Wandering around London, you will see all sorts of things that are often worth a second look once you know their story. Other oddities, like part of the Berlin Wall - one of the last things you might expect to see in London - are tucked away in unexpected corners.
Any comments - or a suggestion for a London secret? Please e-mail me.
Other Oddities
The Panyer Boy
‘When ye have sought the citty round yet this is still the highest ground.’ This alley was once the centre of London’s bakeries - and said (wrongly) to be its highest point. This boy on his breadbasket has been hereabouts since 1688 and now sits just beside
St Paul's Tube Station.
Panyer Alley EC4
Tube: St Paul's
Thames Lions
These lion heads line both sides of the Embankment, staring out over the River Thames. Their mouths hold mooring rings and it is said that if the lions drink, London will flood. They were sculpted by Timothy Butler for Bazalgette’s great sewage works in 1868-70.
Albert & Victoria Embankments
Tube: Westminster
Tower Bridge chimney
Is this the only bridge in the world with a chimney? Millions of visitors cross Tower Bridge every year but few notice this cast iron chimney painted to blend in with the lamp-posts. It’s a flue for a former guardhouse under one of the bridge piers, facing the Tower of London.
Tower Bridge EC1
Tube: Tower Hill
St Bride’s Church
There’s been a church here since the 6th century and the present lovely one - the church of the press and printing trades - was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Its greatest claim to fame is its three-tiered spire - Wren’s highest - the model for all wedding cakes.
Fleet Street EC4
Tube: St Paul's/Blackfriars
www.stbrides.com
Berlin Wall
Three sections of the Berlin Wall stand outside the National Army Museum (there is another piece inside and also outside the Imperial War Museum). ‘Die Mauer’ was torn down in 1989 and these pieces - weighing nine tones - were moved here by the Royal Logistical Corps.
National Army Museum
Royal Hospital Road SW3
Tube: Sloane Square
Pet Cemetery
The first burial here was in the 1880s of Cherry, the pet terrier of Mr and Mrs Bernard. The Duke of Cambridge (1819-1904), commander-in-chief of the army - after whom many English pubs are named - buried his wife’s dog Prince here, starting a fashion that lasted until space ran out in 1915 after 300 burials.
Victoria Lodge, Hyde Park
Tube: Lancaster Gate
South Bank Lion
Originally a logo for a brewery, this lion stood outside a pub that was flattened in the Blitz before moving here to the south side of Westminster Bridge, at the request of the King. Made from a secret process called Coade stone, it is a casting rather than carving.
Kensington Gardens SW7
Tube: South Kensington
The Seven Noses of Soho
Around Soho there are seven noses and it is said that if you spot all of them you will attain infinite wealth. Sculptor Rick Buckley was responsible for many, leaving casts of his nose in 1966. However, this one is more recent, dating to a 2005 ‘Living Streets’ social awareness project in 2005.
Meard Street W1
Tube: Leicester Square
Nelson’s Spare Nose
This pink nose stuck in the grey granite of Admiralty Arch - look inside the arch taking traffic out of The Mall - is said to be a spare for Nelson in Trafalgar Square, or a tribute to the Duke of Wellington, famous for his large nose. I suspect WWII bomb damage as the Mall has a pink surfacing.
Trafalgar Square WC2
Tube: Charing Cross
