Lulworth Crumple, Stair Hole, Lulworth Cove and then on to Durdle Door

Following our visit to Corfe Castle and lunch at the Scott Arms we headed off to Lulworth to see the cove and the crumple. Now this sort of thing is just so interesting. It's kind of like having a geology lesson that you can walk through. And it's not just me: more school children come to Lulworth on geography field trips than go to any other corner of the country.

So what's the Lulworth Crumple, you ask?

Well, here it is. This magnificent cliff face with the layers of rock all playing off at jaunty angles to the horizontal is the Lulworth Crumple.

Lulworth Crumple and Stair Hole

The rocks here are sedimentary, and, as you might expect, they once lay in nice, neat, horizontal layers made up of hard limestone alternating with soft mudstone.

The Crumple was produced when the tectonic plates carrying Europe and Africa crashed into one another about 65 million years ago. The force of the impact folded up parts of the land to form the Alps and the Pyrenees after a fashion that was not totally dissimilar to the way in which a car hood - or bonnet, as we like to call them in England - will bend in a head-on collision.

Shock waves spread out across the plates, like ripples in a pond, pushing up smaller hills like the chalk ridges in Purbeck. As the layers of rock at the Crumple were pushed against each other under the impact of those shock waves they bent so that some of the originally horizontal layers are now almost vertical, but the different types of rock performed differently under the huge pressures to which they were subjected. The hard limestone bent and cracked, but remained largely intact. Gravity caused the soft mudstone to slide between the harder layers of limestone to fill any spaces produced where it had bent. In this way the amazing folds that are the Lulworth Crumple were formed.

Lulworth Crumple and Stair Hole

Stair Hole is the big hole in the spine of hard Portland limestone that faces out to sea. It's been formed by sea erosion of a weakness in the rock, which is slowly, slowly producing a circular sea cove behind it that will one day, in the distant future look like Lulworth Cove, just over the other side of the headland. In fact it will probably merge with Lulworth Cove as a result of continued coastal erosion.

Would you like to see the famous Lulworth Cove?

Here it is:

Lulworth Cove, Dorset

It's a perfect, almost fully circular, cove. It was formed where a river, swollen with melt water at the end of the ice age wore its way down through the hard, almost vertical rock strata of Portland limestone, directly in front of the sea. Behind this hard rock were bands of much softer rocks backed by a harder band of chalk (which you can see, rising up from the beach). As a result when the channel, which had been opened up by that old river, was exposed to the ebb and flow of the sea, the soft rocks between the limestone and the chalk were eroded much more rapidly than the hard rocks in front, or the chalk behind. Diffraction of the sea waves as they bunched together to pass through the narrow opening at the mouth of the cove and then spread out afterwards caused the circular erosion. If you look carefully at the photos you can just about see the circular wave forms resulting from this diffraction.

Lulworth Cove, Dorset

And you can still see the remains of that big old river that caused the whole thing to develop in the first place. These days it's more of a fast-flowing stream, but it runs down past the beach café where they sell teas and ice cream to the tourists.

The entrance to Lulworth Cove, Dorset

And then we drove off round the coast a little further to see the wonders that are Durdle Door and the Man O'War Rocks, which are to be found in the cove to the east of Durdle Door.

You can see the Man O'War Rocks in the photo below. A very, very long time ago the cove here looked a lot like Lulworth Cove, but sea erosion eventually wore away the spine of hard limestone that faced out to sea, and the Man O'War Rocks are all that remains of that old limestone spine. Look carefully ... you can still see the large hole in the centre, through which the sea entered and which caused the wave diffraction that produced the circular cove. And if you look even more carefully you can see how the waves are still diffracting through that opening to come out rounded. There's a bit of interference with waves coming through the other openings, but the diffraction is still pretty clear.

Man O'War Rocks, Dorset

Anyway, on over the headland is the famous Durdle Door, formed by sea erosion of a weakness in the limestone spine that faced out to sea.

Isn't it amazing?

When we were there a multitude of people were dressed in wet suits to swim through the arch. Others were climbing up the outer pillar and jumping into the sea. Can you see one of them, brave soul, in the photo below?

Emi thought that was the very coolest thing he'd seen anyone do in ages. And I prayed quietly that he'd forget about it, and not want to repeat the trick himself any time soon ... .

If you'd like to visit I'd advise you to wear strong shoes. You can easily walk down the steps to the Man O'War beach, but you have to climb down the cliff to get to the Durdle Door beach, and it's a bit of a scramble.

Access to Durdle Door Beach, Dorset

All the best,

Bonny x

And if you're down in this neck of the woods why not visit some other cool Dorset delights? There's:

Corfe Castle (just down the road)

The Scott Arms (great tucker and a view to die for)

Or, for something completely different, the Tank Museum, Bovington, which isn't very far away either.

Corfe Castle and the Scott Arms, Kingston, Dorset

Yesterday I wrote a post about the very lovely Corfe Castle on the Isle of Purbeck. If you haven't read it you can read it here: Corfe Castle and Lady Mary's Last Stand

If you happen to visit Corfe I have the perfect place to go afterwards for a spot of lunch: the Scott Arms in Kingston, up on the hill overlooking the castle.

The Scott Arms, Kingston, Dorset

I am a great fan of the traditional English pub, where the food is honest and wholesome, the menu is unpretentious, the staff are friendly, and dogs and children are not just tolerated, but are positively welcomed. It's a great institution that has, for centuries, been at the very heart of our national life. And the Scott Arms is a great pub in that great tradition.

One of the very best things about it is the view from the terraced garden out the back.

View from the Scott Arms, Kingston, Dorset

Isn't that a magnificent outlook to enjoy whilst you down a glass of cider?

And speaking of cider there aren't many food miles involved in getting a glass of the good stuff to this particular watering hole. It's made just down the road, and it's delicious.

Joe's cider is a winner. It's a still cider, made from local apples, and if you're on Purbeck you'd be crazy to drink anything else. I have a preference for dry rather than sweet cider, and the glass (or two) that I enjoyed were just perfect.

With our glasses charged we sat outside in the sunshine, enjoying Joe's wonderful brew and drinking in the view. The garden is fragrant with the blossoms of Rosa Rugosa, or Japanese Rose, which makes up a hedge around the lawn.

Playing on the connection with their namesake, Kingston, Jamaica, they've got a jerk shack in the back garden where they barbecue food for their guests.

We started off with a couple of platters from the Chesil Smokery, also in Dorset, which bills itself as the hottest little smokery in the West. The charcuterie and fish were delicious. Coming from Ulster where we have a strong tradition of smoking our food, I adore smoked meats and fish, and I have to say that these selections were exquisite. If you'd like to find out more about the smokery, you can check out its website here: Chesil Smokery.

Our party were still pretty ravenous after our morning romping around down at the castle so we ordered their wonderful succulent beef burgers and chips. Verdict: fabulous.

Our friends insisted that we try the local Purbeck Ice cream. In particular they recommended the caramel and sea salt flavour. Once again it's made a few doors down from the pub, and once again it's a wonderful, wonderful local product. The deep and profound silence that comes with food being consumed and greatly appreciated descended on the table as we all tucked in. Verdict: it's totally worth getting fat for!

And then we enjoyed our coffees and relaxed back into our chairs to admire the view some more. Let's face it you'd never get bored with that view!

If you'd like to check it out or make a reservation, the website for the Scott Arms is here: Scott Arms

The Scott Arms, Kingston, Dorset

And if you're up in Kingston, check out the lovely parish church of St. James. It's a bit of a beauty too. In fact, you can see its great square tower from the castle, which gives you a useful landmark to navigate towards if you're not sure how to get up the hill to Kingston.

All the best for now,


Bonny x

Corfe Castle and Lady Mary's last stand ... a day out on the Isle of Purbeck

We've just got back from the most amazing weekend away with some very dear friends down in dreamy Dorset. We had a day of just lazing on the beach, chatting, catching up on each other's news and checking out the action in Poole Harbour.

And then we went for a big day out on the very lovely Isle of Purbeck.

Now the first thing to mention is that it's not actually an island. It's really a peninsula. They just refer to it as an island because it's a bit isolated from everywhere else.

First stop was Corfe Castle. If someone asked me to nominate the ultimate romantic ruin, I'd be hard pressed to think of a better one than this. Have a look and see for yourself.

Corfe Castle, Dorset

I have to say that its history as well as its good looks are behind its nomination, but I'll come to the history in a moment.

This is how it looks from the church yard of St. Edward, the Martyr, in the village of Corfe.

Corfe Castle, Dorset

The National Trust, who run the castle these days, had set up camp - medieval style - at the bottom of the hill, which was a real hit with our little people (two 8 year-olds and one 10 year-old).

Corfe Castle, Dorset

There were martial arts demonstrations, displays of medieval food and lots of knowledgeable and enthusiastic volunteers explaining different aspects of medieval life. And there were plenty of things for the little people to have a go at themselves. Sword fight, anyone? No? Spot of archery, perhaps?

Emi and his chums were very enthusiastic about doing the children's castle questionnaire, and incredibly proud of the medals that they got for finishing it.

Now for a little bit about the history of the castle. It was built in the 11th century by William the Conqueror, and, like the Tower of London, was exceptional for its day in that it was built of stone whereas most English castles of that period were built from earth and wood.  In fact there may have been an earlier castle on the site. Postholes of a Saxon hall have been found, and some folk believe that this was where the Saxon King, Edward, the Martyr, was assassinated by his stepmother on 18th March, 978 so that her son, Æthelred the Unready, could claim the throne in his place. Today the church in Corfe village, at the foot of the hill on which the castle stands, is dedicated to King Edward, the Martyr. Legend has it that the church was built on the site of an old blind lady's cottage to which the king's body was taken after his murder.

The Church of St. Edward, the Martyr, Corfe Castle, Dorset

Corfe remained a royal castle until Queen Elizabeth I sold it to her chancellor, Sir Christoper Hatton, from whose London estate Hatton Garden in London takes its name.

In 1635 it was sold again, this time to Sir John Bankes, the Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and Attorney General.

Now I've said that the castle is the ultimate romantic ruin, and it's a ruin that comes with a damsel  (of sorts) in distress. Seven years after the Bankes family had moved in and got themselves settled in their nice new castle the English Civil War broke out. They were staunch supporters of the beleaguered King Charles I, and, as Corfe was a powerful citadel, a force of between 200 and 300 Parliamentarians laid siege to it in May 1643. Now as luck would have it old Sir John was off Cavaliering up in York when the Roundheads showed up, leaving the missus, Lady Mary Bankes, to defend the castle. Lady Mary, who was a force of nature, had by this stage brought 4 sons and 6 daughters into the world. The sons had been sent away for safety what with heirs and spares being more important in those days than mere daughters. But the formidable Lady Mary remained at Corfe with her little girls and a force of just five men.

The very formidable Lady Mary Bankes shown holding the keys to her castle

She saw the Roundheads off and then petitioned for reinforcements. The King sent a troop of 80 men to hold the castle, but the Roundheads returned in June with a force of 500 to 600 men and two siege engines. Mary and her own small party held the Upper Ward, leaving the 80 newcomers to look after the other parts of the fortification. By all accounts she and her five men were very effective, heaving rocks over the battlements and hurling hot embers down on the unfortunate besiegers. By the time the siege ended, a staggering 3 years' later, her group had knocked at least 100 of the Roundheads out of action, either killing them or injuring them so that they couldn't return to the fray.

Lady Mary carried on defending her castle until she was betrayed by Colonel Pitman, one of her officers, who let the Roundheads enter through the sally gate. The defenders had been expecting reinforcements so, when the invading Roundheads turned their jackets inside out, they weren't recognised as enemies until it was too late. The army outside launched an assault on the castle walls, and then the enemy within followed their lead so that the Royalists found themselves under attack from two sides. Lady Mary was forced to surrender, but her valiant defence won her the total admiration of her foes who allowed her and her retinue to leave unharmed and, in a powerful symbolic gesture of respect for Lady Mary they allowed her to take the keys of the castle with her when she left.

You can see the tower of the church of St. Edward, the Martyr through the castle window. It had been quickly taken over by the Parliamentarians in the early stages of the siege, and used by their gunners as a stronghold from which to bombard the castle. They ripped the lead off the roof to make lead shot. By the time the whole shooting match had ended they'd wrought over £50 of damage to the fabric of the building, which was a small fortune way back then.

After Lady Mary had gone the Parliamentarians heaved a huge sigh of relief, and then, in March 1646, the English Parliament voted to destroy the castle. Given that it was such a solid structure it was impossible to obliterate it completely, but they did their best. Barrels of gunpowder were brought in and they blew the place to bits.

