Today’s walk had a watery theme. It was warm and sunny with an estimated temperature of 19° C (66° F) though it felt warmer than that. I took a few photos but the air was rather hazy, softening outlines.

Sadler’s Wells Theatre

We passed by the famous Sadler’s Wells Theatre which is currently closed like other public venues.

The name “Sadler” comes down to the modern age from the original founder, Richard Sadler, who opened his “Musick House” here in 1683. The present theatre, which opened in 1998, is the sixth to occupy the site and to bear the name.

The “Wells” part of the name refers to the old monastic wells originally belonging to St John’s Priory, which somehow became covered over and were rediscovered and reopened around the time the Musick House was built.

It was soon decided that the water from the wells had beneficial medicinal qualities, attracting visitors from far and wide to sample the supposedly health-giving liquid.

Water also played an important part in the theatre’s productions when a water tank was installed on stage in the 18th century and spectacular shows involving ships were mounted.

In the last decade of that century and the first decades of the 19th, probably the most important star of the theatre was Joseph Grimaldi (1778-1837), considered by many to be the father of clowns. Grimaldi’s grave can still be visited in Grimaldi Park in Islington.

Not content with performing just at Sadler’s Wells, Grimaldi also performed at the Drury Lane Theatre on the same days and would sprint from one to the other to be in time to appear on their respective stages.

Pub sunbather

Turning into Arlinton Way, we spied a figure perched on the projecting ground-floor roof of the Shakespeare’s Head, taking the sun. A nice and private sunbathing station for someone, presumably the pub manager

Plaque, Claremont Close

We passed through Claremont Close which contains apartment blocks built, not in Georgian style but in a modern style intended to be sympathetic to the prevailing style of the district. On the building are two plaques, both exactly the same.

The picture on the plaque shows a city within walls, above which a hand is emerging from the clouds. Around this image is a Latin motto: ET PLUI SUPER UNAM CIVITATEM.

This somewhat strange motto has been translated as “I rained upon one city” and the whole thing was the seal of the New River Company which owned the land in this area. The Company was eventually absorbed into the Metropolitan Water Board which took the motto as its own but not the rest of the design.

From Claremont Close it is but a short walk to Myddelton’s deli but on arrival we were disappointed: it was closed! That was our fault, however, as we had forgotten that on Sunday they close at 3 pm.

Nothing daunted, we turned on our respective heels and made our way to St John Street and Jusaka. We were not to be so easily done out of our coffee!