Tower Hamlets Cemetery (City of London and Tower Hamlets Cemetery) (Bow Cemetery)

For hundreds of years people were buried in their local churchyards, of which there are many in and around the city. However, following a mass migration of people to London, during the industrial revolution, the population exploded from 1 million to 2.3 million in just 50 years, resulting in churchyards becoming full.

In 1832, an Act of Parliament encouraged the creation of private garden cemeteries, outside of central London, as a way to relieve pressure on local churchyards. Various companies were formed, land bought and, between 1833 and 1845, eight private cemeteries were opened. They were: Kensal Green (1833), West Norwood (1837), Highgate (1839), Abney Park (1840), Brompton (1840), Nunhead (1840), City of London and Tower Hamlets (1841) and Victoria Park Cemetery (1845).

Victoria Park Cemetery: Meath Gardens

Headstones.

Victoria Park Cemetery opened in 1845 and was the last of the eight private garden cemeteries to open.

The cemetery was unconsecrated and, when it opened, had two chapels, designed by the architect Arthur Ashpitel, 

The great Gothic archway.

The great Gothic archway, restored in 2017, still stands at one of the entrances emblazoned with 'VPC 1845'.

During its short existence over 300,000 bodies were interred here, with three-quarters of them being children.

Although well-managed initially, it was a poor financial venture and became insolvent in 1853, leading to its closure in 1876.

Headstones.

Following its closure the monuments were cleared... But, the bodies were never removed.

Relics in a Forgotten Park, North Woolwich

Keilyn beside a giant anchor.

It was during one of my walks with Keilyn that we discovered a small park on the banks of the River Thames.

We had just disembarked from the Woolwich Free Ferry and were heading along Pier Road, when we noticed a giant anchor. It was set atop a concrete and brick base that was being encroached upon by bushes.

Keilyn and the Railway Crane.

The path meandered around the raised anchor, leading us to a wide, but narrow, concrete area beside the river. To our left was a Railway Crane, resting on a short section of rails attached to concrete sleepers. It was a fascinating thing to discover. There was no engine, nor cab, so I am unsure as to how it was powered.

A little further on we discovered benches, facing the river, another anchor and, towards the end of the park, a propeller and a set of steps led down to the foreshore. 

Keilyn standing on the smaller anchor.

This park had been designed, at some point, as a place that people could sit to watch the River Thames, while the trees acted as a screen, blocking out the sight of the industrial and residential complexes, springing up beyond Pier Road.

Keilyn standing on a propeller.

Raised brick borders may have been planted with flowers, but are now overgrown with uncontrolled bushes and weeds.

Southwark Park

The Caryatids of the Old Rotherhithe Town Hall.

Opening to the public on June 19, 1869, Southwark Park covers 26 hectares and is Grade II listed. It stretches from Jamaica Road, to the north, to Hawkstone Road in the southeast.

Southwark Park, has two entrances on Jamaica Road, Christchurch Gate, named after a nearby church, and Paradise Gate. Christchurch Gate was designated an entrance in 1903, but following damage in World War II it was replaced with a new gate, modelled on the original, thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund restoration in 2001-2002.

Southwark Park Bandstand.

Entering through Christchurch Gate the path divides, with one that leads you on a tree-lined avenue around the park, while the other leads you to the Bandstand. This Bandstand was acquired, in 1884, from the Great Exhibition in South Kensington and placed in the park. During the summer months free concerts are held here.

Caryatids. One representing Oak and the other Laurel.

Continuing south from the Bandstand you suddenly come across some stone pillars, hidden among the trees. These are Caryatids that originally flanked the the main entrance of the old Rotherhithe Town Hall. They were placed here in 2011. Continuing on there are tennis courts to the west, while a bowls club, hidden behind manicured hedges, takes up a small area at the centre of the park. 

Memorial to a working-class man.

Then there is the polished grey granite Jabez West Drinking Fountain, which is a memorial to a working-class man. 

A simple gate.

Jamaica Gate stands at the west end of Carriage Drive, which now divides the park into separate spaces.

Jabez West Drinking Fountain

Memorial to a working-class man.

In Southwark Park there is a drinking fountain that was installed in 1885, shortly after the park opened to the public in 1869. 

It is fairly unique as it is a memorial to a working-class man.

Jabez West was born in Princes Risborough, on June 6, 1810, to Anne and William West. His father was a blacksmith. 

He moved to Bermondsey some time in the 1830s and married Sarah Johnson on October 21, 1838. They went on to have seven children.

His wife, Sarah, died in 1873 and, in 1876, he married Hannah Aiton.

Jabez died on May 13, 1884.

