This Week in London – Maharaja Ranjit Singh at the Wallace Collection; Anne Desmet’s Kaleidoscope/London and displaced Ukrainians at the Foundling Museum…

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August Schoefft, Maharaja Sher Singh (1807–1843) seated on his father’s golden throne
Lahore, Punjab or Delhi, c 1841–42 © Toor Collection 

• The remarkable life and legacy of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839), the founder of the Sikh Empire, is the subject of a new exhibition which opened at the Wallace Collection this week. Ranjit Singh: Sikh, Warrior, King features historic objects from Ranjit Singh’s court, courtiers and family members, including those personally owned by the Maharaja and the most famous of his wives, Maharani Jind Kaur, as well as their son, Maharaja Duleep Singh. Highlights include a fine miniature painting of Ranjit Singh and his favourite, a Golden Throne made by Hafez Muhammad Multani, and a sword richly mounted in gold and gemstones which was thought to belong to the Maharajah. Runs until 20th October at the Manchester Square institution. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.wallacecollection.org/whats-on/events/ranjit-singh-sikh-warrior-king/.

• A “fresh perspective” on London can be seen in a new exhibition by multi-award-winning wood engraver Anne Desmet at the Guildhall Art Gallery. Inspired by looking at a fragmented view of the world through a toy kaleidoscope, Anne Desmet: Kaleidoscope/London features works created by the artist slicing into prints focused on London from her earlier wood-engravings, linocuts and hand-drawn lithographs to make a new series of digital collages. The display features 150 works including 41 London-themed kaleidoscopic prints created exclusively for this exhibition. Among highlights is a complex collage, Fires of London, created using 18 razor-clam shells to present a theme of the many historic fires of London over the last 1,500 years. Admission is ‘pay what you can’. There are an accompanying series of artist-led tours. Runs until 8th September. For more, see www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/events/anne-desmet-kaleidoscopelondon-exhibition.

• Photographs depicting women and children forced to leave their Ukrainian homes following Russia’s invasion is on at the Foundling Museum in Bloomsbury. Polly Braden: Leaving Ukraine features the work of photographer Polly Braden and includes first-hand photographs, personal films and recorded conversations. It focuses on four central stories – that of three school friends trying to forge new lives and continue their education; that of a young graduate making a fresh start as a lawyer in London; that of a mother whose baby was born shortly after a perilous escape from Kherson to Warsaw; and that of two friends and their children who fled to Moldova with help from a kickboxing club, now struggling to find work in Italy. Admission charges apply. Can be seen until 1st September. For more, see https://foundlingmuseum.org.uk/event/polly-braden-leaving-ukraine/.

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10 atmospheric ruins in London…A recap…

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Time for a quick recap before we move on to our next series…

1. The Church of St Alphege London Wall…

2. St George’s Garrison Church…

3. Scadbury Manor…

4. Spitalfields Charnel House…

5. All Hallows Staining…

6. Tudor and medieval remains at Eltham Palace…

7. London Wall, Noble Street…

8. Coldharbour Gate…

9. Barking Abbey…

10. Bromley Palace Park “medieval ruins”…

LondonLife – St Pancras tunnel…

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PICTURE: Call Me Fred/Unsplash

Apologies – we accidentally ran a picture we’d run previously! Here’s this week’s instead…

This Week in London – Buckingham Palace to open East Wing; ‘Now Play This’ marks 10 years; Vaisakhi at Trafalgar Square; and, the warden’s private apartments opened at Walmer…

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The East Wing of Buckingham Palace with the Central Balcony. PICTURE: Mike Marrah/Unsplash

• The East Wing of Buckingham Palace – including the room off which the famous central balcony sits – is being opened to the public for the first time this year as part of the annual summer opening. Tours will take visitors to locations including the Principal Corridor, where paintings by artists such as Thomas Gainsborough, Sir Thomas Lawrence and Franz Xaver Winterhalter are on display, as well as the Yellow Drawing Room, decorated with recently restored Chinese hand-painted wallpaper from the 18th century, where visitors will see two hexagonal, nine-tiered Chinese porcelain pagodas and the Kylin Clock. They’ll also see the Centre Room, which leads on to the balcony, where highlights include a newly restored glass chandelier shaped to resemble a lotus flower, and two Chinese 18th-century imperial silk wall hangings, presented to Queen Victoria by Guangxu, Emperor of China, for her Diamond Jubilee in 1897. A limited number of tours will run daily from 15th July and through August. Tours must be booked in addition to standard entry. Admission charge applies. For more, see https://www.rct.uk/event/the-state-rooms-and-east-wing-highlights-tour-07-2024.

