Sights of London

Our seventh walk captures London’s glitz, the flashing lights of Piccadilly and sparkling jewels of Mayfair, starting at the Ritz Hotel next to Green Park underground. From Victoria take a 38 bus or tube or walk up Buckingham Palace Road, cross the Mall with the Palace behind you and walk up Green Park on the path to the right by the fence. We cross Piccadilly from the Ritz walking up Berkeley Street to the heart of Mayfair. The tour takes in Faraday’s Museum at the Royal Institution, Burlington Arcade and the Royal Academy on the way to Piccadilly Circus, the World Time Today Clock and St James’ Church returning along Piccadilly to Green Park and Victoria Station. Mayfair From the Ritz Hotel cross Piccadilly and walk up the right hand pavement at Berkeley Street to the extraordinary Turtle fountain at Park Chinois and take the next left down Lansdowne Row to Curzon Street. Proceed to Shepherd Market where the original ‘May Fair’ was held which retains a village like atmos...

From Victoria station take an 11 or 24 bus to Trafalgar Square and walk a short distance to the centre of London where our sixth tour begins. Road distances to London are measured from a plaque on the ground by the statue of King Charles I at the junction of the Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, under the shadow of Nelson’s column. On that spot stood the original Eleanor’s Cross which starts this tour. We proceed from there via St Martin-in-the-fields to the statue of Edith Cavell, the National Portrait Gallery and, round the corner, the National Gallery. Descending from there onto Trafalgar Square we view the imperial measures. The tour ends at London’s ‘greatest sight’ in many reckonings, Nelson’s column. Eleanor Cross Charing Cross might derive from the French ‘chère reine’,‘dear Queen’ Eleanor’s memorial, the most southerly of 12 erected by her loving husband King Edward I to mark the nightly resting places of her body as it returned from Lincoln where she died i...

Victoria station is major portal to the sights of London so many of which are free, at least to look at, like London Eye. Our fourth tour takes us to Portcullis House, opposite Big Ben, accessed by walking or taking a bus down Victoria Street to Westminster underground station beneath it. Accommodating MPs this building is named after the chained portcullis on Parliament letterheads. It’s prominent chimneys draw air through the building by natural convection. You can visit Portcullis House to attend public committees after a security check. The walk views Big Ben and the statue of Boadicea crossing Westminster Bridge to London Eye returning across a Golden Jubilee Bridge to view Joseph Bazalgette’s memorial, one of the famous Lion’s heads,  William Tyndale’s statue and  the RAF memorial returning from there to Victoria station. Big Ben From Westminster underground station under Portcullis House you can’t miss the UK’s most popular sight, Pugin’s 315 foot clock tow...

Our fourth tour is of a favourite venue for tourists and demonstrators. Parliament Square adjoins the main seat of government, the Royal Palace of Westminster with its Houses of Lords and Commons opposite Westminster Abbey where monarchs are crowned. Take a 15 min walk from Victoria Station, or take a bus, along Victoria Street to the Abbey forecourt just off the Square. From Westminster Abbey we cross to the green to inspect the statues of Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi and, behind them, the Supreme Court. Proceeding past the statue of Winston Churchill across to Parliament we return to the Abbey via St Margaret’s Church.    Westminster Abbey With both spiritual and cultural significance the Abbey has the tomb of Saint Edward besides 3,300 ‘lesser’ mortals and is a place of national pilgrimage. Site of the anointing and crowning of British monarchs and of many state occasions Westminster Abbey traces back to Edward its saintly founder who began its building in 10...

Our third tour starts with a 15 min walk from Victoria Station, or by bus, along Victoria Street to the forecourt of Westminster Abbey. From there we head for the Thames via Dean’s Yard with its Abbey association passing Westminster School and Church House to exit the passage left onto Great College Street. Crossing Millbank by Parliament into Victoria Tower Gardens we view Rodin’s Burghers of Calais and proceed along the Thames to the other side of Lambeth Bridge descending the stairs as appropriate to the foreshore. The walk continue across the bridge to Lambeth Palace, Archbishop’s Park and the historic St Thomas’s Hospital crossing Westminster Bridge to return to the Abbey and back to Victoria. Dean’s Yard By courtesy of the Dean of Westminster members of the public are allowed access to the gated quadrangle of Dean’s Yard during daylight hours. Pass through the archway from the Abbey forecourt (Great Sanctuary) into the Yard, precincts of the former monastery. It ...

Passengers arriving at Victoria by train cross the River Thames. In this second walk to Royal Hospital, Chelsea we visit that river crossing turning left out of the station and left again down Buckingham Palace Road passing Victoria Coach Station. The walk heads down Pimlico Road to the Mozart memorial on Orange Square then via Bourne Street to King’s Road and the Saatchi Gallery. After visiting the free Gallery we exit left and turn immediately down Cheltenham Terrace which ends at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea. Exiting the Hospital we turn right and right again down Chelsea Bridge Road viewing Battersea Power Station near the Thames railway crossing. We return initially along the river via Tate Britain Gallery then back north via Westminster Cathedral and Little Ben clock tower outside the renovated Victoria Station. Mozart Memorial Turn left out of Victoria station, left again down Buckingham Palace Road passing Victoria Coach Station and head down Pimlico Road to the Moza...

2018 sees a new look at London Victoria now the arch is open again after years of renovation. 85 million passengers use the station each year including many from overseas heading to London’s star sights via bus and underground. You’re invited to join me this week in a 2.5 mile circular walk taking in sight of Buckingham Palace, Victoria monument, The Mall, Blue Bridge in St James’s Park, The Guards’ Chapel, St Ermin’s Hotel and the Suffragette monument coming back to the station along Victoria Street. Buckingham Palace Take a left turn from the front of Victoria station walking through the bus station onto Buckingham Palace Road and turn right continuing north for half a mile to the pedestrianised area in front of the Palace. At 11am four times a week in winter and every day in summer the Queen’s Guard changes in a fine ceremony but the colourful guard’s are there all the time. There’s a lot to take in. If the Union Jack flag flies above the Palace the Queen’s out. If the orn...