Following our plan of “staying local” while London is in Tier 2 of Covid restrictions, we went for a neighbourhood stroll this afternoon.

The Tram Shed aka the Mall

We took off along Upper Street where I photographed the Tram Shed. This is now a Grade II listed building. According to Historic England, it was built in 1905-6, though I believe that this structure possibly replaced a forerunner on the site. In the 1940s it was an electricity substation, perhaps supplying current for the public transport network. In 1979 it became the Antiques Mall that has been sorely missed since the antiques dealers were evicted and its use was changed to single occupancy.

Into St Alban’s Place

We turned off Upper Street into this unpromising-looking passage way. It passes through a sort of tunnel and you could be misled into thinking that it gives access only to backyards.

In fact, it leads into a residential estate known as Old Royal Free. This was built on land that originally held the Royal Free Hospital. This institution was built in the mid-19th century as new premises for the London Fever Hospital that had been evicted from its site at King’s Cross to make way for the new railway and station. It later changed its purpose to a general free hospital. Some traces of the original installation still remain, as we shall see. For a history of the Royal Free, see here.

Entering the residential area

It this point, St Alban’s Place is still narrow and quiet (note the speed bumps) but is more obviously residential.

Flowers around the door

This house has flowers around the door like a country cottage. I think they are artificial but they add a touch of colour.

Children’s playground
Photo by Tigger

In the middle of the estate is a large children’s playground enclosed by decorative wrought iron railings. It wasn’t busy on a weekday but there were a couple of mothers with small children making use of the amenity.

Handprints

The railings were decorated with a set of tiles bearing handprints of children and painted silver. (The angle of the photo is a little awkward because I was avoiding including any children in the picture as parents tend to be sensitive about this. Understandably, perhaps.)

One of a pair of gates

To leave the estate and progress into Liverpool Road, you pass through either of a pair of gates. These, I believe, are remnants of the Royal Free establishment.

The north gate

We in fact left through the other gate which is a few yards to the north of the first one. Here we are looking back at it.

Gate to the street

That is not the last of the gates, however, for there is one more. The street gate allows for the entry of vehicles as well as pedestrians, It encloses a yard which also serves as a vehicle park. If ever there was an actual gate, it no longer exists.

The North Lodge

The gateway is flanked by a pair of lodges unimaginatively if accurately called North Lodge and South Lodge, respectively. The picture shows the former. These lodges would presumably have accommodated caretakers in the days of the hospital but are now private homes.

The Angelic, previously The George

We made for home along Liverpool Road. On a corner (opposite Sainsbury’s, scene of our Sunday shopping runs, stands this rather grand pub. These days it goes by the name of The Angelic but was originally called The George. Records of its existence go back to the early 19th century but I am uncertain as to whether this is the original building. It could be, I suppose.

You can see that there is a clock on one of the façades. I have kept an eye on it ever since I came to the Angel. For a number of years it worked but showed the completely wrong time. Now, I think, it has finally stopped and I doubt whether it will ever run again.

To end with, here is a skyscape by Tigger.

Skyscape by Tigger