It had been one of the few strongholds left in Royalist hands, but it would never again give sanctuary to the cause of King Charles I or his successors.

When the monarchy was restored in 1660 the Bankes family were able to recover their lands, but they felt that the damage to Corfe was just too extensive for it to be restored to its former glory, and they moved their family seat to a new house, which they built on land they owned at Kingston Lacy. And if you go there you will see Lady Mary's keys proudly displayed amongst the family treasures.

Corfe Castle, Dorset

The years passed, the restored monarchy tightened its grip on the country and the castle's ruins deteriorated more and more with every passing winter.

Corfe Castle, Dorset

And whilst no one was paying much attention to the old castle walls the locals, down in Corfe village, quietly got on with using them as a quarry, carrying away what they needed to build their homes in the shadow of its broken ramparts.

Corfe village,  Dorset

So, in a way, the old stones have survived both the siege and Cromwell's Commonwealth, to be regenerated in a way that I'm sure Lady Mary would approve of if she were around to see them.

If you drop by the village on your way up to the castle, take a look at the church of King Edward the Martyr and the Town Hall, which backs onto the churchyard and is reputedly the smallest in the country. It houses a museum on its downstairs floor, which must also rank amongst the smallest museums in the country.

All the best for now,

Bonny x

As shared on Our World Tuesday

And if you're feeling hungry after your visit to the Castle I've got the perfect place for lunch with a view back down the valley to where the ruins stand. Check it out here: the Scott Arms, Kingston

And if you find yourself in this part of Dorset, perhaps you'd like to check out the Tank Museum, just down the road. You can read my post about it here: Tank Museum, Bovington

Or if the Tower of London, another Norman citadel, is more your thing you can read about it here: The Tower of London.

St Paul's to Trafalgar Square: the best walk in London

How'd you like to go on the very best walk in London? Well here it is, the big daddy of all the London walks. This is the wander that I take all my overseas visitors on. For anyone who comes to stay with me this one is a must-do, obligatory excursion on which I come along and enthuse about the many and wonderful things that can be seen along the way. I will never be English, but you can safely bet your last dollar that I'll always be a Londoner.

This walk ticks a lot of the big-name boxes: St. Paul's Cathedral, the Millennium Bridge, the Globe Theatre, the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Downing Street, Whitehall, Horse-guards Parade, Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. It's a kaleidoscope of the very best that London has to offer.

Here's a quick map of where we go:

Key: A- St. Paul's Cathedral, B- Millennium Bridge, C-Tate Modern Art Gallery, D- Globe Theatre, E- Oxo Tower, F- London Beach, G- Gabriel's Wharf, H-Hayward Gallery, I-London Eye, J-Aquarium, K-London Dungeon, L- Westminster Bridge, M- Big Ben, N- Houses of Parliament/ Palace of Westminster, O- Westminster Abbey, P-Supreme Court, Q- Downing Street, R- Horse Guards Parade, S- Banqueting House, T-Nelson's Column, U-National Gallery

And where better to start than St. Paul's Cathedral? We usually grab a fortifying cappuccino and linger for a moment or two in St. Paul's Churchyard. It's a busy thoroughfare these days, but then I guess it's always been a tad on the busy side in this neck of the woods.  In the old days the area was packed full of the coffee houses from which the whole banking sector of today has grown, and I imagine there was a lot of hustle and bustle in the alleyways and byways around the old cathedral.

Yes, I should mention that this is our new cathedral. The original one was burnt down in the Great Fire of London way back in 1666, and what we have today is the replacement built by Sir Christopher Wren. It  rose like a phoenix from the ashes to become a symbol of the city's hopes and aspirations for a better, fire-proof future. London must have been an amazing place in the decades following the fire as the people set about re-building their city. Just imagine the noise and activity as everything was re-constructed. There must have been forests of scaffolding with draught horses pulling loads of building materials this way and that, as an army of masons and builders grew rich on the profits.

These days, however, I think the area immediately around the cathedral is way too built up. In my view Wren's masterpiece deserves to be appreciated from a distance. What we need (and hang the expense) is a huge piazza where we can stand back and admire the line and symmetry of this gem. I remember how wonderful it looked when they were working on Paternoster Square and knocked down the (very ugly) buildings that crowded around the cathedral. For a brief period one summer we had the most sublime views of the uninterrupted line of St. Paul's and it looked amazing.

