Aldgate – the City’s oldest gate

Aldgate – the City’s oldest gate

Gateway to the first capital city of England, Colchester, the ‘old gate’ has seen more than its fair share of British history. It’s the route taken by the Barons (laying seize to the Tower before Magna Carta was agreed in 1215), home to Geoffrey Chaucer for ten years from 1374 and the gate through which [...]

The Big City at Guildhall Art Gallery

The Big City at Guildhall Art Gallery

Running until 30 July, ‘The Big City’ is a special exhibition exploring three themes of life in the City through large artworks. Grand Occasions portrays the City’s celebrations, Colossal Landscapes exhibits super-wide views of the City and Larger than Life focuses on everyday scenes of London. The exhibition celebrates the artists, past and present, who [...]

St. Katharine Docks

St. Katharine Docks

St Katharine Docks were opened in 1828 to provide capacity for Britain’s largest import (and second largest export after wool); tea. Arriving in tea chests from China and India it was a roaring trade, accounting for around 400,000 tea chests per year. For 140 years, these docks were central to satiating the appetite for the [...]

Hidden alleyways in the City of London

Hidden alleyways in the City of London

In the heart of the City of London (the historic ‘square mile’) is a labyrinth of hidden alleyways connecting coffee houses, wine lodges, restaurants and churches.    If you’re visiting London, it’s a must-see. This short guide will direct you through the area.    You might lose your bearings, but it’s compact and completely safe. [...]

Sir (Saint) Thomas More in Chelsea

Sir (Saint) Thomas More in Chelsea

The former London home of Sir Thomas More, stands on Chelsea Embankment adjacent to Chelsea Old Church (More’s home is the central grey stone building in the featured picture). Originally situated in Bishopsgate it was moved here in 1910 since Chelsea was the location of More’s Beaufort House and estate (only recalled now by local [...]

The great twelve livery companies

The great twelve livery companies

Livery companies were a powerful force in the medieval City of London. Starting as religious fraternities, they evolved to control the prices, wages and quality of the City's trades, and collectively aspects of local government. Today, there are 110 livery companies operating as charities - supporting education, research and welfare in their sectors throughout the [...]

Trade and the British Empire

Trade and the British Empire

The foundations of empire At the dawn of World War I, Britain ruled over a quarter of the world’s land mass, comprising over four hundred million subjects belonging to an empire with, broadly, four types of British rule. Firstly, the five settler colonies or ‘Dominions’ of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Newfoundland. These [...]

London as you’ve never seen it

London as you’ve never seen it

Ever wondered what London would look like without people?   Take a look at these shoots taken last Saturday and Sunday on my permitted daily exercise.  Astonishing to see it and hear it, but hoping for a return to normality.   Thank you front line workers.  

St Paul’s Cathedral

St Paul’s Cathedral

More than three hundred years after its completion, St Paul's Cathedral dominates the skyline on Ludgate Hill in the City of London.  Seat of the Bishop of London and the mother church of the British Commonwealth, it is the second largest domed church in the world (after St Peter's in Rome). The work of Sir [...]