City of London ‘PhotoWalk’ 2

Outline itinerary for Saturday 15^th September 2012

Final details subject to weather and group size and may change en-route (max. 3 hours)

11am. PhotoWalk starts at the base of The Monument.

Walk onto London Bridge and look at Adelaide House 1924-5 with an Egyptian inclination by Sir John Burnet Tait & Partners and on one side of road with Fishmongers Hall on the other side, 1831-4 by Henry Roberts in Greek Revival style, best seen from the centre of the bridge.

Down to Lower Thames Street and St Magnus the Martyr church 1671-84 by Wren. Then along Monument Street and up Lovat Lane passing the rear of St Mary at Hill church 1670-74 by Wren and Robert Hooke.

Turn right into Eastcheap with 23/25 Eastcheap a corner building in polychrome brick, 1861-2 by John Young & Son and 33/35 Eastcheap, an outstanding Gothic building in red and black brick, 1868 byR L Roumieu.

Turn left into Rood Lane seeing the fine C19 timber shop front and St Margaret Pattens church 1684-89 by Wren, overshadowed by the new construction of the “Walkie-Talkie” office block. Ahead an interesting front at 151/52 Fenchurch Street.

Turn left and proceed to Gracechurch Street and on the corner a former bank building 1868 in opulent Italianate style by Francis, observe the carvings. Along to St Edmund church 1670-79 by Wren, oppositet 24-28 Lombard Street a former bank (?) 1910 by Gunton & Gunton (?) in modified classical style, Portland stone with life-sized group of figures in bronze over entrance.

More bank buildings including the extensive former headquarters building of Lloyds Bank, 1927-30 by Sir John Burnet, Tait & Lorne; Campbell-Jones, Sons & Smithers. Porland stone with many good details.

St Mary Woolnoth church 1716-27 and ‘exceptionally original design’ by Nicholas Hawksmoor, underneath the church is Bank Station.

Now a clutch of big bank buildings, starting with The Bank of England, largely rebuilt 1921-37 by Sir Herbert Baker within altered late C18 early C19 screen wall by Sir John Soane. Note the massive stone statues on the facade by Sir Charles Wheeler.

On the corner opposite the former National Westminster Bank building by Sir Edwin Cooper and next door the former Midland Bank building of 1924 by Sir Edwin Lutyens in simplified classical style with carved figures of boys at either end by Sir W Reid Dick.

2pm. Walk finishes outside The Mansion House, 1739 – 53 by Dance the Elder.

The Olympic Park

A windy day with heavy showers did not dampen my enjoyment of last weeks visit to the Olympic Park in Stratford. I was really impressed by the structures, bridges, landscaping and planting.

There’s an amazing amount of underlying infrastructure that has been put in – new roads and bridges especially as the site is intersected by a number of waterways. Having the water has made the site much more interesting, together with the extensive landscaping and tree planting.

The meadow and prairie planting schemes were looking good with plenty of flowers used in a natural display, I thought that the prairie beds worked particularly well. The general landscaping and site layout brought back memories of the two major garden festivals that I visited, Gateshead and Ebbw Vale.

Most of the major venue buildings on site are outstanding in themselves and all very different to each other, but apart from these other structures are interesting including the largest McDonalds in the world. A temporary structure constructed mainly in timber designed to be deconstructed and recycled after the event.

   

The Olympics has left a great legacy in its buildings and the park and that’s apart from what it’s done for sport. It’s disappointing that more people have not had the chance of visiting the Olympic Park before its closed.