Carolineld

LATEST ARTICLES ( 803 )

• London's Smallest Museum?

  

  On Strand is one of London's very smallest museums - and its gift shop is larger than its exhibition! This is the Twining's shop, which has been here for three... Read more

  Posted on 28 December 2016 TRAVEL

• Adieu, Banbury North

  

  A few months ago, Banbury North Signal Box was a crucial part of the railway network as well as a landmark for train passengers. Now, it's boarded up and... Read more

  Posted on 22 December 2016 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• More Menier Magic

  

  The mill at Noisiel's former Menier chocolate factory may be exceptionally eye-catching, but its neighbours also deserve our attention. Read more

  Posted on 18 December 2016 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Ghost Signs (125): Alwyne Lane, N1

  

  In Canonbury, this sign advertises the services of John C Mather, builder and decorator, plumber and gas and hot water fitter. Among all those skills, he offere... Read more

  Posted on 16 December 2016 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Menier's Magical Chocolate Mill

  

  One of the most extraordinary of industrial buildings, the mill at the former Menier chocolate factory in Noisiel is enchanting. Read more

  Posted on 25 November 2016 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Ghost Signs Page Update

  

  Want to explore the ghost signs on this site? The ghost signs overview page has had a much-needed update: visit for a general introduction, further reading,... Read more

  Posted on 08 November 2016 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Ghost Signs (124): Centaur Cycles, Cambridge

  

  On King Street, Cambridge is a large sign for Centaur Cycles - 'the best the world produces'. A closer look and some careful deciphering reveals the words... Read more

  Posted on 05 November 2016 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Marylebone Coach Station

  

  There is, of course, no coach station in Marylebone. However, I discovered on a tour of the railway station that one was almost built on its site in the 1980s. Read more

  Posted on 31 October 2016 DESTINATIONS

• Through the Victorian Looking Glass

  

  Linley Sambourne, cartoonist for Punch, made 18 Stafford Terrace his family home in 1875. It stayed in the family, barely changed, well into the twentieth... Read more

  Posted on 20 October 2016 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Holland House: a Strange Centenary

  

  2016 is an unusual centenary year for a building, because 1916 was the middle of the First World War. However, as the name suggests, Holland House in the City o... Read more

  Posted on 17 October 2016 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Country House Telephones

  

  Although today, we visit stately homes for their historical interest, they were once eager to be technologically up-to-date. Their wealthy owners could afford... Read more

  Posted on 10 October 2016 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Shedding Light on Lambeth

  

  Turn your back on Lambeth Palace, and across the road towards Lambeth Bridge is a rather fine lamp post. There's no mystery about how and when it got here,... Read more

  Posted on 06 October 2016 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• C a Mistake?

  

  Dulwich is full of historical details, but here are a couple of letter Cs which may give you pause. The first is on the former Grammar School of the College of... Read more

  Posted on 27 September 2016 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Ghost Signs (123): Light Capsules

  

  The dilemma of ghost sign restoration is beautifully resolved in Light Capsules, a collaboration between designer and artist Craig Winslow and Sam Roberts of... Read more

  Posted on 19 September 2016 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Electrical Moderne

  

  Tucked behind a residential street in Woking is a small concrete building. It has an Art Deco look, not unattractive but not obviously exciting. However, the... Read more

  Posted on 18 September 2016 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Open House Inspiration

  

  Spoiled for choice by the 750 buildings welcoming visitors on Saturday and Sunday for Open House London? I'm not about to attempt a definitive guide or... Read more

  Posted on 14 September 2016 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Bovril Castle

  

  Conveniently close to central London, with a village ambience and select developments, Dulwich appealed to many nineteenth-century industrialists. Read more

  Posted on 10 September 2016 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Uncovered on Middlesex Street

  

  Until recently, 56 Middlesex Street, E1 looked something like this (courtesy of Google Streetview. Covered in bright merchandise, its cheap and cheerful facade... Read more

  Posted on 06 September 2016 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Markfield Beam Engine

  

  In a park in Tottenham is a fine piece of Victorian engineering and an important piece of London's sewerage history. Markfield Beam Engine may not be a... Read more

  Posted on 30 August 2016 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Ruins in the Woods

  

  An old water mill lies in ruins, almost hidden in woodland. It can only be reached by descending a slightly precarious, steeply downhill route from the... Read more

  Posted on 19 August 2016 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY