All of Memoirs Of A Metro Girl’s history posts in one place

Newest posts at the top, with special walks highlighted in pink…

Hold fire! The story behind the cannon bollard on Bankside. Street bollard. 18th or 19th century.

Two Temple Place: A look inside a unique Neo-Gothic office built for the world’s richest man. Victorian office building, now an events and exhibition space. 19th century.

Baroque and art nouveau collide at Old Finsbury Town Hall. Former Victorian town hall, now an events space and performing arts school. 19th century.

Shopping in Style – Part 6: The lost Lowther Arcade. Shopping arcade (demolished). 19th century.

The story behind Fleet Street’s boldest art deco façade: The Express Building. Office block. 1930s.

The Swan & Edgar building in Piccadilly Circus: One of London’s lost department stores. Department store. 19th century-1920s.

Hoxton Hall: Step inside one of the East End’s surviving Victorian music halls. Victorian music hall. 19th century.

Three centuries of Blewcoat School: From educating the poor to a ‘Posh Frock Shop’. Georgian schoolhouse. 17th century.

Georgian shop life and slum makeovers at 23 and 24 Bedfordbury. Georgian shops and housing. 17th century.

Exploring the history of 55 Broadway with Hidden London. Art deco office block. 1920s.

Holborn Viaduct: The history of London’s first flyover with a royal seal of approval. Road bridge. 19th century.

William Shakespeare’s London: Guide to The Bard’s former homes and haunts. Guide to William Shakespeare’s landmarks. 17th century.

The fascinating history of Blackfriars: Norman castles, a priory, theatres and Shakespeare’s home. District in the City of London. 13th century.

Royal Hospital Chelsea: Visiting the historic home of the Chelsea Pensioners with Open House London. Retirement home and chapel. 17th century.

A look at London’s post boxes from Queen Victoria to Queen Elizabeth II. Post boxes. 19th century to present.

Visit the Medieval ruins of Whitefriars in the basement of a London office block. Monastery ruins. 14th century.

The Trinity Green Almshouses in Stepney: A 17th century mariners’ retirement complex. Almhouses. 17th century.

Gaze up (or down) the stunning Brewer staircase at Heal’s. Spiral staircase. 1910s.

Peterborough Court: An Art Deco temple to journalism standing on Fleet Street. Art deco building on Fleet Street. 1920s.

London Stone – the myths and history of this City landmark explored. Medieval/Roman landmark on Cannon Street.

The ruins of St Alphage: A Medieval church is uncovered on London Wall. Medieval ruins on London Wall.

A reminder of Fleet Street’s tabloid past… and a rather creepy address. Office building on Fleet Street. 1910s.

The river runs through it: Have you spotted the river in Sloane Square tube station? Ancient river in tube station. 19th century.

The Chelsea cows – the story behind Wright’s Dairy and its surprising musical legacy. Former dairy. 19th century.

Top 10 urban myths about London. List of historical attractions.

Explore Dulwich Village with Metro Girl’s self-guided history walk. Walking tour of Dulwich historical and architectural landmarks. 18th or 19th century.

45-47 Ludgate Hill: A Victorian bank masquerading as a wine bar. Victorian bank. 19th century.

The story of Cecil Court: Arson, Mozart, movies and books on London’s literary lane. Pedestrianised street. 17th and 19th century.

Crossness Pumping Station: A stunning remainder of Victorian engineering. Victorian industrial building. 19th century.

Jewel Tower – a Medieval survivor of the Palace Of Westminster. Medieval Tower. 14th century.

William Blake finally honoured with a gravestone at his final resting place. Modern gravestone for poet and artist William Blake. 19th century/2018.

33-35 Eastcheap: This former Victorian vinegar warehouse is far from sour. Former Victorian warehouse, now an office block. 19th century.

Delve into the history of the arts and crafts movement at the William Morris Society. Georgian house dedicated to the history of arts and crafts pioneer William Morris. 19th century.

Emery Walker House: A stunning time capsule of the arts and crafts movement. Georgian home full of arts and crafts interiors. 18th, 19th and early 20th century.

