Metadata

Wednesday 6 August 2014

A walk around the Tower of London

On Monday, the one hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War, Emi, Maxi and I decided to go to the Tower of London to see the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red art installation that has been commissioned to mark the centenary. It seemed like a simple, fitting thing to do so that Emi (age 8) might have some better understanding of what a momentous occasion it was. We've talked about the war a lot over the past few weeks, but I wanted him to do something that actually marked the day out as a reference point that he can look back to in the future: a sort of what-I-was-doing-when kind of thing.

Blood swept lands and seas of red art installation, Tower of London
Blood swept lands and seas of red art installation, Tower of London

We like going for walks around London, so I fixed upon a route that would include the Tower and some of the amazing history that lies around about. My route makes for an easy little walk of just under a couple of miles; it starts off at the Monument, carries on around the moat of the Tower, goes over Tower Bridge before passing by HMS Belfast, the Shard, Southwark Cathedral, the Golden Hinde II, Winchester Palace and ending at the Clink Museum. It's a perfect lazy morning stroll to work up an appetite before stopping off for lunch in Borough Market, one of my favourite spots in London, and somewhere where a lot of my walks tend to finish (ahem!).

We started at Monument Tube Station, and then swung past the Monument itself.


Designed by Sir Christopher Wren to commemorate the Great Fire of London in 1666, the monument sits just a hop, a skip, and a jump away from Pudding Lane where the fire started. It was all the fault of a baker who'd left his oven unattended - well, the baker and the very deficient way in which ye olde London Town had been built with wooden structures and very narrow streets that afforded no firebreaks whatsoever.

The Monument, London
The Monument, London

The fire started on Sunday 2nd September 1666 and was finally extinguished the following Wednesday, 5th September 1666. During the course of those three days it consumed pretty much all of London. Most of the buildings back then were timber constructions that were easily reduced to ashes. 


 The traditionally held view is that there were only 6 verified fatalities of the fire, which seems miraculously low given the geographical scale of the disaster. This thinking has recently been challenged, however, in that the deaths of the middling-classes and the urban poor were not recorded with any accuracy at the time. Moreover the heat of the fire would easily have cremated human remains, leaving no trace of the victim. So perhaps it would be more accurate to say that we just don't know how many people really perished.

Anyway, when they finally got the fire extinguished and set about the colossal task of rebuilding the city it was decided that a monument ought to be constructed in memory of the event and to celebrate the rebirth of the city. Sir Christopher Wren was given the job of designing it, and the Monument was constructed in 1671 to 1672. Back then it really stood out. 



Today, however, it gets rather lost amongst all the office buildings and skyscrapers that are rising thick and fast in this part of town. It's still fun to climb to the top and admire the view. If you're Emi's age (8) they'll even give you a certificate that proclaims your achievement in climbing all of the 311 steps that take you to the top.

The Monument, London
The Monument, London

There's a public viewing platform up there surmounted by a drum and copper urn, which was intended to symbolise the fire. Wren's original intention had been to use the structure for scientific experiments. However vibrations caused by the heavy traffic passing by soon made this impossible. 

The Monument, London
The Monument, London

Having gone past the Monument turn left into Pudding Lane, where the errant baker started the Great Fire.

Walk up Pudding Lane, and turn right into Eastcheap. Walk along until you reach St. Mary-at-Hill, and turn right into the little side street of that name.


As you walk down this little street you'll see the church after which it takes its name on the right.

St. Mary-At-Hill, London
St. Mary-At-Hill, London
Now this old church may not look especially impressive from the outside, but they reckon that there's been a church here, dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin, for the better part of a millennium. An already ancient church, is referred to on this site in a legal document dated 1177. Nearby Billingsgate was an important harbour back in the 10th and 11th centuries, and the route north into the old city would have led past the church, making it a significant stop-off point. This street is quite steeply sloped as the land rises from the river, hence the church took its name as St Mary's at the top of the hill. It's humbling to think what this place has lived through; can you imagine the bells here ringing out for the coronation of Henry VIII way back in 1509 or tolling solemnly as the people round about succumbed to the Black Death?
St. Mary-At-Hill, London
St. Mary-At-Hill, London - from Lovat Lane
The front of the church faces onto Lovat Lane (which you walk past to get to St. Mary-At-Hill). The church of St. Mary-At-Hill was largely destroyed in the Great Fire, but was later rebuilt to the design of Sir Christopher Wren and his assistant, Robert Hooke. It emerged from the Blitz in WWII largely unscathed.

