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Emazing Walking Tours

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Emazing Walking Tours

Fascinating walking tours of London’s history, delivered by a passionate and knowledgable guide. Currently available for Canary Wharf and The City of London.
(10)

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20/01/2024

London History Snapshot: Westminster and Whitehall.
- Westminster Palace (the Houses of Parliament) used to be on an island (Thorney Island) cut off by tributaries of the river Tyburn.
- Parliament as it is today, was designed in the gothic style in 1834 because the then more fashionable classical design was associated with republicanism (hence the Whitehouse in the US).
- There is a Rodin sculpture right in the heart of London - one of 12 casts of the Burghers of Calais (which is the maximum amount under French law)
- The Tate Britain stands on the site of the former Millbank prison through which many ancestors of today's Australians began their journey down under. At one point 4000 prisoners a year were transported from there.
- Downing street is named after Sir George Downing (born 1623)- the 2nd ever graduate from Harvard, who was so untrustworthy that his name became synonymous for someone who betrays another's trust…And thats where our modern PMs live. hmm.

17/06/2023

London History Snapshot: this raised area at the top of One Tree Hill was a gun emplacement built in 1916 to defend against German zeppelins in WW1 (though it wasn’t hugely successful and likely damaged nearby Peckham tramlines instead of bothering the Zepplins). Queen Elizabeth the first was said to have rested below the forebear of the eponymous ‘one tree’ (since named ‘Honour Oak’) one fine May Day. There’s also a lovely viewing spot over London from the top.

06/01/2023

London History Snapshot:

The Church of St Magnus the Martyr, once stood by the entrance to the crowded and bustling London Bridge before they moved it further along the river, but now it’s marooned next to a busy road and overlooked by most. Amidst the lovely interiors is a fun model of the vibrant bridge in it’s heyday. Outside is a column from the original Roman dock that stood near the site, where the Roman ships would have docked as they built up their city of Londinium.

26/12/2022

London history snapshot:

The ‘Four Percent Industrial Dwellings Company’ was founded by Nathaniel Rothschild to provide decent but affordable accommodation for Jewish refugees fleeing pogroms in Eastern Europe. They were built all around London, but this block in Peckham was built in 1900 and was known as Evelina Mansions , after Nathaniel’s sister. The company name comes from the expected return (4%) that investors might hope for.

11/09/2022

London History Snapshot: Lambeth Workhouse

Now housing the Cinema Museum, the original workhouse from the 1870s was intended to support the destitute in Lambeth. But life in the workhouse was degrading, miserable, and much hated. The intention was to discourage those who might be the ‘undeserving poor’. Charlie Chaplin stayed at the workhouse at age 8 and was separated from his mother as was the custom. One of Jack the Rippers victims: Mary Ann Nichols, also stayed here for a time.

06/07/2022

Reminder of my titillating walking tour coming up on July 21st! Message or email to book your spot, and feel free to share with your friends!

13/03/2022

History Snapshot: Durham Cathedral Sanctuary Knocker.
Until 1623, the ‘sanctuary knocker’ on the door of Durham cathedral could be touched by those who had ‘committed a great offense’ until a monk granted them access to the cathedral, and then be provided with the sanctuary protection of St. Cuthbert for 37 days. After which they could choose to stand trial, or be taken to the coast to go into exile.

05/03/2022

London History Snapshot: Eltham Palace

Eltham Palace is a heady mix of medieval history and Art Deco opulence. Medieval royalty was born here, King Henry VIII grew up here as a boy, it was trashed by resident parliamentarians during the English Civil War, then great hall was used as a dilapidated barn for a while, before a glamorous couple, the Courtaulds, restored it in the 1930’s and decked it out in all the most glamorous global fashions and latest mod cons. Including a central vacuum cleaner that could be plugged into from any room of the house, underfloor heating, an internal telephone exchange, hidden speakers to play music, and hot running water in all the en suites- with the capacity for all the guests to have a bath before dinner at the same time (an incredibly luxurious prospect at a time where running up and down the stairs with jugs of hot water to fill baths would have been the norm).

22/01/2022

History Snapshot: Did you know that there’s a grade II listed, windmill in Brixton? The only remaining windmill in inner London, it was built in 1816, when all around it would have been open fields (hard to imagine in busy Brixton now). Formerly known as Ashby’s mill, it used the power of the wind to ground flour until the expansion of London meant that housing blocked the wind in the 1860’s (it literally took the wind from its sails). It eventually reopened using steam power in 1902, until it was finally shut down for good in 1935.

