Day 1 in England- Touching Down at Heathrow!

After flying overnight from Philadelphia to Heathrow, we hit the ground running—almost literally—on our first day in London for Winterthur’s course in English Design History (2015 edition). We were shuttled directly from the airport to Southwark, where we met Angus Lockyer for a fast-paced, whirlwind walking tour of the historic “square mile” of London. We had arrived in England with little or no sleep (and by U.S. time it was about 1am as we started our day) but as we stepped off the shuttle bus, we were quickly awakened by our rising excitement and a cold, drizzling rain.

Meeting Angus in Southwark

Yet within 15 minutes, the drizzle let up and the clouds eventually gave way to blue skies—welcoming us to a great experience in London. Angus started our tour with a quick overview of the history of London, enhanced by an inspiring, panoramic view of the city from London Bridge.

Studying the City of London from London Bridge

As we crossed the Thames, we could clearly see the geographic limits of the original city—the “square mile” that is the current-day City of London. It was nice to get a visual sense of the size of the city during the 18th century, and it helped us get our geographical bearings at the outset. This perfectly set up Angus’ day-long discussion of the changing economic and social history of the city’s neighborhoods, which would be quite useful during the rest of our trip.

Our first stop after crossing the Thames was the Monument to the Great Fire of London, which is essentially a huge Doric Column topped with a gilded urn of fire. Angus pointed out that it was designed by Christopher Wren (and Robert Hooke) and built during the 1670s, just after the fire devastated most of the city in 1666. The monument soars 202 feet high — an astonishing height when it was built.

The Monument to the Great Fire of London (1670s)

The west side of the monument base features a carved relief by Caius Gabriel Cibber, featuring the city among ruins, upheld by Time, and showing Charles II directing the reconstruction while aided by Science and Architecture. The carving also depicts the flickering “fire” on the bottom right being crushed. But my favorite part was the real life pigeons sitting on the heads of three figures.

Cibber’s sculpture, with pigeons

Angus had recommended we not chit chat as we walked, but to instead “look up and watch out,” since we would notice many more things if we weren’t talking and looking down. This was good advice. One of my favorite architectural sights on Day 1 was the 1868 Gothic Revival building at 33-35 Eastcheap. Built in 1868 by Hill & Evans and used as a vinegar warehouse, its dramatic High Victorian Gothic design is now heightened by its juxtaposition with the more rounded, globular architecture of the (in)famous “Walkie Talkie” skyscraper that looms above it.

The “Walkie Talkie” looming over the 1868 Hill & Evans building on Eastcheap

The Gothic Revival building, designed by R. L. Roumieu, is finished in polychromatic brick and features sharply pointed arches on 4 of its 5 stories, with heavy Gothic detailing that seems to almost grow off the building. Angus noted that one architectural critic likened it to “the scream you wake on at the end of a nightmare.”

Another architectural marvel and cool historical site was the Leadenhall Market. The location of market activity since the 1300s, its current manifestation was designed in 1881 by Sir Horace Jones (who also designed the iconic Tower Bridge). It features a soaring glass ceiling, with an octagonal lantern in the center. The design was influenced by the grand Milan galleria in Italy, which had opened just a few years before (Kevin impressively guessed that bit of trivia).

Getting the scoop on Leadenhall Market

Another highlight from our morning tour — and quite different from anything we had seen up to that point —  was the Barbican. I think we were all really amazed by this place. Mostly built during the 1960s and 70s in an area that was heavily bombed during World War II, it is a remarkable specimen of urban planning, and it’s Brutalist architecture is striking.

Barbican

These stops were just some of my favorite highlights from an action packed tour that took us to dozens of sites around the City of London. After a very late lunch at a Mexican restaurant, we somehow still mustered the energy to ride a double-decker bus over to the Victoria and Albert Museum to tour several exhibits—including the amazing Cast Courts.

Victorian & Albert Museum – Cast Courts

Afterwards, we finally retired to the Luna Simone hotel and collapsed in exhaustion. It was perhaps the best sleep I’ve ever experienced, but I don’t know for sure, because I was asleep. But the next morning, I went downstairs to indulge in a delectable dish of bacon and egg, garnished with baked beans, and fueled up for a second day of adventures in London.

Yummy. 

By Michael J. Emmons, Jr., PhD Candidate in the Program in Preservation Studies, University of Delaware