Carry on down St. Mary-At-Hill, go past the church, and turn left into St. Dunstan's Lane, at the end of which you will see the church of St. Dunstan in the East, which didn't fare so well in the Blitz.


Originally there had been a Saxon Church on this site, which was rebuilt by St Dunstan in 950 AD. This church was largely destroyed in the Great Fire of London, but it was rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren in 1697. Sadly in 1941 it took a direct hit in the Blitz, which destroyed the greater part of the building. Only the rather fine tower, designed by Wren, survived. They decided not to rebuild the damaged body of the church, but to leave it as a reminder of what had been lost to the bombs. Today it forms a tranquil, charming garden, where office workers come to have a sandwich at lunch time and enjoy a short interlude of peace from the hurly burly of the office.

St. Dunstan in the East, London
St. Dunstan in the East

Now carry on past St. Dunstan in the East, down the hill towards the river. You need to cross Lower Thames Street and follow the signs for the Tower of London. This is the map showing the second leg of the walk:


When we did this walk on Monday they were busy installing the ceramic poppies at the Tower for the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red  art installation. The plan is to continue planting poppies in the moat until Armistice Day, by which time they will have one poppy for each British and Colonial life lost in the conflict (that will be a colossal 888,246 red poppies).

The Tower of London
The Tower of London

It was both moving and spectacular. The moat was filling up with a great red wave of about 120,000 poppies. It looked as though the Tower was haemorrhaging blood into the moat.

The Tower of London
The Tower of London

The Tower is one of our most amazing buildings. There's over a millennium of history just sitting there waiting to be discovered. Speaking for myself I prefer to go there on a wet morning in winter when there aren't quite so many other people around. At this time of the year there's a real risk that you'll get trampled in the stampede, and now that they've done this poppy thing I daresay it's scarily full to overflowing with tourists in there.

Blood swept lands and seas of red art installation, The Tower of London
Blood swept lands and seas of red art installation, The Tower of London

The poppies are made by hand, and each one is subtly different from the others.

The Tower of London
The Tower of London

We stared at them trying to make sense of the numbers involved, and this was with only a fraction of the poppies installed.

The Tower of London
The Tower of London

But the scale of the sacrifice that was made is hard to get your head around ... .

The Tower of London
The Tower of London
We carried on walking around the pathway that follows the upper bank of the old (now dry) moat.

The Tower of London
The Tower of London

And marvelled at the artist's vision. Brian Cummins has come up with a great display that's just going to keep getting better and ever more impressive between now and Armistice Day.

Anyway, here's another map for the next leg of the walk, which takes us across the river.


Go up the stairs at the far end of the moat, onto the Tower Bridge Approach. As you can see the poppies were creeping slowly round the Tower.

The Tower of London and Tower Bridge
The Tower of London and Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge, built over the period of eight years from 1886 to 1894, is my favourite bridge over the Thames. Two massive piers were sunk into the river bed, around which a skeleton of steel was built, which was then clad in Portland Stone and Cornish granite to protect the metal from the elements. But be sure and continue to admire the views of the Tower as you pass by ...

The Tower of London
The Tower of London

... and the views of City Hall and the Shard on the South Bank.

City Hall and the Shard
City Hall and the Shard

The very best views of Tower Bridge itself, however, are to be enjoyed once you reach the South Bank. Turn right when you get to the other side, and follow the tow path along the bank of the river.

Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge

It just keeps looking better and better as you walk away from it.


And, looking across the river, you get some pretty fabulous views of the White Tower, the oldest part of the Tower, which was originally built in stone after the Norman fashion to instil fear and awe in the unruly Londoners who were slow to bow the knee to their new French overlords after the Conquest. At that stage the locals only had wooden buildings.


Carry on along the path, looking back to see how the changing perspective gives you different views of Tower Bridge. At this angle I can see the Docklands and Canary Wharf through the span of the bridge. OK, I will stop now with all these photos of the bridge. It's going to be difficult, but I don't want to stray across the line and become a bridge-bore.


