![]() ![]() It was rebuilt badly, had to be torn down and rebuilt again only to be bombed to a shell during The Blitz.Īt this point, the authorities gave up and turned St Dunstan’s into the city’s most unusual park. The original church had the misfortune to burn down in the Great Fire of London. It’s a medieval church named after Saint Dunstan (don’t know your saints? He’s the one who defeated the devil by holding him in the face with a pair of tongs…as you do). Now that I’ve extolled the virtues of St Dunstan in the East as some of the best hidden architecture in London, I guess I’d better tell you what it is. Whooo, that was one heck of a hype job no? If I have to keep carping on about St Dunstan in the East until my last breath before you guys listen to me and go, well, that’s a burden I am willing to carry. I’ve mentioned it in my Instagrammable London Guide, City of London Guide, Beautiful Places in London piece and now this. If you’re a frequent reader you’ll know that I love St Dunstan in the East. Pickering Place, hidden from prying eyes, was the perfect candidate.Īs such, it found itself as the centre of many a naughty activity including bear baiting, gambling and even duelling. Like all good and upright parts of town, the residents of Mayfair needed somewhere they could blow off a bit of steam and do things that may or may not have been a little bit illegal. Juicy as that tidbit is, that’s not really what makes it interesting though – that would be the beautiful Georgian architecture that looks like it’s been plucked from straight out of the 18th century and the square’s surprisingly salacious history. Accessed through a small archway, unmarked save for some small lettering you’d certainly if you weren’t looking for it, Pickering Place holds the title of England’s smallest square and is one of the best places I discovered when writing my Unusual London book. Well, that’s not wrong but I’ll bet very few of you have ever heard of Pickering Place. After all, anyone who has ever heard of The Ritz and Green Park knows that Mayfair’s all about the old-school spenny glamour. Mayfair might feel like an unlikely place to discover London’s secrets. It’s all very well and good me extolling the virtues of exploring the unexplored places in London but who has the time to do all that research? To weed through the copious amounts of chaff to find the stuff that’s really worth doing? How about a jaunt to the secret garden of an old manor house in… Streatham? Who wouldn’t want to discover an ancient Roman temple buried in the heart of The City? Or visit one of the highest points in South London where you can soak up some of the best views in the city – get this – in absolute peace and quiet? ![]() Make no bones about it though, if you’re not discovering secret places in London, you’re only hearing half the story. Believe me, I am not (well, I kind of am but in the friendliest, loveliest way).Īs a born and bred Londoner, I’ve gone through my fair share of “OMFG I love London” and “ugh, I’m so bored – all I wanna do is sit at home and drink tea” phases with this weird and wonderful city I call home. Hell, even if you’re a local, you know that it is all too easy to get stuck in a rut doing the same old things. There are so many hidden gems in London that if I’m frank, if you’re not taking the time to explore the city, you are not doing it justice.Īs a tourist, it can be too easy to go through a checklist of the main attractions and think you’ve “seen” London. London is a city that pays dividends – if you take the time to invest in it that is. ![]()
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