• Now Play This, London’s festival of innovative and experimental games marks its 10th anniversary as part of the city-wide London Games Festival from Saturday. The eight day event at Somerset House, this year running under the theme of ‘Liminal: Playing Between Worlds’, features games including Atuel (Matajuegos) which involves shapeshifting into animals within Argentina’s Atuel River Valley ecosystem and Proteus (Ed Key & David Kanaga) in which players explore unknown fantasy worlds as well as daytime events such as GOLF, a build-your-own mini-golf course, and evening events such as the Boring office party, a twist on the classic murder mystery. Admission charges apply. Runs until 14th April. For more, see https://nowplaythis.net.

• Trafalgar Square will host celebrations for the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi this Saturday. From noon until 6pm, the celebration of Sikh and Punjabi culture and heritage will be co-hosted by DJ and presenter Tommy Sandhu and entrepreneur, disability specialist and speaker Shani Dhanda. Events include Kirtan performances, demonstrations of Gatka, a Sikh martial art and talks by expert chefs as well as turban tying, film screenings, sports with the Sikh Games, and Sikh artists displaying their work. There’s also a children’s marquee with free activities from Kiddie Sangat and free vegetarian treats and traditional Indian tea will be available over the course of the afternoon. For more, see www.london.gov.uk/vaisakhi.

Walmer Castle in Kent. PICTURE: Ben Garratt/Unsplash

• Further Afield: The Lord Warden’s private apartment has opened to the public for the first time at Walmer Castle, the seaside retreat of the late Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, in Kent. The private apartment is given to the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, a position the Queen Mother held between 1978 and 2002. Visitors are able to tour a selection of rooms in the apartment, including the sitting, dining and master bedroom, which were used by The Queen Mother, Lord Boyce and other 20th century Lord Wardens and their families. Among the private items on show are family photos of the Boyce family and artwork, including a selection of paintings from a private and much-treasured collection belonging to Sir Robert Menzies and which depict places connected with his political career, including his time as Prime Minister of Australia. The post of warden is currently vacant following the death of Lord Boyce in 2022. Some rooms in the castle are currently closed to allow for a major conservation project to take place, however visitors can still see Wellington’s bedroom and the famous Wellington boots. Admission charges apply. For more, see https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/walmer.

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10 atmospheric ruins in London – 10. Bromley Palace Park “medieval ruins”…

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We finish with one of London’s more unusual ruins – in that it was actually designed to be one.

PICTURE: Doyle of London (licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0)

Located in Bromley Palace Park – once the home of the Bishops of Rochester and now the grounds of the Bromley Civic Centre – is what appears to be the remains of a medieval church or building.

But the “ruins” actually only date from the Victorian era and were created as a folly for the first private owner of the house.

The ruins, which are Grade II-listed, consists of a brick turret which features a rounded arched window in the Norman style with some raised zig-zag decoration above it and an arched arrow squint. The arch rests upon what is believed to actually be early medieval capitals with a late 12th century column on the left.

The folly, located at the south-western corner of the bishop’s palace grounds, was created in about 1865 on the orders of merchant Coles Child, who bought the house in 1845, and may have been created, along with other garden features, by the company of James Pulham.

Tradition says it was constructed from medieval remnants found in the moat of the bishop’s palace.

WHERE: Bromley Palace Park (Civic Centre Grounds), Stockwell Close, Bromley (nearest rail station is Bromley South); WHEN: Office hours; WEBSITE: https://bromleyparks.co.uk/portfolio/bromley-palace-park/

LondonLife – Canary Wharf reflections…

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PICTURE: Mirsadra Molaei/Unsplash

This Week in London – A Greenwich chocolate house recreated; Bridgerton wig debuts at Kew; and, climate tech at the Science Museum…

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• Happy Easter to all our readers! We’ll be taking a break over the next few days with our usual coverage returning next Tuesday.

A caricature of Lloyd’s Coffee House from the 17th century.

• Experience a recreation of Grace and Thomas Tosier’s famous ‘royal’ Chocolate House in Greenwich this Easter. Located in the Old Royal Naval College, Chocolate House Greenwich recreates the Tosier Chocolate House which was located in what became known as Chocolate Row, on the edge of Blackheath. A social space for the leading figures of the day, the chocolate house was run by Grace while her husband Thomas served as chocolate maker for King George I, running the chocolate kitchen at Hampton Court Palace. Visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the chocolate house via an audio and visual experience created by Unusual Expo and actor-writer Jonathan Coote. As well as meeting Grace, there is also the chance to listen in to luminaries such as architect and astronomer Sir Christopher Wren, writer and diarist John Evelyn, the first Astronomer Royal, John Flamsteed, and playwright and architect John Vanbrugh. A series of events will accompany the exhibition – which opens tomorrow – including an Easter Trail for families, a gin and chocolate tasting experience and a ‘Choc-o-Late’ event. Admission charge applies. Runs until 3rd November. For more, see https://ornc.org/whats-on/chocolate-house-greenwich/.

• A wig worn by Golda Rosheuvel in Netflix’s hit series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story goes on display at Kew Palace from the end of this month. The grey wig with accompanying tiara will be showcased in Queen Charlotte’s dressing room, alongside a lock of the real Queen Charlotte’s hair. Visitors will also be able to join daily 30 minute Queen Charlotte: A Kew Palace story tours, walking in the footsteps of famous royals like King George III and Queen Charlotte. Admission charge applies. For more, see https://www.hrp.org.uk/kew-palace/.

A visitor looks at a tidal turbine blade in Energy Revolution The Adani Green Energy Gallery at the Science Museum © Science Museum Group

• A major new gallery examining the rapid energy transition and decarbonisation needed globally to limit climate change has opened at the Science Museum. The Energy Revolution: The Adani Green Energy Gallery is divided into three sections – Future Planet, Future Energy and Our Future – and highlights technologies and projects being used to address the climate crisis. Objects on show include a seven metre long tidal turbine blade made by Orbital Marine Power which was used in the Orkneys, rare surviving Edison tube mains cables used to power world’s first public electricity network in London in 1882, and a three metre high CoolAnt passive air-cooling facade from India that reduces dependence on powered air conditioning. At the centre of the gallery sits Only Breath, a kinetic sculpture created by artists Alexandra Carr and Colin Rennie from Torus Torus Studios that moves and blooms, stretching to around five metres in diameter when unfurled. The gallery can be found on Level 2 of the South Kensington museum. Admission is free. For more, see sciencemuseum.org.uk/energy-revolution.

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10 atmospheric ruins in London – 9. Barking Abbey…

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Footings of the abbey (these are modern with the real foundations below ground). PICTURE: diamond geezer (licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Once one of the most important nunneries in the country, Barking Abbey was originally established in the 7th century and existed for almost 900 years before its closure in 1539 during King Henry VIII’s Dissolution.

The abbey was founded by St Erkenwald (the Bishop of London between 675 and 693) for his sister St Ethelburga who was the first abbess.

The Curfew Tower. PICTURE: Rept0n1x (licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0)

In the late 900s, St Dunstan, the Archbishop of Canterbury introduced the Rule of St Benedict at the nunnery.

King William the Conqueror stayed here after his coronation while famous abbesses included Mary Becket, the sister of St Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, who was given the title in 1173 in reparation for the murder of her brother, as well as several royals including Queen Maud, wife of King Henry I, and Matilda, wife of King Stephen.

The nunnery gained wealth and prestige but this suffered somewhat as a result of floods in 1377 with some 720 acres of land permanently lost. It nonetheless remained one of the wealthiest in England and it’s said the abbess had precedence over all other abbesses in the country.

After the abbey was dissolved, some of the building materials were reused elsewhere and the site was later used as a farm and quarry.

Most of the buildings were demolished – today only the Curfew Tower, which dates from around 1460, remains. The Grade II*-listed tower contains the Chapel of the Holy Rood and now serves at the gateway to the nearby St Margaret’s Church.

Building footings also remain buried under the ground in what is known today as Abbey Green (the layout is marked today by modern additions). There’s a model of how the abbey once appeared inside the gateway.

