A walk around Smithfield - UPDATED 30 April

[David Barnes]

WAIT LIST IS OPEN AS ALL PLACES TAKEN

We have been able to arrange a guided walk for Monday, June 2. The cost is £10 per person plus £4 for a visit to a particularly interesting church.

Places are limited. The first 7 replies secure a place after which we will have a wait list.

The walk will start at the Museum of London Exit of St Paul's underground station at 11:00.

The guide has provided the following synopsis:

The Smithfield walk will meet at St. Paul's tube station and then a short walk to Postman's Park. It's the location of a small Victorian memorial to ‘Heroic Self Sacrifice‘, a memorial to ordinary people and was started by the artist George Frederick Watts. With tiles made by William De Morgan and then Doulton commemorating the bravery of ordinary people in the Victorian age, it's very moving and evocative. One of London's little gems.
After that another short walk to St. Bartholomew's Hospital and its museum, the hospital is one of the oldest in the world, founded in 1123.
Then another short walk, passing the spot where William Wallace was hung drawn and quartered by the English. A memorial marks the spot.
Then another short walk to the church of St. Bartholomew the Great. One of London's oldest churches, also founded 1123. There is a charge of £4 to enter, which in my opinion is worth it. It is extremely atmospheric and feels and looks like a medieval church. It escaped both the Great Fire and the Blitz. The font is from 1405. There are also some very old memorials. It's one of my favourite churches in London. There's also a cafe inside it.
Another short walk to look at the Smithfield meat market building. The building is large and dates from 1888 and is listed. Meat has been sold on this spot for 800 years. Then another short walk to see an Art Nouveau pub, a small pub that's very photogenic. We’ll see the site of a medieval plague pit. Then onto and pass some of the world’s earliest industrial buildings. Then over Britain’s first ‘flyover’ built by the Victorians. We will pass the Royal Courts of Justice and end the walk in front of St. Paul’s cathedral. Stops for coffee and toilet.

If this walk is a success we may arrange others.

[Alan Graham]

Can you add me to the list please?

Many thanks.

Alan Graham

[Bazza]

Please include my name on list

[Chris Sawyer]

Please include my name on the list.  Chris

[Chris Nash]

Please include me on this trip.
Thank you
Chris

[PeterH]

Me too please if there is still a space?
Peter

[Richard W]

Can I bag the last place please? Cheers:-)

[Richard W]

A good walk, just the right amount of info given by the guide I think. Looking forward to more of the same:-)

[Alan Graham]

My legs still hurt...

It was a good day out all the same. Just a shame my knee started to play up. Seemed to have an effect on my images too...

[Chris Sawyer]

I really enjoyed the walk - it was amazing how much was crammed into such a small area!  It was a real challenge to photograph the medieval church in such low light conditions and I experimented with my 50mm (f1.8) prime for some shallow depth-of-field effects (with varying success).  I'm looking forward to the next one.