Yesterday was a cool grey day and so it was a surprise to discover that today was sunny and hot. The forecast was promising a temperature of 27°C by mid-afternoon and so we preferred to make our move early.

Tigger had received information about a historic plaque outside an address in Exmouth Market which was therefore our target for today.

Crafts Council

Passing along Pentonville Road, I snapped the building that these days houses the Crafts Council but was originally built as the Claremont Chapel. It has recently undergone a period of building work and is looking very clean and bright in the sunshine.

As it was quite warm already, we took a slightly roundabout route in order to keep to the shade as much as possible.

Spa Green

We passed through Spa Green, a welcome green oasis, and sat for a while on a bench.

Pigeons feeding

Spa Green is home to a substantial colony of pigeons. The locals seem quite happy about this and people put food down for them. As a result, the pigeons are much less nervous of people than is usually the case. We passed quite close to these feeding pigeons and they barely took any notice of us.

Pigeon in the spotlight

The winged angel of peace on the war memorial is a favourite perch for the pigeons. (I find that poetically appropriate because the pigeons are also peaceful winged creatures.) One pigeon was perched on the angel and was caught in a ray of sunshine like an actor in the spotlight on a stage.

White turret, Finsbury Old Town Hall

We passed behind the old Finsbury Town Hall which looked very striking in the sunshine. I noticed the white turret illuminated by the sun and wondered what its purpose was. Did it once contain a bell or is it purely decorative?

Pediment, Finsbury Old Town Hall

I have often photographed the figures in relief at this end of the building and thought this time to photograph the pediment for a change. I had to do so from angle angle to avoid street furniture. These Classically inspired reliefs look very fine and I would like to have a closer view of them.

Exmouth Market

Here we are in Exmouth Market. Like Chapel Market, it is a street with shops and restaurants along both sides. The actual market runs from Monday to Saturday with stalls all along the centre. I don’t know why there were no stalls today although the shops were open.

Fast food stalls

These fast food stalls were in action so perhaps the rest of the stalls will come along later.

We looked for the plaque, both at the given address and all around but there was nothing to be seen. Maybe it has been removed.

The Exmouth Arms

Every market must have a pub (or several!) and this market has the Exmouth Arms. The pub is recorded from not later than 1822 but was rebuilt in its present form in 1915. With dark green tiling, it is typical of pubs of the Edwardian era.

Did the market take its name from the pub or the pub from the market? If, as I have read, the market dates from the 1890s, then the former would be the case.

Market Bar or Saloon Bar?

Traditionally, British pubs used to be divided into several separate rooms, divided from one another, but each with access to the bar. These rooms were each named, a typical pair being the Saloon Bar and the Public Bar. All were accessible to the public but different prices would be charged in each. This obviously class-conscious segregation of customers began to dissppear in, I think, the 1970s and pubs were altered to remove the divisions. That’s why, in many old pubs there are pillars or remainders of walls in the main bar room: they are necessary to support the building after removal of load-bearing walls!

The name of each bar would be indicated so that arriving customers could choose whichever they felt was appropriate. These names often remain even though the divisions no longer apply. This pub room has “Market Bar” in the glass of the door but “Saloon Bar” in the tiling. Presumably, the publican decided at some point to designate a bar for market traders to use, perhaps to save them the embarrassment of rubbing shoulders with the gentry!

Stepped access, Wilmington Square

We passed through Wilmington Square which has houses around a large central garden, open to the public. On three sides, the houses are separated from the gardens by the road but on the north side, only by a walkway.

The walkway

Legend has it that, having completed the roadway on three sides of the square, the developer ran out of money, preventing completion of the fourth roadway. I’m not sure I believe that story but it will have to do until I can discover a more likely one!

Fine stand of Georgian style houses

I have photographed these houses before but with the sun shining on them they looked particularly handsome today. I particularly like the Greek inspired triangular pediments and the porticoed entrance of the nearest house.

From here it was but a short distance to Myddelton’s where we acquired our usual coffee before returning home.

Gorilla and human

From a distance I spotted this tableau: Wild Kong and, beside him in a doorway, a human, forming a poetic composition. The picture is blurred because I took it from a distance and close-cropped it to show the subject. It’s as well I took it when I did because the lady soon disappeared inside before we had come much nearer.

We also now disappeared inside, to turn on the electric fans and hide away from the heat.