Barking Abbey ruins, Abbey Road, Barking (nearest Tube Station is Barking); WHEN: Daily: COST: Free; WEBSITE: https://www.lbbd.gov.uk/find-your-nearest/barking-abbey-ruins

LondonLife – Crossings…

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PICTURE: Arun Pushpam Raj/Unsplash

This Week in London – Hampton Court’s bunny hunt returns; vintage prints at the National Portrait Gallery; and, ‘Sounds of Blossom’ at Kew…

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Gardens at Hampton Court Palace. PICTURE: edwin.11 (licensed under CC BY 2.0)

• The Lindt Gold Bunny hunt returns to Hampton Court Palace this Saturday with families once again invited to search the gardens for those elusive Gold Bunny statues. Each statue offers a chance to match the names of influential characters from Hampton Court Palace’s history to the distinctive red ribbons and a small Lindt bunny chocolate awaits those who succeed in finding the bunnies. Visitors will also have the chance to encounter a selection of the characters roaming the palace over the Easter period. The Gold Bunny hunt is included in general admission. Until 14th March. For more, see www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/whats-on/easter-lindt-gold-bunny-hunt/.

• Rare vintage prints by two of art history’s most influential photographers – Francesca Woodman (1958-1981) and Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879) – go on show at the National Portrait Gallery today. Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream In showcases more than 160 rare vintage prints including 97 by Woodman and 71 by Cameron as well as artist’s books by Woodman which have never been exhibited before in the UK. Key works include Cameron’s self-declared “first success” – a portrait of Annie Wilhemina Philpot taken in 1864, Woodman’s Self-portrait at thirteen, taken during a summer holiday in Italy in 1972, images from Woodman’s Angel series and Cameron’s ethereal portraits of actor Ellen Terry taken in 1864. Also featured are Woodman’s Caryatid pieces and Cameron’s portraits of her niece and favorite model Julia Jackson, Alice Liddell as the goddess Pomona, a portrait of John Frederick William Herschel called The Astronomer (1867), and those of her frequent muses, May Prinsep and Mary Ann Hillier. Runs until 16th June. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.npg.org.uk.

• A new collaboration with the Royal College of Music blends music with spring blooms at Kew Gardens. Sounds of Blossom: Awaken your senses, the first ever spring festival to be held at the gardens, features six bespoke commissions that celebrate Kew’s unique landscape in the spring emerging from locations such as Cherry Walk, Asano Avenue and the Japanese Landscape. And on weekends during the festival, visitors can enjoy live musical performances from the Royal College of Music as they showcase a varied repertoire from classical favourites to jazz melodies. Included in general admission. Runs until 14th April. For more, see www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/sounds-of-blossom.

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10 atmospheric ruins in London – 8. Coldharbour Gate…

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Located within the outer walls of the Tower of London are the remains of some early 13th century fortifications built by King Henry III.

The foundations of Coldharbour Gate in the foreground beside the White Tower with the remnants of the Inmost Ward Wall beyond. PICTURE: Elizabethe (licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

These include the foundations of Coldharbour Gate which once adjoined the south-west corner of the White Tower as well as the western wall of the Inmost Ward which ran down to the Wakefiekd Tower.

The gate was defended by two cylindrical turrets while the Inmost Ward Wall has arrow loops installed, allowing archers to fire down on attackers who had breached the outer fortifications.

The gate was later used as a prison. Alice Tankerville, who was charged with piracy on the River Thames, became one of the most famous prisoners housed there when, despite having apparently been chained to the wall, she escaped with the help of two guards in 1533 (she was recaptured just outside the Tower).

The gateway was demolished in about 1675 and lead from the roof taken to Greenwich where it was redeployed at the Royal Observatory.

Much of the wall was hidden away behind later buildings but was re-exposed after being bomb damaged during World War II.

Not much remains to be seen today but the foundations do evoke a sense of the royal palace in times past and serve as a reminder that the buildings we see at the Tower today are not all that has existed here.

Other ruins at the Tower of London include the remains of the Wardrobe Tower, which lies at the south-east corner of the White Tower. It is thought to have dated from 1190 and incorporates the base of a Roman bastion.

