Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Old London: three walks

I have just replied to an enquirer, and think others may like to see my note. She was saving money: of course there are a dozen walks a day with guides, at about five pounds, lasting two hours, or so. ------------------------------------------- The City is old, has beautiful (and ugly) parts, and is just over the river from you. So I think that at your arrival airport, or in the bookstall in a station, you would not waste money if you were to buy the AZ Visitors' London atlas and guide at three pounds, a very small book (no weight), spiral bound, that gives clear and detailed maps oif the City and West End. Then you could try a few walks, off the bus routes. -------------------------------------------- One idea is the Monument, Fish Street Hill, Eastcheap, Philpot Lane, Lime Street (with a visit to Leadenhall Market, where there are good pubs for lunch, and to the new Lloyds Building), St Mary Axe (with a visit to St Helen's Church Bishopsgate, a church not burnt down in the Fire), into Liverpool Street station to admire the roof, a drink in Dirty Dicks, up to Spital Steet, into Old Spitalfields Market, , across to Christ Church Spitalfields, and so along Hanbury Street to Brick Lane. ------------------------------------------ Another walk is this. London Bridge, Cannon Street, the Temple of Mithras, the tourist information kiosk south oif St Paul's, Carter Lane (cheap lunches and suppers at the Youth Hostel), drop into one or two of the yards south of Carter Lane, back to Carter Lane, Apothecaries' Hall, Blackfriars Lane, the pub called The Black Friar (to see its decor), up to Blackfriars Station to see the destination list from a century ago, under the road to New Bridge Street, left just before Ludgate Circus to St Bride's Lane and St Bride's Church, back to Tudor Street, into the Inner Temple, see the church of the Knights Templars, continue westwards, ask any passing lawyer the way to the Devereaux Pub (good lunches upstairs), up to the Strand, visit the Royal Air Force church of St Clement Danes and ask to see the monument to Polish airmen, along the Strand westwards, at Surrey Street drop fifty yards and look for the gate towards the Roman Bath, see that, back to the Strand, see the Courtauld Gallery (entry is free on Mondays from ten to two), cross Lancaster Place, see the Chapel of the Savoy, walk boldly into the entrance of the Savoy Hotel, find your way to the other entrance on the riverside, leave that way, on Savoy Place turn westwards, enter Embankment Gardens when you can, at the western end of those ask for Gordon's wine bar on Villiers Street, have a glass of something, go through the tube station to see the view of the South Bank theatres and galleries, walk up crowded Villiers Street, cross the Strand, and see the new monument to Oscar Wilde. See St Martin in the Fields church (but don't hear evening music there as it's poor stuff, whereas their lunch time recitals are ok), find the big Post Office, goto the little entrance opposite the National Portrait Gallery, and buy nicer stamps than they sell in normal post offices. ------------------------------------------ Now a third. Over the bridge, up King William Street, see the free museum of the Bank of England, into Gresham Street, see the Guildhsall and St Lawrence Jewry, see St Anne and St Agnes (if it's open).. You are very near the Museum of London, if you want that, but it takes half a day to see properly. You're also five minutes from the Barbican, with free jazz and recitals about six some days, and the Guildhall Schoool of Music and Drama, with free music concerts and recitals: you can get detail by phone. Now through Little Britain to the Hospital of St Bartholomew, where the Great Hall is interesting, and the church of St Barthomolew the Less. After which you go north to the twelfth century church of St Barthomolew the Great, then see the meat market at Smithfield, and visit the museum of the Order of St John of Jerusalem in St John's Gate. So fifty yards north to Clerkenwell Road (a dull stretch), along to Hatton Gardens, and see the jewelry quarter. Back westward along boring Clerkenwell Road and Theobald's Road, and at the police station turn north up Lambs Conduit Street. Nothing special, but plum full of cheap places to eat (except on Sundays). You can look at Coram's Fields, the garden and small zoo at the north end of Lamb's Conduit Steet, but may go in only if accompanied by a child: these were the rules that Captain Coram (friend of Handel and friend of children) set down in the eighteenth century. You're now five minutes from Russell Square, and fifteen from Blomsbury, but you've walked far enough. ------------------------------------------- Please write again if I can help further. ----------------------------------------- Ben Haines