Today let’s talk about 8 places in London: 8 places all located north of the Thames and I’m going to give a logical sense to this tour, through a path (almost) circular..
We begin from the tiny Postman’s Park, a small park at 2 minutes walk from St Paul’s Cathedral. It was created as a park for the rest of postmen working at the nearby post office, there are commemorative plaques of “unsung heroes”: people who have given their lives to save others (for “unknown” in this case means “ordinary people”).
I have been impressed by the quietness, perhaps because that day in London was a public holiday and many Londoners were out, and for how it is well maintained: almost doesn’t seem to be in town.The nearest underground station is St Paul (Circle Line)
Now we move close to Covent Garden to get to Neal’s Yard. We’re talking about a small courtyard which takes its name from Thomas Neale: in 1690 he obtained from William III the piece of land where he created the Seven Dials area (Neal’s Yard area is hidden right in between the narrow streets of this area). If you love independent shops and very colorful places try to go through this courtyard. (I haven’t tried any of the places to drink or eat, so I can’t recommend you where to stop). The nearest underground station is Covent Garden (Piccadilly line).
I couldn’t miss a visit to Stanfords travel, the biggest travel bookshop in the world!
It’s located along Long Acre, about halfway between the underground stations of Covent Garden (Piccadilly Line) and Leicester Square (Northern and Piccadilly Line).
We spent about an hour inside the library, or maybe even more (at one point I lost track of time): Stanfords is a library where you can really find almost any kind of book about traveling and I was tempted to buy almost every book.
We keep talking about libraries and let’s go to visit Hatchards, which is located alongPiccadilly (the road parallel to Regent Street). Next to Fortnum & Mason and in front of the Burlington House, it is the oldest library of the United Kingdom: It was founded in 1797. I was fascinated by this library for two reasons: its long history (in London everything changes very quickly, especially the shops which often close to disappear forever) and why, inside, is still like the libraries of the past (the floors still creak!!) and not like the hypermodern libraries with which we are now accustomed.
The nearest metro station is Piccadilly Circus (Bakerloo line where pass and Piccadilly line) .
Now let’s move to the K2 telephone box (to its prototype in wood, to be precise). It’s always located along Piccadilly (the street, not “piccadilly circus”), behind one of the gate of Burlington House which I have named just above (looking at it, the entrance on the left). In 1924 a competition was held to design a new kind of phone booth, precisely called K2, and the competition was won by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the same architect who built also the Battersea Power Station and the Bankside Power Station (which now houses the Tate Modern, the museum that I like the most to visit during a stay in London). Scott proposed to paint the cabin in a silver-gray color, but it was decided to paint it in red to make it visible (and later was criticized for being too visible)
From “too flashy”, today the red cabin has become THE symbol of Great Britain, a kind of icon of the country: everyone saw it at least once “live” or at least in a picture (for example on the internet or in a photo of a friend). The nearest metro station is always Piccadilly Circus (Bakerloo line and Piccadilly line)
Now, we’re moving again through the city to get to Pet Cemetery. It’s located in Hyde Park, close to Victoria Gate entrance, not far from Lancaster Gate metro station (central line). It was created during the Victorian era, it isn’t easy to find (if at a certain time you will think to abandon the search due, I recommend you to continue to look for it): initially we tried to find it walking inside the park because we had as a reference point the caretaker’s house, but it’s so hidden among the vegetation that we can see it just by searching along the road outside the park. With a bit of luck, as it has been for us, you might see a sweet fox wandering around this small cemetery. He looked very comfortable inside the cemetery, as if he (or she) was “at home”: this scene made me very tenderly and I made so many photos that now, frankly, I don’t even know what to do with them for how many photos I have! The cemetery closed in 1902 when it was no longer possible to use it for lack of space (that means: 300 burials in total); nowadays it’s still cured, even if it’s no longer in use.
Even the mascotte of the park police was buried in this small cemetery. It isn’t a “real” tourist attraction and because of that you can visit it only by appointment (as information about it I found just that, to book, you can call the official number of “Royal Parks” to get the necessary information: 0300 061 2000). Now let’s move again because I want to take you to see the Bottle Kiln in Notting Hill, the most western area of today journey to discover London.
It’s an old oven which was used to cook bricks and it has a shape of the bottle. It’s located in Walmer Road, just in front of Avondale Park and you will immediately notice it thanks to its particular shape and thanks also to a plaque that identifies the old function. I was surprised, when I arrived there, from the fact that it’s perfectly integrated among the buildings and it isn’t right in the center of the street “like a punch in one eye”.
The nearest metro stations are Holland Park (Central line. Today the stop is closed for renovation) or Latimer Road (circle line and Hammersmith & City line) .
At the end of this tour I’m taking you to observe London from Primrose Hill, located “just in front” the London Zoo. With its 78 meters high it isn’t one of the highest hills in London, but it is a good start to observe the city from an elevated point. I came here for the first time five years ago thanks to a friend who took me there and were at least two that I wanted to came back here again! It is a place very populated by British and tourists, families and sportsmen (and sportswomen, of course) and It offers a little rest from London chaos. I suggest you make a stop here and, if you come from Camden Town, to have a walk along the Regents Canal (Camden is 10 minute walk).
Talking about Camden town, just few days ago I answered a question for an interview for the site “Vivi Londra”: it’s a single question interview for a post in which they interviewed different bloggers and I was asked to talk about my experience with the waterbus along the Regent Canal. I leave the direct link to the article: A day in London with the advice of the Italian travel blogger. [that article is in Italian]
A walk of 2 to 3 hours (depending on the walking speed that you and without considering the stops in the two libraries) should be enough to see all the places of which I have spoken today. If you want to use the subway, I have marked you the nearest metro stations for each place)