As it happens the one place where you get a really good view back to the Cathedral is from the Millennium Bridge. If you want to take some great photos that's a really good spot to go snapping. I remember going for a trot across the newly constructed bridge just after it had been built and gripping the handrail in horror as it started to sway in the breeze. They closed it after that and fixed it so that it wouldn't wobble and scare away all the lovely tourists, but for some of us it will always be the Wobbly Bridge.

To get to the Millennium Bridge, just follow the signs down the wonderfully named Sermon Lane and cross two busy main roads (Victoria Street and Upper Thames Street) at the traffic lights. On your right as you cross Victoria Street, you'll see the College of Arms, where the really posh people go to register their coats of arms.

Be sure and pause once you get onto the Millennium Bridge to cast a glance back at St. Paul's.

Push on a bit further and cast a glance to your left, and you will have a first class view of Tower Bridge, a bridge or two over, in the distance. The very tall pyramid-like structure on the right is the Shard, our tallest building and the strange squashed Tetra Pac building is another office building under construction, which is affectionately known to city workers as the Walkie Talkie, and just behind it (out of frame) is the Cheese Grater. It's nice to see that the spirit of Shakespeare lives on in the creative names that they come up with in these parts!

Trot on a bit further and cast another glance to your left and you will see the reconstructed Globe Theatre. It's not the original joint in which ole Bill Shakespeare actually staged his plays. That bit the dust a very long time ago. No, this is a faithful reconstruction that was built more or less on the site of the original in the 1990s. Never mind the authenticity, it's a really cool building.

And if you want to go to listen to the works of the Bard you can pop in there for rather less than a king's ransom. They advertise 700 seats every performance for the princely sum of £5 each, which can't be bad to watch professional actors perform in the Great Man's home theatre. Just wrap up against the elements and bring a cushion.

As you reach the south bank of the Thames you will see the hulking grandeur of the Tate Modern in front of you. Once upon a time this was the Bankside Power Station, but these days it's one of my favourite museums in London. I love how huge, accessible and unpretentious it is. I also enjoy how it covers pretty much the entire canon of modern art. Anyone who's drawn, squiggled, splodged or splashed anything significant will have a canvas hanging in there. It's an education to spend a day strolling slowly around learning about their work. I have a feeling that the collection comprises the B-list paintings of the A-list artists. Maybe I'm wrong, but it doesn't really matter to me as I'm there to enjoy the breadth of what's on display. They've also got a great restaurant up on top with superb roof-top views across the city.

Now shall I show you a map of the terrain we've covered to date?  I'm a little bit in love with the newfangled wizardry of Scribble Maps at the moment. It's taken me a day or two (and many muttered expletives) to get my head round how it all hangs together, but I think I'm well on my way. Ok, here it is, my map of how to get across the river:

Key: A- St. Paul's Cathedral, B- College of Arms, C- Globe Theatre, D- Tate Modern

If you can resist the allure of the Tate Modern, swing a right and head on down the pedestrian pathway that hugs the river bank.

The Thames is a pretty busy thoroughfare. I'm always amazed by how many craft of all shapes and sizes are bobbing along on the waves.

The next stop on my itinerary is the Oxo Tower. There's a fabulous fancy restaurant at the top with fantastic views across the river and wonderful food. The Oxo Tower Wharf is a great mixture of interesting little shops, cafés and galleries.

London Beach is next, just beyond the two wooden jetties that jut out into the water. This may or not be a big splash depending on the time of the year you stroll by. Obviously in the summertime the weather is a bit more favourable for all things beach-related, and they have amazing sandcastle competitions and beach parties down there. The other day we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

Climb back up to the pathway and carry on. Next you'll come to Gabriel's Wharf, which is a good lunch stop. There are loads of little restaurants and bars huddled around the old wharf.

 Carry on a bit further and you will reach the National Theatre with the cloaked statue of Sir Laurence Olivier outside strutting the boards as Hamlet.

Now you've reached the South Bank Centre, which is one of my favourite bits of London. I'm not a huge fan of the sterile brutalist architecture, but I love, love, love how it's been colonised by the locals who have added colour and given it a flavour very much removed from the austere vision of the original architects. It's also a great space for the arts with the National Theatre and the Hayward Gallery. There are usually a number of free foyer exhibitions, and the whole thing has a brilliant creative vibe, which always energises me.