If those tiles could talk! The remains of Queen Caroline’s bath in Greenwich Park. Georgian bathhouse ruins, late 18th/early 19th century.

Turner’s House: Follow in artist JMW Turner’s footsteps at his Twickenham retreat. Georgian home designed by and lived in by artist JMW Turner. 19th century.

Palladium House: An architectural slice of the Big Apple in London’s Soho. Former showroom and company headquarters, 1920s.

Long Acre’s horsey history and the story behind the Carriage Manufactory. Former carriage factory, 19th century.

What is a cricket sign doing on a tube station? Former cricket business, 19th/20th century.

Mail Rail review: Travel under London on the Royal Mail’s underground railway. Underground railway, 1910s/1920s.

Is this London’s skinniest house? The story behind 5 Thurloe Square. Block of flats, 19th century.

Holland House: A pioneering office block in the City of London. Office block, 1910s.

The ceramic bakers of Spitalfields on Widegate Street. Business premises, 1920s.

Discovering the origins of Somerset House on the Historical Highlights Tour. Historical site and arts and entertainment venue, 19th century.

Pickering Place: Step inside London’s smallest square. Residential square, 18th century.

The old pillars of the former Blackfriars railway bridge. Remains of Victorian railway bridge, 19th century.

The façade of the Cock and Hoop Tavern: A crime against architecture. Victorian pub façade, 19th century.

Fitzrovia Chapel: A beautiful hidden gem. Victorian chapel, 19th/20th century.

Crystal Palace Subway: A hidden survivor of a lost Victorian train station. Subway, 19th century.

A rare chance to get up close to the painted ceiling at the Old Royal Naval College. Painted Hall, 17th/18th century.

Neal’s Yard Water Clock: A quirky timepiece in Covent Garden. Water clock. 1980s.

Charles Dickens Museum: Discover the man behind the books at the author’s only surviving London home. Georgian home and museum, 19th century.

‘They shall not pass’: Fighting the fascists on the Battle of Cable Street mural. Street art, 1980s mural of a 1930s historical event.

Granada Tooting: A neo-renaissance cinema masquerading as a bingo hall. Former cinema, 1930s.

Shopping in style – Part 5: An art deco gem Princes Arcade. Shopping arcade, 1930s.

Is this London’s smallest alley? Squeeze down Brydges Place in Covent Garden. Alleyway, 17th/19th century.

Bolton House: A rare piece of Art Nouveau in the City of London. Art Nouveau building, 1900s.

Back to their Victorian glory: The restored sphinxes of Crystal Palace Park. Sculptures, 19th century.

Shopping in style – Part 4: Edwardian chic at the Piccadilly Arcade. Shopping arcade, 1910s.

Shopping in style – Part 3: Retail therapy Victorian style at the Royal Arcade. Shopping arcade, 19th century.

Shopping in style – Part 2: The world’s oldest arcade, the Royal Opera Arcade. Shopping arcade. 19th century.

Shopping in style – Part 1: The history of the Burlington Arcade. Shopping arcade. 19th century.

Strawberry Hill: A Gothic, Georgian masterpiece in Twickenham. Manor house. 18th century.

West End stars, a notorious public loo and Dr Crippen: The story behind Clarkson’s wig and costume shop in Chinatown. Shop building, 1900s.

Tribute to the man who saved St Pancras station: The Sir John Betjeman statue. Statue. 21st century.

Bedford Row water pump: A pretty piece of Georgian street furniture. Water pump. 19th century.

St Magnus The Martyr Church: The history of the old gateway to the City of London. Church. 17th century.

The Old Curiosity Shop: A little piece of 16th century London with a literary link. Shop linked to Charles Dickens. 16th century.

Roman Fort West Gate ruins: A tiny bit of Londinium… hidden in a cark park. Roman ruins of gate to a Fort. 2nd century.

Victorian Bath House review: Step back in time for exotic cocktails in one of London’s subterranean hideouts. Victorian Men’s Turkish Bath House, 19th century.

The Ferryman’s seat: A hidden piece of Bankside’s history. Ferryman’s Seat, Age unknown, but likely in existence in at least 16th/17th century.