The information board in Southwark Park.

Although he originally worked in the leather trade he is best known in the area for his devotion to political reform and the temperance movement.

He also campaigned for the creation of Southwark Park.

Following his death the Metropolitan Board of Works took the unusual step of agreeing to this memorial for a working-class man. Made from polished grey granite the fountain was paid for by public subscription at a cost of £120.

Walking with Keilyn: Gunnersbury Park & Museum

The view from the mansion.

Friday April 12, 2024.

As it was the last day of the Easter holidays, and my last day of annual leave, Keilyn and I decided to take a trip to London, but chose an area that neither of us had visited before. 

Our journey began as usual with us catching a Metropolitan line train to Northwick Park, where we waited for just a few minutes for an Uxbridge bound train, which we took to Rayners Lane, where we took a Piccadilly line train to Acton Town. Keilyn was super excited, as she had never been on the Piccadilly line before. Arriving at Acton Town we walked the ten minutes to the grounds of Gunnersbury Park & Museum.

A map of Gunnersbury Park.

We entered the mansion and found ourselves at the shop/reception, where we were given a guide map and shown the best route to take. As the museum is free I made a donation, which, after our visit, I could easily have doubled. Our first stop was to the toilets, which were used by the Rothschild's as a 'Strong Room' before being converted, and then we were off to the Butler's Pantry, where the 'Object Detectives' interactive event was being held. We were joined by four other children and their families and then the event began.

The three organisers began by explaining that we would be shown five items and we were to work out what they were, how old they were, what they were made of, etc.. 

• The first item was a scallop shell with a (replica) hard mixture on its surface, along with what looked like dried grass. 
• The second items were a piece of broken green-tinted glass and a small green-tinted glass bottle, which we had to wear white gloves to handle.
• The third items were white cloth hoods.
• The fourth item was a copper with a hinged lid, which was attached to a long wooden handle.
• The fifth item was a canvas and metal contraption, with a clear plastic 'window' and a hard plastic downpipe coming from its left side.

Answers at the bottom of the page.

Once we had deduced the what, where, why, who, when and how for each of the items, with Keilyn working out most of them, we made our way off to the next part of the mansion.

Our next stop was Servants' Hall, which was where the indoor servants ate their meals. The servants used this room for recreational activities, too. Now it is home to the 'Toys and Games' gallery, although many of the original features of the room still survive to this day, including the fireplace.

Servants' Hall fireplace.

Toy Daleks.

The next stop on our tour was to the Victorian kitchens that include a pastry room, scullery, chef's room and butchery. These rooms were particularly impressive and Keilyn was constantly asking questions of the volunteer, which showed her interest in the place.

The Victorian Kitchen.

From here we headed to the Rothschild Rooms that include the Dining Room and the Long Gallery, both of which have amazing views out across the lawns, across one of the ponds and the surrounding grounds. 

The Long Gallery looking towards the Dining Room.

Then we headed to the third of the Rothschild rooms, the Drawing Room, where an exhibition of prosthetic design for television and film was on display. It was in this room that we first noticed the sign "PLEASE TOUCH". We would soon realise that nearly everything we would see could be interacted with, unless specifically stated, which makes a change from most museums and stately homes that we have visited.

A moulded alien face... and Keilyn.

Our next visit was to the 'People and Place' gallery, which delves into the local history of Ealing and Hounslow. A fascinating collection of artefacts were on display charting the entire history of the area.

Prehistoric finds.

Ancient coins.

We then headed up the grand staircase, where we entered the 'Leisure' gallery, where film, sports, television, theatre and musical traditions , from the local communities, were all on display. This included the rich film studio and BBC history of the area, and how Ealing and Hounslow became known around the globe.

Marvin the Paranoid Android.

Passport to Pimlico poster.

Now Showing.

From here we headed to the 'Home' gallery, where there was an exhibition BBC Television VFX, with countless models and props from Doctor Who, The Tripods, Star Cops and Blake's 7, to name but a few. 

Walking with friends: Canary Wharf to Mudchute... and beyond

Erin, Keilyn and Alfie, ready for London.

Saturday April 6, 2024.

With Emma having gone away for the weekend, with her friend, and Gary staying with us, along with his son, Alfie, we decided to take Alfie on his first trip to London.

With lunches packed we set off for the short walk to Watford Metropolitan station, where we caught a train to Finchley Road and then a Jubilee line train to Canary Wharf. Alfie fell asleep as we left Watford and didn't wake until we reached Canary Wharf station. As the train pulled in to Finchley Road Keilyn showed off her 'Mind the Gap' t-shirt to the driver, making him chuckle. 

