges, lifeboats and the Queen's Rowbarge 'Gloriana' were moored. As we rounded one of the buildings I pointed out Stanley Kubrick's original 'Monolith' from 2001: A Space Odyssey, which had been affixed to the wall of one of the buildings, back in 1977.

'Monolith' by Arthur Fleischmann.

From here we headed eastward towards Hermitage Basin and the Ornamental Canal, through Wapping Woods and on to Shadwell Basin. A small area of the basin was being used by Wapping Docklands Market, so we had a look around the different food stalls before heading in to the historic The Prospect of Whitby, for a well-deserved drink.

Our first drink in London together for a number of years.

Coal Drops Yard & Granary Square

Granary Square, looking towards Coal Drops buildings.

Wednesday February 16, 2022

Walking along the Regent's Canal from St John's Wood station Keilyn and I ended up at Coal Drops Yard, King's Cross. This historic area of London has gone through a major overhaul and is fast becoming one of the top destinations in the area.

Coal Drops Yard

This historic area of London has a history dating back to the 1850s, when London ran on coal, earning her the nickname of the 'Big Smoke'. The buildings would have been full of people, cargo and coal. Outside would have been a throng of workers, sellers, businessmen and the such, too.

But, as invention and new technologies took hold, her buildings became empty and were soon left derelict. The throng of people diminishing, much like the buildings

Fortunately, these buildings have now been repurposed and the area is once again a bustling hub.

The entire area is a wonderful place to explore. From shops and restaurants, to bars and cafes and boutique retail outlets. The coal drops and the square, which incorporates a water feature that is wonderfully lit with coloured lights, gets a lot of use in warm weather.

The Fish and Coal buildings, now known as The Coal Office.

And we explored most of it. Keilyn, obviously, was more interested in exploring the water feature, but without getting too wet.

A terraced seating area allows for people to sit by the calm water, on summer's evenings, to enjoy the peace or, perhaps, catch a movie at the pop-up cinema.

Keilyn in the water feature.

The entire area is split into five distinct area: Canopy Market, Coal Drops Yard, Gasholder Park, Granary Square and Lewis Cubitt Park.

Once we had explored what we could we made our way, via St Pancras Old Church, to Euston station, from where we caught a train home.

London Stone

 

The London Stone, in its new housing, on Cannon Street.

I first discovered The London Stone back in January 2009, when wandering the streets one evening.

It was hidden in a recess, on Cannon Street, with glass and a metal grate to protect it. The grime, from the passing traffic, had discoloured the protective glass and, although it was lit, it was hard to make out.

I took a photo, just to document what I had seen, and headed on my way.

It was only following some research in to this strange lump of limestone, that I discovered its importance.

I have returned to see the London Stone in its new home, still on Cannon Street, and am pleased to report that it now sits clearly, for everyone to see.

'The Mayflower'

The Historic Mayflower.

It was a wonderfully warm Saturday afternoon as I, and my work colleagues, Gary and Steve, entered the historic 16th Century Mayflower pub, in Rotherhithe Village. Having heard so much about this place, it was about time that I visited it. And, I can tell you, it was not a disappointment.

Wooden beams and a small wooden bar, with various artefacts, which included books, models, flags, drawings and paintings and so much more, really gave the place a feeling of history.

Behind the bar of The Mayflower.

The covered seating area, which was built on decking, stretched out over the River Thames, giving a wonderful view across the river to Wapping. You could see from the Thames River Police Museum, in the northeast to almost the Prospect of Whitby. Behind the old converted warehouses, you can make out the Walkie-talkie, the Cheesegrater and the Gherkin.

King Edward III's Moated Manor House

King Edward IIIs Moated Manor house.

Saturday March 30, 2019.

Partial as I am to wandering and going off on a tangent, rather than sticking to a prescribed route, when visiting The Unfinished City, it is no wonder that I stumble across some interesting things and places.

Take, for instance, this Royal Residence. Had I not taken a detour then I would never have known that this piece of history existed. Obviously, there is not much left to see, and this photo does not do the place justice, but the moat and foundations are all still there.

Museum of the Order of St John

St John's Gate.

Friday June 29, 2018.

It was another warm day that I had spent wandering the streets of the Unfinished City, following the old Roman Walls, when, after stopping for some refreshment, I found what looked like a castle gate. Intrigued, I decided to pop in to see what it was about.

The Most Venerable Order of St John.

It turns out that this is the home of the Museum of the Order of St John. The museum charts the origins of this religious military order, from 11th century Jerusalem, through to its modern role as the international first aid charity, the St John Ambulance.

Trinkets.

So, in I went.

Some of the areas, like the Priory church and its crypt, plus the rooms upstairs could only be accessed on a guided tour. Unfortunately, I did not have the time for a guided tour, so I just enjoyed the museum galleries, on the ground floor, plus the garden beside the Priory church. 

A Templar chair.

The galleries contain a wealth of historic information, artefacts and models and the garden is a quiet oasis in the heart of a bustling area, where small tables and chairs are available to soak up the peace and serenity of the space.

The Cloister.

I will be visiting again, hopefully soon, to take in the whole of this building.

"I'll take the Priory!"

To see more photographs from my trip, click the link below.

Gallery

For anyone interested in the history of this charity, St John's Gate is well worth the visit.

Museum of the Order of St John

'The Grapes'

Grape Expectations.

The first time I discovered The Grapes, it was too early in the day to pay it a visit, so I made a plan to return to it. Sure enough, two months later, I did return and I was not disappointed.

The Grapes; A narrow pub on Narrow Street

It is a narrow space, but quite long, stretching back to a terrace, that overlooks the river. There is a spacious dining room, upstairs, where a mouth-watering selection of food can be savoured. I opted to eat downstairs, choosing from the pub grub menu; Cumberland sausage, creamy mash with a caramelised onion gravy, washed down with a pint of St. Edmunds. Beautiful.