EXPLORING LONDON 2
We meet on the third Friday of the month from 11am to 12 noon at Cheshunt Free Church.
Our next planning meeting will be on 17th May 2024 at 11:00am.
Our forthcoming trips are as follows:-
Wednesday 22nd May 2024 - The Horniman Museum
Monday 17th June 2024 - The Royal Observatory, Greenwich
Please speak to the Group Leaders, Rosemary Trundell at the U3A Cheshunt Monthly Meeting or contact Rosemary on 01992 621155.
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MARCH 2024
Our March outing was to the fascinating "Fashion City" exhibition at the Museum of London, Docklands which charts the arrival of Jewish people in London fleeing persecution from the late 19th to mid 20th Century. Over half found work in the fashion clothing and textile trade. The exhibition is staged as a walk through the streets and shops with a Central Line tube tunnel linking the East End with the West End. Once in the West End it charts the rise of fashion designers and the blossoming of the high street with well known names such as Marks and Spencer, Moss Bros., Wallis and Chelsea Girl (which would later become River Island).
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OCTOBER 2023
Our October trip was to the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Founded by Charles II in 1682, it was inspired by Les Invalides in Paris.
We were met by our guide, David, resplendent in his red uniform and the shiniest shoes we had ever seen. We initially watched a video giving us an overview of the hospital and showing the present day accommodation and facilities. David then took us around the grounds and showed us an example of the rather basic accommodation offered before modernisation. He then led us into the Great Hall, where pensioners take their meals and the Chapel, both designed by Sir Christopher Wren.
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SEPTEMBER 2023
For our September outing some of our group joined forces with Exploring London 4 for a most enjoyable visit to Eltham Palace. Thanks to Steve Sell for organising this.
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JULY 2023
Our July trip was a guided walk around Central Hackney. This was of particular interest to some of our group who grew up in or near Hackney.
We started our walk at St Augustine's Tower, which is the oldest building in Hackney, dating back to the 13th Century and all that remains of the parish church which was demolished in 1798. This was replaced by a Georgian church which was eventually completed in 1813 and for a while the bells were rung in the old bell tower until the new bell tower was completed.
Another notable building on our walk is Sutton House built in 1535 by Sir Ralph Sadler, adopted son of Thomas Cromwell, who became Principal Secretary of State to Henry VIII. During the Victorian era, with the coming of the railway in 1850, many of the old buildings were replaced by streets of terraced housing.
In August we decided to stay local and visited the Royal Gunpowder Mills at Waltham Abbey. When we arrived we were taken round the site on a tractor trailer ride and our excellent guide explained what all the various buildings were used for. We were also lucky to see some of the abundant wildlife living on the site.
After coffee/tea and biscuits we were free to look round the exhibits and view a film about the history of gunpowder and also have a ride on the narrow gauge railway. The Royal Gunpowder Mills were in operation for over 300 years. Over the centuries the factory grew, adopting new technologies and expanding its workforce to meet the increasing demand for explosives and propellants. After the 2nd World War the establishment reopened as a top secret research establishment before finally closing in 1991.
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JUNE 2023
Our June trip was to Freemasons' Hall, one of the finest Art Deco buildings in London. The first hall on this site was built in 1775 and the present building was constructed between 1927 and 1933.
We met our excellent guide in the Museum of Freemasonry which contains a vast collection of Masonic artworks, ceremonial objects and regalia. Our guide pointed out the symbolism of many of the objects. ( Incidentally the museum can be visited free of charge on most days.)
She then led us through enormous brass doors to the Grand Temple which is quite magnificent and pointed out the various figures depicted and their symbolism. Although its primary purpose is as a meeting place for Freemasons, it is also hired out for other grand events and has on occasion been used as a film set.
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MAY 2023
Our May outing was a delightful walk in beautiful sunshine led by Mick from our group. We took the number 8 bus from Liverpool Street to Victoria Park. On alighting we crossed the Hertford Union Canal and joined the Regent's Canal and walked along the towpath to Limehouse taking a slight detour through Mile End Park.
We stopped off to visit the church of St Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney. The church has a long, traditional link with the sea and many sailors were buried here. Also, anyone born at sea was required to be registered at St Dunstan's. Nearby we were interested to spot some alms houses built by the Mercers' Company, as we have recently visited Mercers' Hall. We had lunch sitting outside at the Yurt Cafe and who should wander through but Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, just a few days before the Coronation.
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APRIL 2023
In April we visited Bruce Castle Museum in Tottenham. Helen and Linda from our group, who kindly organised the trip, had arranged for the curator to lead us on a guided tour of the 16th century building.
After a welcome tea or coffee and biscuits, the curator led us outside to look at the exterior of Bruce Castle. Although it started out as a Tudor building there have been many additions over the centuries including a parapet in front of the Tudor gables on the second floor giving it a fashionable Georgian look. We were also taken into the Tudor Tower located a few yards from the house. Although the original purpose of the Round Tower is unknown the current belief is that it may have been used for falconry as a "hawks mews" (a place to rear young birds for hunting). Nowadays it can be hired as a wedding venue.
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MARCH 2023
Our March trip was to the magnificent Mercers' Hall in the City of London. The Mercers' Company was formally incorporated in 1394 by a Royal Charter granted by Richard II. The Company was a trade guild representing the interests of members who exported woollens and imported silks, velvets, fine linens and other luxury fabrics. Richard Whittingham, William Caxton and Sir Thomas Gresham were among early members of the company.