St Katharine Docks: A hidden oasis in the centre of London. St Katharine Docks, 19th century.

Morden Hall Park: A country escape in south-west London. Morden Hall Park, 18th century.

Regent Street Cinema: Check out Britain’s oldest cinema… and sign up for free membership. Cinema, 19th century.

Country lanes, princes, gold and Chinatown: The story behind No.9 Wardour Street. Georgian terrace, 18th century.

Charlton House: A Jacobean treasure in south-east London. Charlton House, 17th century.

‘Roman’ bath at The Strand: What the ‘Dickens’ is the history behind this old watering hole?. ‘Roman’ bath, 17th century.

Memorial to Wat Tyler and the Peasants’ Revolt 1381 in Smithfield. Wat Tyler memorial, 14th century/2015.

Going underground: Visiting the Clapham South deep-level shelter. Clapham South deep-level Shelter, 1940s.

Here lies Giro the dog: The only ‘Nazi’ memorial in London. Gravestone, 1930s.

Leadenhall Market: Shop in one of London’s oldest commercial hubs dating back to Roman times. Leadenhall Market, 19th century.

Westminster Hall: Stand in some of Britain’s most famous footsteps at Parliament’s oldest building. Westminster Hall, 11th century.

Follow in the footsteps of the Suffragettes on a London history walk. Guide to London landmarks from Suffragette history. 19th/20th century.

Duck Island Cottage: A ‘rural’ retreat in St James’s Park. Cottage, 19th century.

Open House London 2015: Royal residences, Roman baths and more. Gallery of Open House London visits to ‘Roman’ bath, William Booth College, UK Supreme Court, Marlborough House and Royal College Of Nursing.

Regency London, John Nash and the Third Reich: Visiting The Royal Society’s Carlton House Terrace with Open House. Offices in former homes, 19th century.

Knights, Shakespeare and lawyers: Visit the Medieval Temple Church at Open House London. Church, 12th century.

London’s oldest public drinking fountain on Holborn Viaduct. Drinking fountain. 19th century.

St Bartholomew’s Gatehouse: A rare survivor of 16th century London. Church gatehouse, 13th and 16th century.

41-42 Cloth Fair: City of London’s oldest house which has survived the Great Fire and the Blitz. Private home. 16th century.

The Great Fire of London’s OTHER monument: The Golden Boy of Pye Corner. Sculpture. 18th century.

It’s not falling down and it’s NOT Tower Bridge: The history of London Bridge. London Bridge. Various points through history, with current bridge from 1970s.

Eltham Palace: A trip through history from Tudor kings to an Art Deco makeover. Eltham Palace. 15th century and 1930s.

Sit back and enjoy one of London’s best views: The swan benches on the Albert Embankment. Swan benches on the Albert Embankment. 19th century.

Metro Girl’s Must Do Series – Part 2: Borough Market. Borough Market, 11th/19th century.

A hidden garden in the City: The ruins of St Dunstan-in-the-East. St Dunstan-in-the-East church, 12th/17th/19th century.

Spirit Of Soho mural: Celebrating the history and characters of Soho. Wall mural. 1990s.

The South Bank Lion: A historic big cat looking a bit off colour… Lion sculpture, 19th century.

Having a gas: The last Webb Patent Sewer lamp in London. Gas lamp, 19th century.

Step to it: The Duke of Wellington’s mounting stone. Horse mounting stone, 19th century.

Derelict beauty: A visit to Caroline Gardens Chapel with Open House London. Chapel, 19th century.

A king’s country escape… in the middle of Rotherhithe: Manor House of Edward III. Remains of Manor House. 14th century.

Missing – One church: The lonely bell tower of St Alban. Church bell tower. 17th century.

Revisiting the now-restored Georgian water pump on Cornhill. Water pump. 18th century.

‘We are all in the gutter…’ Oscar Wilde memorial near The Strand. Sculpture. 1990s.

Thames Tunnel tour: Discover the Victorians’ Eighth Wonder of the World. Tunnel. 19th century.

Great Scotland Yard history: From a London base for Scottish kings to the Met Police’s HQ. Great Scotland Yard, 19th century.