 Keep on going until you see HMS Belfast. Here she is ... with another sneaky shot of that bridge:


Now, being a girl from Ulster, I always feel a flush of pride when I walk past HMS Belfast. She was built by Harland & Wolff, in Belfast, in 1936 and, after being fitted out and doing her sea trials, she was commissioned by the Royal Navy in 1939 just in time for the commencement of hostilities in WWII. In her day she was the largest battle cruiser in the fleet. They put her into operation as part of the naval blockade of Germany, but she was seriously damaged after only a couple of months of active service when she hit a magnetic mine. It took three years to get her patched up again before she was able to rejoin the war in 1942 and take part in the Arctic convoys that kept the supply lines open to Russia. She participated in the D-Day landings, firing one of the first shots on D-Day itself. So you see she's a huge chunk of history sitting quietly in the shadow of Tower Bridge. If you'd like to visit her you can, and I'd certainly recommend her as a great afternoon-out for 8 year-old boys.

Anyway, I think we've now made it onto my fourth and final map.



Carry on to London Bridge, and climb the steps up to street level, and turn left. Walk along to the traffic lights and cross the main road at the Barrowboy and Banker pub. Once you get across the road, turn left towards the railway bridge and you will see Southwark Cathedral on your right ...


... and a very humorously decorated telephone exchange box on your left. It points towards the cathedral as though to suggest that its facade is an illusion being projected by the graffiti camera.



Go down the steps on your right that take you down to the level of the Cathedral. You are now in the wonderfully named Green Dragon Court. You have the cathedral on your right and just along on your left you have the happy delights of Borough Market. The main market doesn't open for business on Monday and Tuesday, but there are still plenty of lunch stalls that will sell you some very decent tucker.


At this point, with child and dog in tow, I dived into the market for some take-away food and drinks, which we then enjoyed as a picnic in the Cathedral yard with the wonderful gargoyles (and an army of office workers) for company.

Southwark Cathedral somehow feels rather cosy for a cathedral. And, as with most of the churches in this neck of the woods, it's got a millennium of history to boast about.

Carry on round the corner to St. Mary Overie dock and you'll find a replica of Francis Drake's Golden Hinde. I've written about the Golden Hinde II, as she's known here: Golden Hinde II.


Carry on around the dock and you'll find Clink Street leading off to your left, and just at the start of Clink Street you'll find the very impressive ruins of the palace of the Bishops of Winchester.


This was once an amazing complex used by the Bishops when they came to London. It was founded by Henry de Blois, the younger brother of King Stephen,  back in the twelfth century. The great hall with its beautiful rose window was a spot where Kings were once regally entertained. Back in 1424, for example, it was the very splendid venue for the sumptuous marriage feast of King James I of Scotland and his bride, Joan Beaufort.


And if you carry on down Clink Street you'll come to the site of the Clink Prison, which is on your left. You really can't miss it as they've got a dead man hanging in a gibbet outside (eeek!). It's a museum now, which seeks to recreate the authentic Clink experience, boasting that this was the prison from which all others took their name.


I've never been brave enough to go down those steps and see what all the fuss is about ... .

If you carry on down Clink Street you'll come to Vinopolis, a museum which is all about wine and has some rather impressive graffiti outside.



And that's it; that's our walk. You can retrace your steps to the market, from where you can walk through to Borough High Street and then take the tube home from London Bridge Station.

Enjoy!

Bonny x

As shared on the Alphabet Project

Monday 4 August 2014

How to make the very best pink sparkling lemonade ... that won't rot your teeth

Summer just wouldn't be summer without lemonade ... and the Piña Colada song (!). OK! OK! So not everyone likes the Piña Colada song ... but I don't know anyone who doesn't like a good glass of lemonade.



There are some things that are just made for each other and summer and lemonade are two of them. But these days that gives me a teeny weeny dilemma. What with all this talk about how fizzy drinks are rotting our children's teeth and everything I've been feeling a bit reticent about allowing Emi one of the pleasures of my own childhood.



But I've come up with a crafty plan, which I think solves my lemonade dilemma with something out of my home chemistry set called xylitol, which is a natural sugar substitute made from ... birch tree bark (according to the back of the packet ). It says that it's got 40% fewer calories and 75% less carbohydrate than sugar and, most importantly of all, it helps to protect teeth from dental cavities and to remineralise tooth enamel (yeah!). You use it pretty much weight for weight as you'd use sugar. Just one word of caution: like chocolate it is toxic to dogs, so don't go sharing this wonderful lemonade with your favourite pooch (as if).



