If you ever happen to be caught out by a sudden thunder storm in the South Part of Victoria Park - then head for Cadogan Gate!!
There you will find these two amazing stone alcoves for sheltering under.
But have a closer look at the inscription on the walls. By rights you should be sitting - staring out over the River Thames.
You see - these two stone alcoves were once on the Old London Bridge spanning the great London River!
The inscription reads:
THIS ALCOVE WHICH STOOD ON
OLD LONDON BRIDGE
WAS PRESENTED TO HER MAJESTY
BY
BENJAMIN DIXON ESQRE JP
FOR THE USE OF THE PUBLIC
AND WAS PLACED HERE BY ORDER OF
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE W. COWPER
FIRST COMMISSIONER
HER MAJESTY'S WORKS AND PUBLICS BUILDINGS
1860
OLD LONDON BRIDGE
WAS PRESENTED TO HER MAJESTY
BY
BENJAMIN DIXON ESQRE JP
FOR THE USE OF THE PUBLIC
AND WAS PLACED HERE BY ORDER OF
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE W. COWPER
FIRST COMMISSIONER
HER MAJESTY'S WORKS AND PUBLICS BUILDINGS
1860
http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?pid=1&id=426300
Please visit the incredible Hidden London website http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hidden-london.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/olb2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.hidden-london.com/id15.html&usg=__j_T3sZXjhZUR-C8JkbXaAfE0EC4=&h=347&w=290&sz=50&hl=en&start=673&sig2=KsWJ5S7jmaw38kVnZvycwg&tbnid=8XHZzAZypu6JIM:&tbnh=120&tbnw=100&ei=HW9bSfWqO964twfZ97CpDg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dold%2Blondon%2Bbridge%26start%3D666%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D18%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN (for hours of fun &) to see another of the Old London Bridge Alcoves hidden in the grounds of a cluster of low-rise flat blocks in Wandsworth. Few residents have any idea that their garden ornament comes from old London Bridge. The alcove is the only surviving feature from the gardens of a mansion that stood here until the 1930s.
There is this other one of the alcoves in the courtyard of Guy's Hospital - right next to the Thames (opposite the Houses of Parliament) - but I'm not too sure if there are any more? Any ideas anyone?
4 comments:
Hey Sóna
Thanks for all this info!! I have often wonderred what these alcoves were?
I like the link to the Thames, I think Viccie Park & the Thames are my 2 most favourite peaceful places in London. This is a lovely way to combine the two.
Mary
Hi hackneywick.blogspot.com
Thanks for this site, I really love visiting it every now & then to see what's new (& old) in the Wick.
There is nothing I love more though, than taking a walk down Wallis Road, over the footbridge, and watching the world go by from one of these alcoves.
Have you ever noticed that you can hear whispers from far away when you sit in the middle?
Try it!!
Geoff
Sóna
Thanks for bunching this lot together. I have sat in these alcoves for over 40 years now, and read all about them here & there, but it's the first time I've ever seen a picture of them actually on London Bridge!
I got to a stage where I wasn't too sure if I believed the stories anymore - but you have put up the proof now!
Thanks.
Betsy Palmer
They're not in the south of the park, they're in the extreme east of the park you silly sausage.
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