11/12/2021

London History Snapshot: London’s ring-necked parakeets

There are now more than 30,000 of these bright green, loudly squalking birds across London and even into the Home Counties. But where they came from is a mystery surrounded by urban legend. Here are a few (probably untrue) contenders:
- Released by Jimi Hendrix
- Escaped from the film set of the African Queen in 1951
- Escaped from aviaries during the Great Storm of 1987
- Escaped from George Michael’s townhouse during a burglary
- Escaped from the livestock transportation area of Heathrow

But they’re been popular pets for hundreds of years, so it’s more likely that individual free parakeets just gathered over time and bred into the confident community they now are! Early sightings have been recorded in Dulwich in 1893 and in Epping forest in 1930. Well before hippies, pop stars or the African Queen. London is 47% green space, and their south Asian origin climate include the frosty foothills of the Himalayas, so these versatile green birds have thrived in Britain and don’t seem to have much of an adverse affect on local bird life. I’d call that successful migrant integration!

10/12/2021

London History Snapshot: Trinity Hospital Greenwich

The oldest surviving building in Greenwich, Trinity Hospital was founded by the Earl of Northampton in 1613. The intention was to provide accommodation and food for the poor, though they had to agree to not go to ale houses and disreputable people were excluded (such as ‘common beggars’ and ‘whore hunters’). Over 400 years later, it remains a charity run by the Mercers’ Company, where you may find respite if you are of ‘reduced financial circumstances’ and have lived in Greenwich for at least 4 years.

Contrasted in the background are the towers of Greenwich Power Station (1902) which were originally meant to be taller, but were shortened to accommodate the needs of the Royal Observatory astronomers. The power station was originally built to supply the electric tramways, but is now the backup power source for London Underground.

10/12/2021

London History Snapshot: Fire Insurance Marks
In the days before municipal fire services, insurance company emblems like these were used to identify properties that had subscribed and so would be protected by that company’s privately maintained fire crew. There are stories of crews arriving at a fire and refusing to put it out if they were insured by a rival company. Though sometimes they would do so for a fixed fee afterwards in order to prevent the fire raging out of control.

20/11/2021

Just finished writing up my next walking tour! It’ll span from St Paul’s to Clerkenwell and explores some of the gory past in the historic city, from executed traitors, flayed saints, and plague victims through to medical experiments and the dawn of modern medicine and healing. I’ll be beta testing in the dark days of winter ahead. So watch this space if you’d like to come along on the adventure!

05/11/2021

We’ve been taking walks around Brockley & Ladywell cemetery lately, while listening to a podcast on the stories of those interred there. It’s surreal to walk through this peaceful and beautiful cemetery while hearing the the fascinating (and often tragic) stories of the people under the headstones. Poisoners, bridge jumpers, circus ‘freaks’ and those who loved above their station.

07/06/2021

History Snapshot: Elm Hill, Norwich, Norfolk.

Here we have the charmingly historic Elm Hill with cobbled streets, Tudor structures, and known residences of 16 mayors and sheriffs of Norwich. Neglected by the 1920s, it was going to be demolished but the Norwich Society discovered it still had valuable history and architecture beneath the slums and it was saved! It has since featured in the movie Stardust. The elms that gave their names to the hill perished from Dutch elm disease in the 70s.

18/05/2021

History Snapshot: Cornhill
History Door

This ornate mahogany door at 32 Cornhill was carved by Walter Gilbert in 1939 (he also created the gates of Buckingham Palace). The different panels represent significant historic moments on Cornhill, within old city of London. Highlights include:
Top right: Elianor, Duchess of Gloucester who was convicted of necromancy for trying to divine a horoscope for the king. She was made to divorce her husband, walk in penance (like the shame walk from Game of Thrones) and was imprisoned for the rest of her life.
Bottom right: Charlotte and Anne Bronte visiting their publisher, who until that moment had thought the authors they were publishing were male (because the Brontes were writing under gender neutral pseudonyms in order to be taken seriously). Charlotte had to prove who she was by reproducing the signature of her alter ego.

04/05/2021

London History Snapshot: the Hoop and Grapes Public House

One of central London's oldest pubs, the building is at least partially from the early 17th century and remarkably survived the great fire of London, which stopped just 50 yards away.

Timber framed buildings were banned in the city after the fire (for obvious reasons) so this pubs timber framed, and very wonky (18 inches off) door, is a rarity.

Full of secrets, the pub used to host clandestine ‘fleet weddings’ (ones without a licence through a legal loophole), and a network of blocked up secret tunnels from the cellar could have led to the Thames or even the Tower of London.

03/05/2021

London History Snapshot: Jamaica Coffee House

Now Jamaica Wine House, this spot was where the first coffee house was opened in london in 1652, by the ex-servant of a merchant that sold coffee from the Levant. Coffee houses took off, and each became associated with specific business, scientific or political interests.

In the 1670s, Jamaica Coffee House opened on this spot. A place for merchants connected with the West Indies to do business, exchange gossip and have their post delivered. This business would have included rum, sugar and inevitably the slave trade, when investments in the Royal African Company promised great returns at the expense of human lives and freedoms.

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Canary Wharf
London

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