There are great places to eat if you fancy an impromptu snack and don't have a reservation.

And there's a ship load of street art to admire, especially around the skateboarders' park.

Most weekends this place is full of young men showing off their skills on skateboards and bikes. I don't know what they do for their day jobs, but they always amaze me with the stunts they can perform on two or four wheels. Emi, my eight year-old, would happily hang out down there all day pretending that he was one of the cool kids.

And round about now the London Eye should start to loom large on your near horizon.

And, as you keep going, you should also be treated to some great views of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament on the other side of the river.

On the way past you'll see the Aquarium and the London Dungeon.

The Aquarium is a great place to while away a wet afternoon. Inside they have an amazing collection of sea creatures, and I'm always blown away by how they've managed to house them in the old County Hall Building. It feels like a purpose-built-aquarium building when you're inside. Now, having said all that, if you've only got a limited amount of time this aquarium isn't radically different from the dozens of other aquariums you'll find in other places so I wouldn't put in on the list of quintessentially London experiences.

And as for the London Dungeon, well ...  I've never been brave enough to go inside ... .

Now the next thing we need to do is shuffle on over Westminster Bridge. And on the way across don't forget to look back and admire the London Eye and the old County Hall Building.

As you come across the bridge, however, it's easy to forget everything else when you come face to face with Big Ben. He's a very splendid old clock, and when he sounds the hour it's just magical.

As you come off the bridge don't forget to nod to Boudica in her chariot. As the Romans found out to their cost, she's not a woman to mess with.

Now we're ready for a jog around Parliament Square. You can stop for a closer look at the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, the Supreme Court (the highest appellate court in the land) and the statues of the great statesmen to be found dotted around the square.

Starting top left hand corner and proceeding clockwise: Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, St. Margaret's Church with Westminster Abbey on its right and (bottom left) the Supreme Court

Amongst others you should watch out for Winston Churchill, David Lloyd George, Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela. They all hang out and shoot the breeze on Parliament Green these days.

Now, I can feel another map coming on. This one shows how you navigate your way around Parliament Square and up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square, where the walk finishes.

Key: A- Westminster Bridge, B-Houses of Parliament, C- St. Margaret's Church, D- Westminster Abbey, E, Supreme Court, F-Banqueting House

Carry on up Whitehall and the second road on your left is Downing Street, the official London residence of the British Prime Minister and the British Chancellor of the Exchequer. There's a big road-block at the start of Downing Street so you can't get enter it unless you've got an official appointment with the PM or the Chancellor. The best you can hope for is to squint through the bars and get a look at the place from a distance.

If you walk on down Whitehall you'll come next to Horse Guards Parade, also on the left. This is usually a more picturesque stop than Downing Street. The horses and the guards dressed up in in their ceremonial outfits look really impressive, although there are usually so many tourists around that it's hard to move. Maxi, my dog, gets a real bee in his bonnet around horses, so we normally have to shuffle on before he causes some sort of military skirmish.

When you've finished with the Horse Guards carry on over to the opposite side of the road where you'll see the Banqueting House. When we were passing it was covered in scaffolding, but it's normally an impressive venue. Way back in 1649 they built a scaffolding outside on which they executed King Charles I. They wanted as many people as possible to see the king's demise so that they would lose heart in the royalist cause. Immediately inside from the site of execution is a truly splendid room with an amazing ceiling that was painted by Rubens. At least the poor man had something sublime to gaze upon in the last minutes of his life.

Now keep on going to Trafalgar Square, where you'll see Admiral Lord Nelson keeping look-out on top of his column.

On the other side of Trafalgar Square you'll find the National Gallery with the National Portrait Gallery off to the right hand side. So if you've got any energy left you can finish off the outing with a turn around the pictures.

Or if you're not up for any more art you can always chill out in Trafalgar Square with the pigeons and all the other people. It's usually heaving with folk. Watch out for the fourth plinth. They've been putting random works of art up there. When we stopped by they had a very handsome blue rooster strutting his stuff, and very fine he looked too in the lovely sunshine.

It's a terrific walk. If you keep going you should easily cover it in an hour and a half to two hours. However there are so many things to stop off and see that it would be better to stretch it out all day. Just wear comfortable shoes and have a ball!

All the best for now,

Bonny x

As shared  on the Alphabet Project, SYC Thursday and Monday Murals