Freehandlines
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You may be asking what are Livery companies and why am I interested? Well you should be interested as its all very old, gives us a peek into our medieval history when men wore tights. In a nutshell the livery companies of the City of London are ancient guilds and fraternities that have governed the City’s trade, commerce, and craft standards for over 700 years. Not all are ancient some are really…
All based on Christian Coop's complete watercolour survey of the Oxford and Cambridge colleges and halls in the Oxbridge Gallery. The architect in me loves buildings for their architecture, the artist side of me for the stories and secret history, but we all have an inner geek, and that’s where oddities come in. To celebrate completing my watercolour survey of every college and hall of the…
Londoner's have always had exotic tastes in food from pickled Eels to whatever the next food fad will be. Ever changing and ever creative menus, architecture needs to keep up. Unsurprinsgly its left a legacy of hidden food history, literally under our feet and all around us. Here are 11 questions, do you know the answers? 1. Where can you find the world’s first " tea shop," operating since 1706?…
London is really a series of villages which have merged over the years. Enter the great estates, the great custodians of Central London. Each uniquely curates their places with an eye on legacy rather than just profit; places thrive. I find Marylebone uniquely satisfying because it was shaped by the great Portman and Howard de Walden Estates, creating a grid of elegant streets that feels like an…
Unfortunately buildings are perhaps more famous for what happens in them than their architecture, which can be annoying for an architect! Some building even become synonymous with events think Watergate scandal, however there are more than a few scandals on these streets. This walk moves through the elegant residences of Marylebone and Mayfair into the electric, gritty heart of Soho, tracing the…
Being an architect, I think that every building tells a story. These stories make a city, and inhabit the buildings as we do. However, in Mayfair, a residential area of London, they are not always easy to spot. This quick walking tour will take you through beautiful garden squares and mysterious mews (and an adequate number of pubs), to uncover the "hidden histories" behind my latest architectural…
The highest ground is now in sight as we clamber towards Holly Walk. Perhaps the most Instagrammable area of the most Instagrammable place. Older winding lanes characterize this area with a mixture of detached homes, each dealing with the steep topography in their own way. The gaps between these buildings are the real draw here. Each gap provides unforgettable views over London and moments of…
As we make a left turn, we begin to climb upwards towards salvation, passing excess and criminality along the way. The Logs: A True Architectural Oddity The Logs is the first peculiarity along the route. It is a remarkable crash of architecture and sculpture. Often described as the "chocolate Gateau" of housing, it has everything and then a bit more! Architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner…
Two connected streets each with their own character. also part of one of London's most famous walks all starting and ending at the Flask...
The finest Georgian street in London with a hint of Disney magic. It's the final resting place of the boy who never grew up, read on! A...