Swiss glockenspiel in Leicester Square: The last survivor of the Swiss Centre. Swiss Glockenspiel, 1960s.

Monument to a woman who changed history: Emmeline Pankhurst statue in Victoria Tower Gardens. Emmeline Pankhurst sculpture. 1930s.

Who do you sphinx you are? The history behind the camel and sphinx benches on Victoria Embankment. Egyptian benches on the Victoria Embankment. 19th century.

Charles Dickens’ London: Retrace the author’s steps at these historic locations. Charles Dickens’ walk. 19th century

Cardinal’s Wharf: A survivor of 18th century Bankside amidst two London landmarks. Cardinal’s Wharf. 18th century.

Middle Temple Hall: Legal life, Twelfth Night and a rare survivor of Elizabethan architecture. Middle Temple Hall. 16th century.

A monument to victory, grand park entrance and an upset Duke: History behind the Wellington Arch. Wellington Arch. 19th century.

Neo-classicism, masques and an execution site: The history and beauty of Banqueting House. Banqueting House. 17th century.

Visit the ruins of an old Roman bath house with Open House London. Billingsgate Roman bath house ruins. 2nd century.

Step back in time at Dennis Severs’ House in Spitalfields. Dennis Severs House. 18th century.

Buxton Memorial Fountain: A memorial to one of Westminster’s most important laws. Buxton Memorial Fountain. 19th century.

Hay’s Galleria: Tea, war and fire – the history behind the Larder of London. Hay’s Galleria. 19th century.

Cleopatra’s Needle: How an Egyptian obelisk ended up by the Thames… and why isn’t it Thutmose’s Needle?. Cleopatra’s Needle. 15th century BC.

Rare colour film of bustling London town in 1927. 1920s

Winchester Palace ruins: A surviving piece of Medieval London amidst the wharves. Winchester Palace. 12th century.

A Complete History Of London: Funny, abridged story of the city in a Roman amphitheatre. Guildhall Roman Amphitheatre. 1st century.

Cellar Door review: Cocktails, cabaret and popcorn in converted Victorian conveniences! Cellar Door bar in Victorian toilets. 19th century.

19 Princelet Street: Step back in history in this unique museum of immigration. 19 Princelet Street. 18th century.

A revolving restaurant and communications hub: History of the BT Tower in Fitzrovia. BT Tower. 1960s.

More than just a traffic island: The history behind Parliament Square. Parliament Square. 19th century.

Civil war, centre of London and a memorial to a queen: The story behind Charing Cross. Eleanor Cross sculpture. 19th century and 13th century.

Seen a Dolphin in the Thames? Story behind the lamps on the Thames Embankment. Street lights by the Thames. 19th century.

Can lampposts be fashionable? The myth of the Coco Chanel street lights. Street lights in Westminster. 1950s.

Temple Bar: The only surviving gateway into the City of London. Temple Bar. 17th century.

This train ain’t going nowhere: A visit to London’s lost tube station Aldwych. Disused tube station. 1900s.

A bit of bling amongst the green: The glistening Albert Memorial in Hyde Park. Albert Memorial monument. 19th century.

A look inside Battersea Power Station before the developers move in. Art deco power station. 1930s.

The water’s run dry: A Georgian pump lanquishing on Cornhill. Water pump on Cornhill. 18th century.

Holding Out For A Hero: A monument to heroes at Postman’s Park. Victorian monument. 1900s.

Who moved the Thames? York Water Gate at Embankment Gardens. York Water Gate. 17th century.

Inside out: A rare chance to step inside the Lloyd’s Building at Open House. Lloyd’s Building skyscraper. 1980s.

St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street – where the tiered wedding cake began! St Bride’s Fleet Street church. 17th century.

Christ Church Greyfriars: A little bit of nature amidst the concrete jungle of the City. Christ Church Greyfriars ruins. 17th century.

What’s that small Tardis-looking thing? Story behind London’s police telephone posts. Police telephone posts. 1920s.

A walk in olde Dulwich: History walk for the Dulwich Festival 2012. Dulwich Village. 18th and 19th century.

Only 311 stairs… climbing The Monument. The Monument. 17th century.