Grade I listed Victorian government office buildings. The former India Office includes the magnificently decorated Durbar Court. It was opened as part of the “Open House London” weekend.
The visitor route takes one past, or through, various items of interest. The most spectacular rooms are on the latter part of the tour, after the Durbar Court, and the finale is the Grand Staircase. The magnificent Victorian decor compares with some of the best that can be seen elsewhere.
It is also an opportunity to find out about the work of the Foreign Office.
Well worth a visit.
Day: 25 September 2012
Westminster Hall, London
One of the finest and largest medieval halls in Europe, with a magnificent hammerbeam ceiling. Founded 1097, rebuilt with the present roof in the 14th century.
Once one has got through security and reached the entrance of the Hall, the first thing one notices is its sheer size. It looks much bigger than it seemed from the outside. It is also very high, and high up in the gloom of the ceiling are enormous hammer-beam timbers with richly carved ends. It still impresses today, and one can only speculate on how much it impressed its medieval visitors. The camera has enhanced the actual light level in the Hall.
Once inside, one can pass on through the richly decorated St Stephen’s Hall as far as the Central Lobby between the Commons and Lords, or turn right up a flight of stairs to visit the Grand Committee Chamber and Jubilee Room.
It’s worth going just to see the Westminster Hall interior. It is also an opportunity to find out about the workings of Parliament.
For information on visiting Parliament, check their website.
The visitors’ entrance is about halfway along the landward side of the Houses of Parliament. Be prepared for a lengthy wait outside before passing through airport-style security.
Horse Guards, Whitehall, London
A Grade I listed Palladian composition at the heart of Whitehall, for a hundred years the HQ of the British Army.
The symmetrical building sits over and around an archway leading from Whitehall through to Horse Guards Parade.
On the visitor tour one gets to see the stairwell, the central lobby, Wellington’s room with his partner desk (now used as a major-general’s office), the front room with various paintings, and the descending stairwell.
It was opened as part of “Open House London 2012”
If you go, expect a wait of 1 to 1.5 hours before you can get in, in a group of about 30. Bring sharp elbows to deter queue-jumpers. 🙂 A tour, conducted by a serving soldier, lasts about 45 mins.
I did not take external photos because of the rain.
Worth a visit? That depends on how interested you are in military history.
Markfield Beam Engine and House, Haringey, London
Victorian industrial building (1886) next to the River Lee, with the original Wood Bros beam pumping engine in situ and in working order.
The site was a sewage pumping and treatment station, but no longer has this function. Asides from the museum there are a cafe and other civic amenities. The buildings for the engine house, boiler house and other pumps (scrapped) still remain. The original boiler house and 2nd engine house have been converted to other uses.
The 100hp beam engine still stands in its original engine house, and was restored to working order in 2009. Steam is provided by two oil-burning boilers in a new single storey boiler room.
The ornamented design is typical of its period.
There are also some display panels about the history of the site.
Because of the cost of fuel, the engine is in steam only about once a month.
I was fortunate enough to see the engine running. It seems to be awkward to start up. 🙂 I purchased the operating instructions compiled by one of the volunteers – they run to 38 pages.
The site is worth a visit if you are interested in industrial heritage. It is at the end of Markfield Road: pass under the two railway arches and along the cobbled roadway to the left. Apparently it is OK to drive all the way down and park in the marked area next to the engine house.
King George V Pumping Station, Enfield, London
Open House London
Designed to pump water from the River Lee into the George V reservoir, the building houses three old disused gas Humphrey pumps, and two electric pumps. It was built in 1913.
The pump hall is of brick with arched windows, and inside is lined with white glazed bricks. A travelling crane runs along the top of the walls below the metal framed roof. The Humphrey pumps are almost unique, as they worked by using gas explosions to oscillate water in a huge U-tube, part of which (the black funnels) can be seen in the adjoining building, which is decorated with classical pillars. The third building was formerly used for gas generation.
If you pass a gate and climb the bank behind the buildings, you will be confronted by the vast expanse of the George V reservoir.
The site is worth a visit if you are interested in industrial heritage. The pump hall is an attractive building, built at a time when civic pride rather than accountancy ruled design.
The pumping station was opened for viewing on 22 Sept 1012 as part of the annual “Open House London”.
(If you are interested in Open House London and have a few pounds to spare, I suggest obtaining the annual catalogue booklet, as thumbing through this to see what’s available where is much easier than trawling the database-driven website, and you can carry it around with you. Many buildings require pre-booking.)