By the 16th Century many members of the Company had lost any connection with the original trade and today the Company exists primarily as a charitable institution supporting a variety of causes. The present Mercers' Hall is the third to occupy the site. The first Hall burned to the ground in the Great Fire of London in 1666. The second Hall was destroyed during the Blitz of 1941. The present Hall was opened in 1958.
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february 2023
We recently enjoyed a visit to the V&A Museum, which is always a treat. Most of us joined two of their excellent free tours. The first was on designing the V&A and we learnt something of the history of the museum through the architects, designers, artists and directors who created it. The other tour was on fashion and we discovered some of the fascinating garments and fashion related objects which help shape the museum's collection.
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JANUARY 2023
Our first outing of the New Year was to the Tate Modern via a wet and windswept Millennium Bridge. Some of us joined one of their free tours of modern sculptures looking at the inventive ways in which artists use diverse materials, which was most instructive. We came to the conclusion that when visiting these huge galleries it is only possible to view a very small proportion of the total contents on a single visit.
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DECEMBER 2022
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NOVEMBER 2022
On 10th November we enjoyed a guided tour of St Paul’s Cathedral. We had an excellent guide who gave us the history of the cathedral and pointed out the most interesting features. As most people know St Paul’s was designed by Sir Christopher Wren to replace the Norman cathedral which was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666. The building of the new cathedral took from 1672-1717. We were shown the remarkable Geometric Staircase in the South West Bell Tower which has featured in The Madness of King George and one of the Harry potter films. St Paul’s was the first protestant cathedral and Wren designed the cathedral in the English Baroque style. His vision was the building should be flooded with light and therefore did not include any stained glass windows. However, the Victorians added stained glass to some of the windows and other embellishments to the Choir area. We concluded our tour in the Crypt where Wellington and Nelson are buried.
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022
Our September outing was to the Museum of the Home. We previously visited 6 years ago when it was the known as the Geffrye Museum. We were delighted to find the gardens and galleries have been extended which made for a very interesting visit. In the home galleries the personal accounts by people about their homes was fascinating.
In October we visited the London Canal Museum in Kings Cross. This unique waterways museum is housed in a former ice warehouse built in about 1862-3 for Carlo Gatti, the famous ice cream maker and features the history of the ice trade and ice cream as well as the canals. The ice was imported from Norway, brought by ship and canal boat to be stored in an ice well beneath the warehouse. We had a most interesting hour long presentation by one of the volunteers at the museum, detailing the history of the museum and the Victorian ice cream process. It included a demonstration of ice cream making, Victorian style, which we were able to sample afterwards.
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AUGUST 2022
On Wednesday 3rd August we enjoyed a most interesting walk along the North bank of the Thames from Canary Wharf to Island Gardens led by Mick Coe. We travelled on the Elizabeth Line from Liverpool Street to Canary Wharf which was new to most of us. We were very impressed by the cavernous stations and the comfort of the trains. When we got to Canary Wharf we visited the Crossrail Place Roof Garden above the station which was absolutely delightful with lots of unusual plants which are beautifully cared for and free to visit. After a coffee we made our way to the riverbank towards Island Gardens passing on the way the launch site of Brunel's SS Great Eastern which had to be launched sideways. When we got to Island Gardens we continued our walk via the foot tunnel to Greenwich where we had lunch.
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JULY 2022
On Monday 11th July we visited the Garden Museum in Lambeth. It is housed in the former church of St Mary-at-Lambeth and next door to Lambeth Palace. The museum's main gallery is on the first floor, in the body of the church. The collection includes tools, art and ephemera of gardening including a gallery about garden design and the evolution of gardening.
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JUNE 2022
Our June outing was a Discovery Tour of the London Transport Museum Depot at Acton. Most of us had previously visited the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden, but the Depot was an absolute revelation! We were split into two groups and led round the depot by very knowledgeable volunteer guides. There are buses going back to the earliest horse drawn versions and up to and including the Routemaster and the more recent one-man operated buses. Also trams, trolley buses and of course underground trains as well as a section on the famous Underground Map and station signage. It was a great day out and well worth the rather lengthy journey.
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MAY 2022
In May we had a walk round the Olympic Park in Stratford, ably led by Chris Nevard, in the tenth anniversary year since the London Olympic Games. It is now a wonderful open space in East London with lots of mature planting free to be enjoyed by all. We went into the Velodrome and tried to imagine cycling round it's steep sides. We also saw the construction site where V & A East is being built. Eventually it will be a cultural hub as well as a sporting venue.
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APRIL 2022
Our April trip was a visit to the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth. We had not been there for a few years and we were very impressed by the new galleries on the Holocaust and the 2nd World War. Too much to cover in a single visit.
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MARCH 2022
On 10th March we enjoyed a guided tour of the magnificent Vintners' Hall, the home of the Vintners' Company since at least 1446. The Hall was burnt down in the Great Fire of London but rebuilding began almost immediately and the first meeting in the new building was held in 1671. Today the company has around 535 members, some 28% of whom are wine merchants.
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JANUARY 2022
Our first trip of the new year on 12th January was a tour of the Mansion House with Exploring London 3. The building of a house for
the Lord Mayor was suggested immediately after the Great Fire of London in 1666 and discussions continued for a number of years.
The Mansion House was eventually built and first occupied in 1752. The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress use the Mansion House as their home during their year of office and they and their staff work there. The House is beautifully decorated throughout and the Saloon is lit by a set of magnificent cut glass chandeliers but the highlight of the visit must be the Egyptian Hall with it's columns, gold leaf, statuary.and stained-glass windows. It is regularly used for state banquets, dinners and receptions of all kinds including the Chancellor of the Exchequer's speech at the Lord Mayor's Banquet.