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London's Architectural Walks



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London is one of the world’s great cities, steeped in two thousand years of history and rich in culture, architecture and agreeable surprises – often just around the corner.

     This series of walks includes all the famous landmarks, which are relatively close to each other so none of the routes exceeds four miles in length. They begin and end at underground stations, the circular walks at the same station.

     London is architecturally diverse. A third of the city was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666, including the old St Paul’s Cathedral, but subsequently rebuilt on the old medieval street plan giving architects such as Christopher Wren the opportunity to show their genius. This visual guide will take you to the architectural hotspot of the City where London was founded in Roman times, show you the artistic legacy of Chelsea and the great museums of Bloomsbury and Knightsbridge. Also included are the bastions of royal and political power, and the heart of the English legal system, plus Georgian Squares,  Victorian railways and John Nash’s blissful terraces.

     The sinuous curves of the River Thames has always provided an enduring backdrop to the capital so we visit the South Bank cultural area, the ancient Tower of London, reeking of history, and Pugin’s masterpiece, the Houses of Parliament. You’ll cross iconic bridges, including Tower Bridge and the famous ‘wobbly’ Millenium Bridge. We’ll also take in the peace of ancient churches and the wonderful Royal Parks, expansive and free for everyone to enjoy.

     London’s skyline has seen dramatic changes in recent years and the massive growth of skyscrapers is a constant source of amazement, with the glittering Shard now towering over all.

     By far the best way to enjoy all these riches is undoubtably on foot. However, walking in central London is not like country walking. The crowds, traffic and less than pure air can be tiring and paving stones are a lot harder on the feet.than grass. Take your time; there’s plenty of places to rest and usually a plethora of refuelling stops.

     The pleasures of London are many and varied but few are such good value for money as just looking. Many of these buildings have magnificent interiors and house wonderful things but often it’s sufficient to just stand outside and marvel at the human creativity, skill and tenacity that went into their construction.

     I do hope you enjoy this book and the buildings that inspired it. May they stimulate you as much as they did me while I was drawing them.

 

 Jim Watson


Londons Architectutal Walks 2nd ed
RRP: £9.99 Survival Books
Author: Jim Watson
ISBN-10: 1-913171-01-8
ISBN-13: 978-1-913171-01-8
Edition: 2nd
Published: 30th Sep 2019
Number of Pages: 128 Pages
Dimensions: 210mm x 148mm
Book Type: Softcover