Highgate Cemetery had been on my list of places to visit for a long time and I finally managed to do so on a surprisingly warm and sunny weekend in January. The cemetery is split into two sites across the road from each other – Highgate Cemetery East will feature in my next post. The West Cemetery is accessed by guided tour only and costs £12 (which includes access to the East Cemetery which is self-guided). You can’t book in advance on a weekend but you must do so during the week – I had no problem getting on to a tour on the Sunday at 11am (tours start at 10.30).
Posts Tagged With: history
Highgate Cemetery – West
Categories: England, London
Tags: architecture, cemetery, graves, gravestones, guided tour, history, Julius Beer, mausoleum, photo post, Radclyffe Hall
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The Royal Academy of Arts, London
The Royal Academy of Arts is based in Burlington House, a 17th century mansion. Construction began in 1664; the plot of land had been given to Sir John Denham, Charles II’s Surveyor of the Office of Works, as thanks for his loyalty to the King. Renovations to the exterior and interior took place over the years with the third Earl of Burlington in particular inspired by Italian architecture.
Categories: England, London
Tags: architecture, art, art gallery, free, gallery, history, photo post, Royal Academy of Arts
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Custom House, London
I hadn’t planned on visiting Custom House for Open House London but as I’d been wandering taking photos nearby anyway I thought I’d pop in to see what it was all about. It doesn’t look like a very impressive building from this side – it’s the southern part of the building that looks out to the river and therefore the approaching ships which is more ornate.
Categories: England, London
Tags: British history, custom house, history, Open House London, self-guided tour
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Leadenhall Market
Leadenhall Market had been on my list for a while – I’ve taken a few photos there before but midweek it tends to be packed so the weekend of Open House London was the perfect opportunity to visit. In fact one of my favourite things to do is wander around the City of London at the weekend when it’s practically deserted.
Categories: England, London
Tags: architecture, Dick Whittington, history, Horace Jones, Leadenhall Market, london history, market, photo post
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St Helen’s Bishopsgate
After visiting St Andrew Undershaft I moved on to the nearby St Helen’s Bishopsgate. There was already a tour in progress when I arrived and as I’d already diverted from my original plan by some hours I decided to just wander around on my own taking photos.
Categories: England, London
Tags: church, history, Open House London, organ, photo post, stained glass, stained glass window
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St Andrew Undershaft, London
St Andrew Undershaft was one of many churches I visited during Open House London. I only spotted it as I was heading towards Leadenhall Market (to feature in a later post) thanks to the sign they’d put out on the pavement – the church is tucked away among many of the City’s skyscrapers.
Categories: England, London
Tags: architecture, church, history, john stow, Open House London, photo post, stained glass, stained glass window
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St Botolph without Aldgate Church, London
There’s been a church on this site since at least 1125, but the present church dates from 1744 and is by George Dance the Elder (he also built Mansion House, the official home of the Lord Mayor of London). The interior of the church, which really took my breath away, was remodelled by John Francis Bently (who also designed Westminster Cathedral).
Categories: England, London
Tags: architecture, church, Daniel Defoe, history, london, photo post, St Botolph without Aldgate
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Throwback Thursday: Aldgate Pump, London
Aldgate Pump is a water pump at the junction between Fenchurch Street and Leadenhall Street in London. It was moved there from its original location in 1876. It was famed for its clear sparkling water but in the 1870s it was discovered the water was being contaminated by organic matter from new cemeteries built along its route which resulted in the deaths of several hundred people in what was known as the Aldgate Pump Epidemic.
Categories: England, London
Tags: Aldgate Pump, history, london history, photo post, wolf
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Bevis Marks Synagogue
The Bevis Marks Synagogue, in the heart of the City of London, is a Grade I listed building which was opened in 1701 and is the only synagogue in Europe to have continuously held regular services for over 300 years. I paid a visit as part of Open House London and as photos are not allowed inside so I only have a couple of photos of the exterior to share here.
Categories: England, London
Tags: Bevis Marks synagogue, history, Open House London, photo post, Synagogue
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The Supreme Court Building, London
I’ve written about the Supreme Court building in London before, particularly in regards to the beautiful sculptures outside, but Open House London gave me the opportunity to explore the interior. Designed by James S Gibson with Skipworth and Gordon it actually houses both The Supreme Court and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (the court of final appeal for the UK overseas territories and Crown dependencies).
Categories: England, London
Tags: architecture, court, court rooms, history, Open House London, photo post, stained glass, stained glass window, supreme court
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