Monday, 3 March 2014

Tyburn - following a drain

There is something sad about a river walk where you don't at any point see the river. But London has long built over the tributaries that led into the Thames, including the Tyburn.

This walk starts at the crowded Baker Street, but one can soon get to the much quieter Paddington Street Gardens











 This is Avery Row, built in the 1720s over the newly culverted Tyburn. London has been built up for a long time.
 And then down a pedestrianised lane I cam e across one of those little bits of quirky public art that litter London. Here there are a pair of statues, one a photographer shooting a model at the other side of the road


The Coach & Horses pub
 The Third Church of Christ Scientist
 And into Shepherd Market across the road, an excellent little backwater and full of pubs and restaurants




 Some houses are so historic they even have more than one blue plaque

 Crossing Green Park..


...onto Constitution Hill and of course Buckingham Palace





 At this point I took a detour to the Queens Gallery to see the Castiglione drawings and prints exhibition.


There was also an exhibition of prints given top the Queen for the Diamond Jubilee - 100 prints from Royal Academicians to Her Majesty. I don't think any were their finest works. And giving a self-portrait (below), well isn't that like giving someone a photo of yourself for their birthday, just a little conceited?


In the middle they exhibited a rather finer work, Godfrey Kneller's painting of the Royal Academicians in the 18th century at a life class.


Then on towards Victoria, classical terraces giving way to more modern blocks.






 And eventually towards Vauxhall Bridge with its new waterside developments, looking rather handsome in the late afternoon sun.









And finally one gets a glimpse of the Tyburn. Yes below is the outflow into the Thames










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