In the grounds of the Ministry of Defence, on the Victoria Embankment side, there are a set of steps with a buttress and wall.
They are not an old entrance to the basement of the building, which now stands behind, but rather a rebuilt part of a terrace, originally built by Sir Christopher Wren, and were part of Whitehall Palace.
The Ministry of Defence building, Whitehall, is home to two great stone statues, 'Earth' and 'Water', as well as a number of memorials to various campaigns, armed forces and personnel.
'Earth' and 'Water' can be found above the northern entrance, on Horse Guards Avenue, and were designed by Sir Charles Wheeler. Each weighs 40 tonnes. If you are wondering where 'Air' and 'Fire' are... the money dried up during construction of the building, so they were never sculpted.
If you head into the Victoria Embankment Gardens, in the grounds of the Ministry of Defence, you will find a number of memorials dedicated to various campaigns, armed forces and personnel.
Each one is unique and tells its own story.
Thursday November 7, 2024.
After having rested my leg for a few days I was itching to get back to London. So I decided to plan a route, instead of just winging it, as usual, so that I didn't end up walking too far. It was a great idea, but I knew that it didn't stand a chance when I got to London.
My journey began much like most others: a taxi to Watford Underground station from where I caught a train to Baker Street, changed to a Bakerloo line train to Charing Cross and exited beside Trafalgar Square.
My first stop was at the statue of King Charles I, which stands on a small traffic island at the northern end of Whitehall. Before this statue was erected here the space was occupied by the original Queen Eleanor's Cross, a replica of which now stands outside Charing Cross station. It is from this statue of King Charles I that all mileages from London are measured.
From here I headed down Whitehall and onto Parliament Street, where cleaners were busy cleaning paving slabs and curbstones, while others polished the brass on the Women of World War II memorial. Police cars and vans were in abundance as various services were going on, ahead of the Remembrance Day services on Sunday.
I crossed Bridge Street and continued south along Abingdon Street and onto Millbank, before heading west along Horseferry Road. A left down Marsham Road an then right onto Page Street, followed, I spotted a cafe at the corner, but the queue was halfway down Regency Street. So, I turned south down Regency Street and then turned right onto Vincent Street, in search of a fireplace.
As I was taking a photo of said fireplace one of the residents of the private building, next door, stopped to talk to me about it. He explained that the houses along this side of the street had been heavily damaged by bombs, during World War II. The wall containing the fireplace was still sturdy and acted as a support for the nearby properties, so was left standing.He went on to explain that it wasn't the only remaining feature of the old houses and, ushering me through the security gate, proceeded to show me more of the surviving wall and its features. With plenty of photos taken I bade him farewell, thanking him for his time, and continued on my walk.
Heading south, along Vincent Square, I soon found myself on Vauxhall Bridge Road, which I followed east, still in search of a cafe.