Now if there's one thing that's better than home-made sparkling lemonade it's got to be pink home-made sparkling lemonade. And I'm borrowing all that lovely pinkness from a pomegranate, courtesy of a splash to elderflower and pomegranate cordial.

So here's what you'll need to make about 3 pints or a litre and three quarters of my wonderful brew.

Ingredients:

6 unwaxed lemons
5 oz. or 150 g xylitol (or granulated sugar if you're old school)
Couple of tablespoonfuls of elderflower and pomegranate cordial (a heresy in some quarters, but, trust me, it adds that certain little twist of extra interest of flavour and pinkness that turns good into delicious)
1 litre or 2 pints of sparkling mineral water

Method:

1. First you need to wash your lemons in warm water, dry them well and then thinly grate the outer zest. I have this wonderful little gizmo called a microplane that's not exactly high-tech expensive, but it's the best little lemon-zester in town. Avoid the white pith just under the wonderful lemon zest as it tends to make things bitter.


2. Next you need to juice all 6 lemons and place the juice with the grated zest together in a bowl.

3. Add the xylitol (or sugar) and 1/2 of a litre of boiling water to the lemons, stir well and leave to cool. When it's cooled store it in the fridge overnight - or until you want to use it. I let it cool and then pour it into some recycled glass bottles that I can screw the lids on and store in the fridge until I want to use it.




4. Chill the super-sparkly mineral water in the fridge.

5. When you are ready to serve sieve the lemon liquid through a coarse sieve, add the elderflower cordial and the sparkling mineral water so that it tastes just right (my suggested amounts of both water and cordial should be tinkered with so that the lemonade is perfect for your palate), give it a quick stir and serve immediately.

Delish ...

... enjoy with sunshine, friends and the Piña Colada song,

(which you can listen to here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5_EIikdFr8)

Bonny x

As shared on Creative Mondays and a Pinch of Joy


Friday 1 August 2014

Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly



Last Friday we set off for the Scilly Isles, which lie just off the south coast of Cornwall. It felt like a real adventure, which was due in no small measure to the little propeller plane in which we made the journey. Flying across the sea at an altitude of only a couple of thousand feet was amazing. We spent our time, squinting down at the rugged Cornish coastline, trying to spot familiar features.


Cornish Coast
Cornish Coast


The boys in our party (Emi and his Grandpa) were especially excited about our mode of transport. It was a short flight (half an hour) from Newquay to St. Mary's Airport on the big island of St. Mary's, and they enjoyed every last second of it. We were seated directly behind the pilot, so they had ring side seats from which they watched him closely.

Here we are coming in to land:

St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly
St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly

What can I say about the Isles of Scilly? Well on a balmy day in July with gentle sea breezes and warm sunshine they're pretty close to being a perfect island paradise. I must confess that they hadn't exactly featured large on my radar before our trip: I was vaguely aware that they existed from the bundles of lovely narcissi that they export to the mainland each year. It was my mother who suggested going there. She's a gardening buff and wanted to go to see the famous Tresco Abbey Garden for herself.


So, on arriving, we caught a ferry for Tresco, and sailed across the very calm inter-island sea.

St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly
St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly

The water was crystal clear with forests of waving seaweed that moved gently to and fro with the current as we passed by.

St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly
Sea Forest

Once again the next leg of the journey to our destination was an integral part of our adventure, but then as T.S. Eliot once said: the journey not the arrival matters. The scenery was simply stunning with deserted, sandy beaches that seemed to go on and on forever.

Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Before long I had developed a serious case of agapanthus envy. Everywhere you go on the islands you see these beautiful plants. No one seems to have planted them, or to be caring for them but they're flourishing all over the place, their wonderful blowsy flower heads nodding gently in the breeze. Just look at these chaps growing on some untended common land beside a pathway.

Agapanthus
Agapanthus

Or these chaps growing in the sand dunes where we landed on Tresco.

Wild Agapanthus growing on Tresco
Wild Agapanthus growing on Tresco

When we finally arrived at our destination the beautiful gardens did not disappoint. Over the years they have been exquisitely designed, landscaped and maintained. My parents were delighted with them.

Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly

In fact we found it hard to believe that we were still in the United Kingdom, such was the abundance of rare plants from warmer climes. 

Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
 Exotics growing in Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
There were formal gardens with gothic arches that framed the views beyond with verdant foliage.

Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly

And there was the most amazing shell house, which is just visible in the photo above. But, trust me, you really do need to take a closer look at this little beauty.

Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly

Isn't it amazing? So many shells collected from the beaches and painstakingly arranged to make mosaics of such wonderful colour and texture.
Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
There were formal pathways that led off to immaculate lawns.
Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
And wild terraces where everything seemed to belong in another latitude or perhaps in a totally different hemisphere.

Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly

This really doesn't look much like dear old Blighty, does it?
Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Now the other thing that has to be said is that the gardens are pretty huge. We set off with great plans of following a methodical course up and down and back and forth along the pathways. My father was our designated map-reader, but we quickly abandoned the idea and wandered around at will, oohing and aahing with delight at each wonderful new thing we saw.

Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly

You can meander up and down steps from one terrace to another.

Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly

You might even meet Neptune on your travels.

Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly

Or the children of Scilly, playing happily in the sunshine.


Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly

The gardens were laid out by a chap called Augustus Smith, who leased the Isles of Scilly from the Duchy of Cornwall in 1834 and created the (rather grand) title for himself of Lord Proprietor of the Isles of Scilly. He chose Tresco for his home, where he built a house, which he called Tresco Abbey. It looks over the grounds of St. Nicholas's, a ruined Benedictine priory on the landward side and across the inter-island sea to St. Mary's on the other side, and remains in private ownership.

Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly

He used the old priory walls to shelter his garden, and also planted lots of tall trees such as Monterey Pines and Monterey Cypresses from California in groups on the upper seaward slopes to serve as wind breaks creating a sheltered eco-climate within his south-facing gardens.

Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly

And, as you'd expect from any decent garden design, the ruins of the old Priory have been elegantly worked into the landscape to create the most sublime suite of gardens.

Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
I loved the ancient stone walls, covered with the most luxuriant lichen I have ever beheld. Check out the old stones with the ultimate in designer stubble:

Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly

 St. Nicholas's Priory was built in about the twelfth century. In 1114 King Henry I granted a charter, through the Bishop of Exeter, to the Monks of Tavistock charging them with taking over the simple religious buildings on Scilly and establishing a priory on Tresco.

Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly

This they duly did, importing some of the stone used to build their religious house from as far away as France. The priory operated until the late fifteenth century when it fell into disuse and disrepair, having been abandoned by the community under the pressure of recurring attacks by sea pirates. 

Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly

The islanders still held the grounds of the priory in great affection, and persisted in burying their dead there until the nineteenth century when the new cemetery at Old Grimsby was opened. 

Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly

In about 1840, once he'd got himself nicely settled in at his new estate, and grown used to his rather grand title, Augustus Smith started to collect figureheads from the many ships that were ship-wrecked around the islands each year. There were rich pickings because the islands rise gently out of the sea, are surrounded by treacherous rocks that may not be visible at high tide and are frequently buffeted by gale-force winds and enshrouded in winter fogs making it difficult for sailors to spot the dangers until it's too late. In fact there are more shipwrecks around the Isles of Scilly than anywhere else in the world. 

Valhalla, Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Valhalla, Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly

Augustus Smith had the mastheads cleaned and restored. Then he built a special gallery to display them, which he called the Masthead Valhalla. After his death in 1872 his family carried on the collection, adding further mastheads from ships that ran aground over the ensuing years.

Valhalla, Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Valhalla, Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
And at the other end of the spectrum there's also a rather more domestic kitchen and cutting garden, which is lovely in its own right even if it lacks the drama of other parts of the gardens.

Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Whilst the Tresco Abbey Garden was epic, I don't mean to suggest that it's the only attraction on the islands. The miles of lovely sandy beaches are well worth a visit too.

Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Tresco, Isles of Scilly

 And there's a lot of fun to be had just messing about in boats, or diving to find some of those shipwrecks.

Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Tresco, Isles of Scilly

The islands were bitterly fought over during the English Civil War being held at different times by the Royalists and the Parliamentarians. As a result there are a few bits and pieces from that era to visit as well. The tower in the picture below was built as a garrison by the Parliamentarians and is known as Cromwell's Castle. 

Cromwell's Castle, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Cromwell's Castle, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
The islands are a brilliant place to kick back, slow down and relax, and we had a great time doing just that. We pottered around at our own (rather slow) pace, ate very well and enjoyed one another's company. I'd definitely recommend them as a chilled out destination for a great family holiday.

All the best for now,

Bonny x

As shared on Friday Finds