WHERE: Tower of London (nearest Tube station Tower Hill); WHEN: 9am to 5.30pm (last admission 3.30pm), Tuesday to Saturday; 10am to 5.30pm (last admission 3.30pm) Sunday to Monday; COST: £34.80 adults; £17.40 children 5 to 15 (family tickets available; discounts for online purchases/memberships); WEBSITE: www.hrp.org.uk/toweroflondon/.

LondonLife – Standing tall…

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PICTURE: Barnaby/Unsplash

Looking towards Westminster Cathedral from Cathedral Walk.

Lost London – Nonsuch House, London Bridge…

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Once located at the southern end of London Bridge, Nonsuch House is the earliest documented prefabricated building.

Nonsuch House as seen in ‘Old and New London, Illustrated’ (1873). PICTURE: Via Wikipedia

Originally constructed in what is now The Netherlands, it was shipped to London in pieces – each individually marked – in 1578 with the reassembly completed the following year.

The four storey building, which was said to have been constructed using wooden pegs and no nails, featured an arched tunnel through the middle through which bridge traffic would pass.

The main facade faced toward Southwark and there were towers at each of the four corners, topped with onion domes. The east and west sides of the building, which protruded beyond the bridge out over the Thames were elaborately carved.

The northern facade of the building abutted other properties while the southern side had a clear space in front over which a drawbridge is believed to have been located (it could be raised to allow larger ships through).

The name may have referenced King Henry VIII’s Nonsuch Palace, located near Ewell in Surrey, and was said to refer to the fact there was no such building as splendid.

The property was demolished along with the other buildings on the bridge in about 1757.

This Week in London – “Forgotten” stories from royal palaces; and, St Patrick’s Day celebrations…

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A scene from the Untold Lives exhibition at Kensington Palace. PICTURE: Courtesy of Historic Royal Palaces.

• The “forgotten” stories of those who worked behind the scenes at London’s royal palaces are the subject of a new exhibition at Kensington Palace. Untold Lives: A Palace at Work shines a spotlight on those working in various roles at the palace between 1660 and 1830 – everyone from pages and cooks to wetnurses and seamstresses. Among the items on display is an apron worn by Queen Charlotte’s Wardrobe Maid, Ann Elizabeth Thielcke, a newly conserved portrait depicting a young Black attendant standing by King William III and holding his armour, and a specially commissioned photographic piece by Peter Braithwaite which reimagines figures from the Kensington Palace’s Kings Staircase. Among those whose stories are featured is the “Rat-Killer”, who wore a special rat-embroidered uniform, the Groom of the Stool, who was responsible for looking after the monarch on the toilet, and the Keeper of Ice and Snow, whose job was to cut ice so those at the palace could enjoy cold drinks and iced desserts all year round. The exhibition also explores the unexpected origins of some of those who served at the palaces, such as Abdullah, a wild cat keeper from India, and Mehmet von Könsigstreu, Keeper of the Privy Purse for King George I.. The exhibition, entry to which is included in general admission to the palace, can be seen until 27th October. For more, see https://www.hrp.org.uk/kensington-palace/.

• St Patrick’s Day is being celebrated this Sunday with the annual parade and a free, family-friendly afternoon of entertainment in Trafalgar Square. The procession, which sets off from Hyde Park Corner at noon and winds its way through the city to Whitehall, will include Irish marching bands, dance troupes and pageantry. From 1pm to 6pm, Trafalgar Square will host family concerts, children’s films and youth performances, as well community choirs, schools and dancing with Anna Haugh, International Chef of the Year 2019, running food demos alongside the main stage and children’s workshops. Entry is free. For more, see www.london.gov.uk/events/st-patricks-day-2024.

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10 atmospheric ruins in London – 7. London Wall, Noble Street…

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There’s many remnants of the Roman and later medieval wall which once surrounded the City of London – the towering section at Tower Hill near the Tower of London no doubt the most famous.

PICTURE: Esther Dyson (licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)

But there are several other stretches of the stone and brick wall left which evoke a sense of the structure it once was and the defensive role it played in protecting Londoners – among them is a substantial section of the wall located in Noble Street on the city’s western side.

The 80 metre long section of Roman and later medieval remains includes two internal turrets on what was the west side of the Roman Cripplegate fort (built between 120 and 150 AD) as well as a substantial bastion located at the southern end of the site.

