London Buildings Cont.

SCULPTURE ON LONDON’S BUILDINGS

A good day in London looking at some interesting buildings with great sculpture and a lovely sunny day to add dimension to the photographs taken – a selection will be put on FotoLIBRA in due course.

Starting in Trafalgar Square with SOUTH AFRICA HOUSE  1931-33 by Sir Herbert Baker and Alexandra Thomson Scott, a large Portland Stone faced building set on one side of Trafalgar Square . Decorative carvings in Portland Stone by Joseph Armitage to designs by Sir Charles Wheeler, also by Wheeler a gilded Springbok leaping from the wall, high up a coat of arms by Armstrong. Listed Grade 11*

A short walk along the Strand, past Charing Cross and the next building ZIMBABWE HOUSE formally Rhodesia House, 1906-08 by Charles Holden. In neo-mannerist style with grey Cornish and Portland Stone cladding and niches containing mutilated figures by Jacob Epstein. Listed Grade 11*

Through Covent Garden (an area I know well from having worked there at The Lady magazine in Bedford Street) to Freemasons’ Hall, a monumental structure built 1927-32, by Architects H V Ashley and F Winton Newman. Loads of Portland Stone and with imposing entrance columns and bronze doors. Listed Grade 11*

Then onto the city of London ...

CHARING CROSS cont.

On my third look around the area of the cross I actually found two cast metal information panels set into the front pillars of the station forecourt. I had passed by them many times whilst walking along the Strand but had not noticed the panels which give some information on Charing Cross  - but there is no detailed interpretation close by the cross which would be helpful.

THE CHARING CROSS

THE CHARING CROSS (London)

Usually passed by without a second look by commuters rushing in and out of Charing Cross Station, the present Eleanor Cross is a replacement for the original cross pulled down by order of parliament in 1647.

Queen Eleanor was the wife of Edward 1st and the cross is one of many erected at points on the journey where her body was rested on its way from Lincoln to Westminster for burial. The mediaeval cross was situated at the top of Whitehall but the South Eastern Railway commissioned the replacement cross to be built on the forecourt of its new station in The Strand.

 Designed by E M Barry dates from 1863-5, is a prime example of 19C Victorian Gothic and has been listed Grade 11*. The Eleanor Cross stands 70ft high and was constructed by Thomas Earp of Lambeth from Portland stone, Mansfield stone and Aberdeen granite.

Recently cleaned and restored it lacks any information/interpretation on site, I raised this with English Heritage but they advised me that it was up to Network Rail to provide this as it was on their property – I intend to take this up with N R to see what they say.

Next time you are on the Strand take a closer look at the cross, but watch out for the taxis which use it as a roundabout!

SOUTHWARK CATHEDRAL

In preparation for the Photography Course to be held at the Cathedral on 15^th October there follows a short description of the key points of note.

The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie. Created a Cathedral in 1905.

A church first erected in 1106. Much altered and restored over the years. The oldest part of the present building is the Retro-choir and Choir built in 1207. The Transepts remodelled 15C, the Tower dates from the late 14C - 15C.

Restoration began 1818 – 23 with the Choir and the Tower by George Gwilt the younger . The Transepts much altered in 1830 by Robert Wallace. Retro-choir restored in 1833 by Gwilt. Tower pinnacles by Gwilt. 

The Nave was pulled down in 1838 and replaced in 1839-40 by Henry Rose then swept away in 1890 – 97 and completely rebuilt by A W Blomfield.

The Havard Chapel 12C but largely by Blomfield. Contains a Tabernacle by A W N Pugin, shown at the 1851 exhibition, it went to St Augustine Ramsgate and then given to the Cathedral in 1971.

South Transept vaults and South window by Blomfield. 20C Retro-choir Altars and Screens by Ninian Comper. The 1520 stone Altar Screen much restored with 1833 canopies, friezes and demi-angels restored by Wallace, the statues by Nicholls date from 1905, guilded and repainted by Comper in 1950. Behind the screen East window The Glory of God also by Comper.

Organ case by Bloomfield. Creation window by Henry Holiday 1893, N. Aisle windows 100-0 by Kempe. Martyrs window by Ward & Hughes, 1890.  Shakespeare window by C Webb, 1954. Shakespeare Memorial by Henry W McCarthy, 1911. Edmond Shakespeare buried in church 1607.

Austin Memorial in N. Transept by Nicholas Stone, features the Angel of the Restoration pointing to the Sun of Righteousness, supported by Rock of Christ from which issues a stream and a serpent.

Course information can be found on my photo blog: http://polypodphoto.blogspot.com/

Brighton & Banks

A day trip to Regency on Sea to visit the Museums Association event at the Brighton Centre. Picked up some useful information in the exhibition.

Brighton appears to have more than its fair share of ‘strange’ people and some interesting shops and of course The Pavilion and Brighton Museum, which has an excellent display of ceramics and glass.

Pleased to see that Wetherspoons have ‘saved’ another fine building now THE POST & TELEGRAPH in North Street. It’s great to see interesting buildings being put to good use once they have been discarded by the companies and banks that had originally erected them at considerable expense.

Banks certainly put money into architecture to show their importance and standing in the Victorian and Edwardian periods, now bank branches just look like shops in the High Street. In many towns the best buildings in the High Street were the banks, they took pride in their branches which helped to convey the right image to their customers.

Many of the best bank buildings which survived have now become pubs, bars and restaurants. Wetherspoons have some good examples and I particularly like THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR in London’s Chancery Lane, the former Union Bank, with a very grand interior – well worth a pint or two!