London
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Interestingly any boat can request the bridge to open such as this historic sail vessel. During peak hours, traffic is significantly impacted.
The Baker Street station is one of the original underground railway stations. It opened in 1863 as part of the Metropolitan Railway line. Today it has ten platforms and a maze of underground tunnels. Several connections exist between the station and Sherlock Holmes (who resided at 221B Baker Street). The site was included in the 2011 series filming.
Located inside the London Charter House is a 14th century monastery cloister. The Duke of Norfolk later converted the space into a garden gallery. Interestingly, the "offsides" rule of soccer/football originated here with boys playing in this hallway.
Entrance to the Natural History Museum
Originally the Natural History Museum was part of the British Museum and was built around a collection of artifacts acquired in 1753 from Sir Hans Sloane. The building was constructed in the 1860's.
Classic car from James Bond film, "A View to A Kill"
This skyscraper at 20 Fenchurch Street earned it's name for it's unusual shape. While the window treatment looks modern, it has a function to refract the heat from sunlight from burning objects below (including several cars it scorched).
Hintze Hall architecture in Natural History Museum
In the 1860's Alfred Waterhouse designed a terra cotta structure in Romanesque architecture. The result is one of England's most iconic landmarks. Hintze Hall serves as the gateway to the museum.
Built in 1881 this Victorian architecture has been a popular spot for filming. The first Harry Potter movie included a set here where Harry and Hagrid walk on a London street to The Leaky Cauldron pub before he enters the magical Diagon Alley.
Don't forget to look up at Paddington station. The clock and wrought iron design are a stunning example of Art Decco design.
Princess Diana Memorial Garden
Kensington Gardens
The staircase was designed in 1916 by Cecil Brewer, the cousin of the the Heal's furniture store founder Ambrose Heal. His artful design was intended as a metaphor to explore the evolution between design and furniture manufacturers on the store's six floors. Climbing to the top once reached the Mansard Gallery where a famous exhibition of French Modern Art first introduced Matisse and Picasso to the British public.
Paddington is perhaps my favorite station. If you are there as a passenger, it's easy to simply be consumed with getting to your train on time and miss the deco-design of the space. This station opened in 1838. In 1850, the Great Western Railway (GWR) agreed to meet the increasing demands for rail with the design and construction of a more permanent station by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. He was influenced by the Crystal Palace/Great Exhibition of 1851. as evidenced in the use of wrought iron and glass in the multi-span roof at Paddington. Further enhancements occurred in 1913 and 1916 and increased the number of platforms. A new ‘art deco’ office block was added in the 1930's. Finally, in the 1990s several refurbishments were made at Paddington Station. Be sure to look up and take in the Victorian style iron.
The Church of England built this parish around 1100. Nestled right in the heart of the city, its ruins are largely obscured by modern skyscrapers. In 1666 it endured extensive damage during the Great Fire of London. During the WWII Blitz of 1941, the church suffered a final blow. Blitz-target walls are a rare site and the Grade 1 status protect them from being demolished. The church is still alive today as Londoners visit for quiet time and meditation. The space is a living monument serving as a reminder to the spirit of England and that a church exists beyond a building.
