Alton (Hampshire)

Not having visited Alton for a number of years I was pleased to see when I visited on Market day that the town was busy and looked to be fairing well, with only a few empty shops. Thirty years ago a work colleague who lived in Alton called it a “One horse town where the horse had died” he also said it was the only place he knew where the cafes shut for lunch!

There was the aroma of brewing wafting over the town from the Coors Brewery (once owned by Courage) with the brewery chimney viewed from a number of town centre locations, pity that the original buildings have gone. Since my last visit a number of good local shops in the High Street have been lost, especially missed is the large ironmongers and hardware shop (Kingdoms I think) but generally the High Street is good for shopping.

There are some interesting buildings in Alton, mainly redbrick, some Georgian and one or two good Victorian buildings, especially the Assembly Rooms and Museum group. The Curtis Museum has exhibits on local matters and across the road is the Allen Gallery with an outstanding collection of ceramics and pottery, much more than one would expect to find in a local gallery – too much to take in on one visit.

Alton is at one end of The Watercress Line and nearby the station is a new Waitrose supermarket showing that the town has now ‘made the grade’.  A return visit with the camera I think will be worthwhile to get some considered shots when the town is not so busy.

© Michael Sleigh 2013

Charing Cross to Parliament Square

A bright morning and a walk starting from The Eleanor Memorial Cross (1863) by E M Barry with sculpture by Thomas Earp, interesting sculpture on the memorial if one stops and looks at it in detail.

Down Whitehall passing the Old Admiralty Building with a front screen and ‘Seahorses’ (1761) by Robert Adam to Horse Guards (1750’s) and fighting off the tourists crossed over the road to take a longer view of the building, a good example of stylized Palladian architecture.

At least there is not a lot of traffic around on a Sunday morning which makes walking around and taking photos easier!

Behind 55 Whitehall is an extension of 1952 by the Ministry of Works which has a series of good allegorical sculptures along its facade by James Woodford (missed these last time I was in the area)

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Wandered along taking in the sights to Parliament Square, then a change in direction to catch a new ‘Boris Bus’. I was keen to see what they were like but I’m not sure about them and don’t expect that they are going to last over 50 years or have the same respect as the original Routemasters.


M.C.Sleigh. 2013

Charing Cross to Hyde Park Corner

In London to check out a new PhotoWalk route from Charing Cross to Hyde Park Corner via Horse Guards and Buckingham Palace. Starting at the Eleanor Memorial cross (1863), then down Whitehall passing the Old Admiralty Building (1726) to Horse Guards (1748) by William Kent.

Through into Horse Guards Parade and on the left a statue to Field Marshal Earl Roberts – Frederick Sleigh Roberts, then the very strange Cadiz Memorial (1814) with a mortar mounted on a dramatic Chinese dragon with a two headed dog.

Walking across towards The Mall the Citadel comes into view (can’t miss it) built as a bunker - fortress and air raid shelter in 1939, with pebble and flit aggregate block facing, the English Heritage listing calls it a “Massive Cubist fortress”.

Then up The Mall, looking at The Duke of York's column and round the outside of St James’s Palace coming out at the front of Buckingham Palace and having to fight the crowds of tourists watching the changing of the guard. Could not get near to the Victoria Memorial (1911) by Sir Aston Webb but instead looked at the impressive ‘Canadian’ gates with gilded crests.

Nothing much to see along Constitution Hill until the Wellington Arch comes into view. 1829 by Decimus Burton topped with the Quadriga sculpture of 1912 by Adrian Jones. The orientation of the arch was altered in 1883 with the original massive statue of the Duke of Wellington on horseback being moved to Aldershot. It’s worth going into the arch for the views that can be had from the top and English Heritage exhibitions held in the Quadriga Gallery.

