This morning started, as mornings often do, with a visit to the deli for coffee.

The Curvaceous Tree

I paid a visit to my “friend” the Curvaceous Tree in its corner in Myddelton Square Garden.

At the deli

We found a table outside the deli where we could sit and enjoy our coffee while watching the comings and goings in Amwell Street.

Passing the end of Exmouth Market

We passed the end of Exmouth Market but didn’t visit it today.

The Bowler

We passed the pub called the Bowler, which probably dates from Victorian times and saw that they are covering its elegant original façade with a modern cladding. It’s such a shame when this is done as the modern decor is never as pleasing as the original. Even though the original tiling is still in place it will have been damaged by fixing the cladding.

Great Delicatessen

We stopped off at this Greek deli and cafe called (a little boastfully, perhaps) the Great Delicatessen.

Pink lemonade

We both had pink lemonade from the cold cabinet. You may be able to see that the lettering moulded in the bottle glass is Greek.

Inside the Great Delicatessen

Leaving the deli we caught a bus.

Farringdon Street

The bus brought us to Farringdon Street in the City of London.

Office block staircase

We walked along Farringdon Street and found this staircase which I was glad not to have to climb. The building also had a lift but it was out of order. We saw someone coming down the stairs with several suitcases. He had to make several trips up and down to bring them all to street-level.

The lone survivor

On one side of the street was a large building site. Over a broad area, all existing buildings had been razed except this one. How has it survived? Perhaps the owner was the only one to refuse to sell ti the developers. Good fir him or her, if so, for not giving in to greedy developers.

Unearthly faces

This building was extensively decorated with various figures including faces. Space constraints meant we could only photograph part of the façade and we chose the doorway. The faces look unearthly, even slightly demonic.

Holborn Viaduct

“Underneath the arches…”

Our path led us under Holborn Viaduct, a very decorative road bridge built between 1863 and 1869 and still an essential part of the road network.

A canopy past its best

We were now approaching Smithfield Market, in years gone by London’s biggest meat market where thousands, perhaps millions, of cattle came to be slaughtered. This canopy, now in a sad state of decay, links two building, providing a path between them protected from the weather.

Closed toilets

This triangular building, now shuttered and perhaps destined for demolition, probably held toilets for market porters.

Smithfield Market

The main entrance

The market building has domed towers. If you didn’t know its true nature you might think it served a more noble purpose than a place of slaughter.

Cloth Fair

This street is called Cloth Fair which betrays what activity once took place here.

Church of St Bartholomew the Great

One side of the medieval Church of St Bartholomew the Great. The founder of the church, Rahere, also founded the nearby St Bartholomew’s Hospital (known popularly as St Barts).

Founders Company’s Coat of Arms

In this area many livery companies have their halls. This is a representation of the coat of arms of the Founders Company done, interestingly enough, in Coade Stone, one of several artificial stone materials, which proved more long-lasting and resistant to decay than natural stone. The original recipe was lost but there are claims that ut has been redeveloped.

The Wax Chandlers’ Hall

Nearby is the Wax Chandlers’ Hall with its coat of arms above the door.

Lunch

We went to Marks & Spencer to buy a picnic lunch. We took it to the churchyard of St Mary-le-Bow where there are tables and seats.

St Mary-le-Bow-

And yes, this is the Bow Church within the sound of whose bells you need to be born in order to be considered a Cockney.

FestLatAm at the Guildhall

A Latin American festival, called FestLatAm, was taking place at the London Guildhall. Tigger wanted to take a look. When we arrived, we found that there was a fee for entry and as there didn’t a lot to see, we gave it a miss.

St Mary’s Aldermanbury

We passed this seemingly isolated tower. It is the remains of the Church of St Mary’s Aldermanbury. Dating from medieval times, the church was gutted in the Great Fire of London in 1666. Rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren, it was again gutted by fire in 1940. The walls were removed to the US, leaving the tower alone.

Pret A Manger

We made a final pitstop at a branch of Pret A Manger and then walked to Barbican Station and caught a bus home, ending today’s jaunt.