The Famous Square Mile guided walk

21.7.11
I hadn't done a guided walk for a while, so was hoping for the rain to hold off - and it did! We started off our walk outside Monument tube station next to the monument erected in memory of the fire of London in 1666 which started in Pudding Lane, right next to where we were standing. It was designed by Christopher Wren in 1677 - you can climb all 377 steps to the top, but it was not for me! It stands exactly 60.6m from the bakery in Pudding Lane where the fire started and it is exactly 60.6m high.
It seems like everywhere we went today was burnt down in the Great Fire of London. It also seemed like all the churches which were rebuilt as a result of the Great Fire were all designed by Christopher Wren!

We walked from there past Old Billingsgate Market, now relocated to near Canary Wharf.

 

From here we walked into an oasis of calm inside an old ruined church - destroyed in the Second World War and made into a garden.

Our guide, Tom, telling us about the area.

It seemed a long way away from the hustle and bustle of the City. 

I just had to take a picture of the beautifully painted bollard above - it is in the colours of the City and they are to be found all around the City of London.

I found the architecture of this area quite fascinating - one minute very modern then suddenly victorian next door.

Lloyd's of London

Lloyds was designed by Richard Rogers with all the external stainless steel ducting on the outside of the building so that all servicing and maintenance could be done from the outside to avoid disturbing business being done on the inside. You either love it or hate it! I have to admit to quite liking it!!
This post-modernist structure strikes a particular contrast with the oldeworlde Leadenhall Market next door.

from the Harry Potter film!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

This market serves food and drink to city folk and has a fishmonger, butcher and cheesemonger. It is a Victorian glass and iron market hall designed by Horace Jones in 1881. The market has recently gained fame from being filmed as Diagon Alley in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone!

 

I couldn't help taking a picture of these amazing looking meringues on one of the stalls here!

Our final stop was the Guildhall - right in the centre of the Square Mile - which has been the City's seat of government for nearly 800 years. It is the only secular stone structure to have survived the Great Fire of 1666. It did suffer damage then and also during the Blitz of 1940, but was rebuilt.

I did some exploring of my own after the tour had finished and have included some of the photos I took.

St. Paul's