I’ve recently read an article detailing the 24 ‘best’ free museums in London. More than half of them I’ve not been to. My goal is to rectify this during 2017. These trips will also help me explore bits of London I’ve not visited yet. Yesterday, the last of a four day weekend proved too much of an opportunity to not start this endeavour. I took the tube to St Paul’s, a station which i have rarely used before and was immediately captured by some of the local buildings.
My eye was next drawn to the tower, and remains of the bombed out Christchurch Greyfriars that have been converted into a garden; a tranquil oasis among the hustle and bustle.
As I was walking about I caught glimpses of St Pauls’ from an aspect I am unfamiliar with. I followed the midday peel of bells and ended up in the Paternoster Square viewing the Dome of St Paul’s as well as the Flaming Orb Monument.
From here I walked northbound and, as always, was transfixed by the interesting buildings I stumbled across including St Barts Hospital.
I arrived at Smithfields world famous meat market and was entranced by the tiny Ambulance station I arrived at. I then took a few shots of the surrounding area.
I ambled slowly on towards my final stop. the Barbican and Museum of London taking in the sites as I went including Charterhouse School and Barley Mow Passage.
I spent a long time exploring the Barbican, initially inside the arts centre, but once I’d found my way outside around the gardens and other amenities. The Bank Holiday had left it deserted and I felt a little like I was the star of a post-apocolytipic film.
Built on the site of the original site of Roman Londinium (hence the co-location with the Museum of London) the area was badly damaged during the blitz and rebuilt in the 1960’s and 70’s. The architecture conforms with the brutalist ideals and whilst not the most aesthetically pleasing, provides an interesting space with lots of sharp angles and raised walkways. It was not dissimilar to the ‘newer’ buildings at the school I attended.
One thing that was evident was the clear plan that allows greenery and water has resulted in greater variety of wildlife than is found in the rest of London – my abiding memory will be of birdsong.
Below are some of my favourite shots.
I finished my day in The Museum of London which charts the city’s rich history through its various inhabitants. It was a brilliant journey, albeit maybe aimed at a slightly younger audience than me.
Thanks for stopping by – hope you enjoyed my pictures as much as I enjoyed my day.
picturethesceneblog 