Leaving Canary Wharf station we took the obligatory photo of everyone in Richard Hudson's 'Tear', which everyone should do when visiting the area.

Mudchute Park and Farm is just a short twenty minute walk from Canary Wharf station, which allowed us to take plenty of photos of the buildings, docks. boats and more.

A quick stop at Asda, to get drinks, use the facilities and for Keilyn to have her photo taken with a postbox.

Crossing the Asda car park brought us to the entrance to Mudchute Park and Farm, just as lunchtime approached, so we sat and had something to eat, before taking Alfie to see the animals. Donkeys, peacocks, rabbits, goats, pigs, chickens, sheep and much more were in the various fields, paddocks, pens and stables.

Gasholder Park

The guide frame for gasholder No. 8.

Some of the most striking buildings that have been part of the King's Cross skyline, for over 150 years, are the gasholders. These giant cast-iron buildings were in use until the late 20th century, but soon became redundant and, along with the rest of the area, fell into disrepair. 

I have seen these gasholders from trains, but never up close, so was looking forward to paying them a visit. 

Walking along the Regent's Canal, from Camden, these iconic buildings now stand just east of the main rail line, at St Pancras Basin.

One of them stands completely empty with just its wrought iron columns and girders surrounding the small park at its centre. 

Erin & Keilyn checking out their reflections in Gasholder No. 8.

It is a wonderful place to sit and relax, with mirrored surfaces reflecting the ambient light, which is supplemented in the evening with extra lighting.

Three other gasholders have been converted into apartments with roof gardens, offering amazing views across the city for those lucky enough to live here.

Fortunately for King's Cross, but not for Waterloo, the decision to move the Channel Tunnel Rail Link from Waterloo to St Pancras was what caused the regeneration of the area.

With grassy areas and the canal, this is a great place to stroll on a warm day, whether as a stop-off on your way to Coal Drops Yard and further east, or heading west to Camden and onto Little Venice.

'Collector' by Georgie Fay

'Collector' by Georgie Fay.

Tuesday November 28, 2023.

It was a particularly chilly Tuesday morning as I made my around Bunhill Fields Burial Ground, during my walk from Angel to the City of London then up to Euston. The sun, bright in the morning sky, did nothing to dispel the chill that permeated this enclosed park and burial ground, which I had last visited back in 2018, during another walk, and had long since wanted to revisit the place.

Since my previous visit a new public artwork had been installed, consisting of a metal ring, suspended by ropes from three trees, from which hung sails of original printed art.

Hanging like Tombstones.

With the sun still low in the sky it cast just the right amount of light, dispersed by the surrounding trees, to highlight these unique printed sails.

With no breeze to disturb the piece it seemed to hang like painted tombstones.

Isle of Dogs

Canary Wharf across the fields.

One of the places that I have begun to visit more and more, lately, is the Isle of Dogs. Not just the Canary Wharf area, the Museum of London Docklands or Crossrail Place Roof Garden (which is beautiful in the summer months), but the rest of this piece of land that has the River Thames meandering around it. 

The North Dock.

From the historic launch ramps of the SS Great Eastern to the oldest public house on the Island. From Cubitt Town to Millwall. From Mudchute Park and Farm to Island Gardens, there is much to discover.

Crossrail Place Roof Garden.

To walk around the Isle takes less than two hours and it is a revealing experience. 

One Bank Street.

Unlike many other areas in this neck of the woods, the history of this piece of London and its people has been kept. This may have something to do with the east end ethic of history and community, rather than a conscious effort on the part of local government.

The oldest pub on the Island.

Regardless, there is always something to discover and wonder at as you wander around what was, up until fairly recent times, a patch of marshland that was prone to flooding.

Mudchute Park and Farm

A sheep at Mudchute Park and Farm with Canary Wharf in the background.

Sunday July 3, 2022.

I had been meaning to take Erin and Keilyn to Mudchute Park and Farm for quite a while, now, so, as we had nothing else planned, we set off to the station (Metropolitan line to Finchley Road, Jubilee line to Canary Wharf) and began our latest exploratory.

After exiting Canary Wharf station we took a meandering route along the old docks, where yachts and narrowboats were moored, while some people had taken to the still waters in kayaks.

Canary Wharf on a Sunday.

Eventually we found East Ferry Road and made our way around the Asda car park, which brought us to the entrance of Mudchute Park and Farm.

From this entrance you can take a number of routes as the path branches in a number of directions. We took the centre one, which led us past meadows and fields until we reached a Remembrance Garden and a 3.5" Ack-Ack gun. 

Erin and Keilyn with an Ack-Ack anti-aircraft gun.

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.