Delving into one of the subways put in by the London County Council I came out by the Hyde Park Screen (1829) by Burton, originally the entrance to Hyde Park. Finally Apsley House (1778) by Robert Adam, remodelled and enlarged by Wyatt in 1830. Known as ‘No1 London’ the house of The Duke of Wellington, is worth a look inside – good interiors and fantastic silverware and ceramics.

Altogether an interesting day even if it was dull, windy and a bit wet, with no good photos taken but the basis for another PhotoWalk in The City of Westminster.

City to City

The City of London to The City of Westminster ‘PhotoWalk’

A depressingly dull and windy day last Sunday for the walk starting at Blackfriars Station, not good for taking photos so concentrated on looking at details and aspects of buildings on the itinerary. It’s surprising what can be missed or passed by if you don’t stop and look properly!

Found new things to include on future walks and discovered enough animal carvings and mythical beasts plus heads and figures on buildings to make an interesting future photo project.

I see that Bush House in Aldwich, built 1935 (ex BBC) is currently undergoing refurbishment, it has some good stonework and unusual column capitals and carvings. Looked into St Mary Le Strand, 1717 by James Gibbs and arrived just after their service had finished so ended up talking to their clergy, it sounded as if they had not had many people turning up.

Then across to Somerset House and a visit to the exhibition on Nicholas Hawksmoor http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/visual-arts/nicholas-hawksmoor-methodical-imaginings                    

Hawksmoor is one of my favourite architects and this exhibition has some good photos of his churches but I was particularly impressed by the ‘Digitally conceived and fabricated resin models’ of his towers.

Hawksmoor’s St Mary Woolnoth, 1727 is one of the most interesting churches in the city, in the way it fits its site and is an ‘exceptionally original design’.

Finally a quick look at the old Whitehall Police Station a 1930’s stone faced building on Victoria Embankment which is to become the new home of Scotland Yard. 

Michael Sleigh 2013 www.polypodphoto.co.uk

Queenborough

Round the corner from Sheerness is situated the much older town of Queenborough. Named after Queen Philippa wife of Edward 111 who built a castle there (demolished in 1650), with a ‘decayed’ harbour, the town never flourished and was at its height of prosperity in the reign of Elizabeth 1. Pevsner in 1969 says ‘even today ... looks a little forlorn’ I knew Queenborough in the 1960’s and its got no better - probably worse!

There are a number of old buildings, including Holy Trinity church, not outstanding but with a large churchyard monument in Baroque form to the Greet family, 1829 by A T Hadlow. 

Like Blue Town the town needs funding to improve the streetscape. There is still the remains of industry around the area but the pervading smell of the glueworks has now thankfully blown over.

© M.C.Sleigh 2013

Sheerness

The Isle of Sheppey can be a strange place and Sheerness is a bit of a backwater – you don’t pass through Sheerness as it’s in a corner so you have to have a good reason to go there. I know it from childhood visits to the seaside and have occasionally returned to see what’s happened (not much).

There are a few architecturally interesting buildings in the town which date from when it had a Royal Naval Dockyard (closed in 1960). The best building probably being the Dockyard Church, 1828 rebuilt 1884 and listed Grade 11*, now in a very poor state after being gutted by fire and left for years but hopefully restoration is in sight.

By the dockyard walls lies Bluetown, once a lively place ‘servicing’ the dockyard workers needs but now run down with a few listed buildings, certainly not improved much on when I was last there, but has some potential if funding was available.

In Sheerness there is an intriguing structure, the massive base of Sheerness Water Tower, built 1840/50, the waterworks is long gone but this brick structure remains and various suggestions have been made for its reuse but nothing has happened – strangely it was delisted as Grade 11 by the DoE in 1988 (don’t know why?).

© M.C.Sleigh 2013

Church Stained Glass Course

The date has now been set for the course Church Stained Glass 1820 - 1920 to be held at the Guildford Institute - Tuesday 17th September, 10am - 2pm.

Full details to follow, the course will include a visit to a church in Guildford to look at examples of stained glass windows.

Booking will be with the Guildford Institute once their Autumn program is published.