The highest fragment of the Roman wall can be seen opposite Oat Lane, near the southern end of the site, while the highest section of the wall – which stands some 4.5 metres high and is mostly medieval – can be seen at the northern end of the site.

As well as reflecting the City’s Roman and medieval history, this section of wall also evokes a sense of the horrors of the Blitz.

Projecting eastward on the inside of the wall are party walls from World War II bomb-damaged and later demolished homes which once fronted onto Noble Street.

WHERE: Noble Street, London (nearest Tube stations are Barbican and Bank; WHEN: Anytime; COST: Free.

LondonLife – Bamboo forest…

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Hong Kong-based artist Zheng Bo’s new artwork, ‘Bamboo as Method’, situated in Somerset House’s courtyard. PICTURE:: David Parry/PA Wire

Located in the Edmond J Saffra courtyard at Somerset House is a forest of more than 300 bamboo plants. An art installation by Hong Kong-based artist Zheng Bo, Bamboo as Method invites visitors to take a moment out of their busy lives, immerse themselves in the garden and spend some time drawing. The installation features alcoves where visitors are encouraged to sketch some of the 10 different species of bamboo in the forest. They can also hear directly from the artist by scanning a QR code at the site. The artworks’s title pays homage to the late 15th century philosopher, Wang Yangming, who pursued enlightenment through the practice of gewu zhizhi – the acquisition of knowledge through the investigation of the nature of things. There’s an events programme accompanying the installation which is free to enter until 28th April. For more, see https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/zheng-bo-bamboo-method.

PICTURE: David Parry/PA Wire

A Moment in London’s History – Catherine Murphy’s execution…

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It’s 235 years ago this month that Catherine Murphy became the last woman in England to be executed by being burnt at the stake.

PICTURE: Cullan Smith/Unsplash

Murphy and her husband Hugh had both been convicted of “coining” (producing counterfeit coins, then seen as a matter of high treason) at the Old Bailey and sentenced to death on 18th September, 1788.

The following year – on 18th March, 1789 – they and seven other men were executed at Newgate Prison.

All eight of the men were executed by hanging but Murphy was, as the law then stipulated, made to stand on a foot high platform in front of a stake to which she was fastened.

It is believed Murphy, who was reportedly dressed in a striped gown with a black ribbon around her cap, was strangled to death before she was burned. A noose had been placed around her neck and the platform on which she was standing removed a half-an-hour before the faggots were lit about her, leaving her to hang (this had become a somewhat standard practice since the 1650s).

Execution by burning – which was increasingly attracting public opprobrium, not because of its barbarity but because of its impact on local residents offended by the smell and smoke which accompanied such a method of execution – was officially abolished the following year when the Treason Act was passed.

This was apparently on the initiative of Sir Benjamin Hammett, a former sheriff of London and now MP.

This Week in London – Underground shelters in wartime – then and now; new Ravenmaster at the Tower; and, ‘La Ghirlandata’ back at the Guildhall Art Gallery…

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• A new photographic exhibition exploring how Underground stations and metro systems provide shelter to citizens during periods of war, both now and in the past, opened at the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden last week. Echoes of the Blitz: Underground shelters in Ukraine and London features 70 images, including historical pictures from the museum’s collection as well as 38 contemporary photographs shot by six renowned, mainly Ukrainian, documentary photographers. The latter include photography showing ordinary Ukrainian citizens sleeping, waiting, cooking, washing clothes, caring for their pets and creating temporary make-shift homes in metro stations of Kyiv and and Kharkiv show alongside black and white archive images of Londoners taking refuge in Tube stations during World War II. The exhibition, which is being run in partnership with Berlin-based journalistic network n-ost, can be seen until spring next year. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.ltmuseum.co.uk.

A raven at the Tower of London. PICTURE: Kasturi Roy/Unsplash

• A new Ravenmaster has been appointed at the Tower of London. Yeoman Warder Michael ‘Barney’ Chandler took up the role at the start of this month, 15 years after he first became a Yeoman Warder at the Tower. The Ravenmaster oversees a team of four responsible for the care of the Tower’s seven ravens which legend says must remain at the Tower to ensure its protection. The legend apparently goes back to at least the reign of King Charles II – when the King’s astronomer John Flamsteed complained that the resident ravens were impeding his work at the Tower and requested their removal, the King was told that if the ravens left the Tower then the Kingdom would fall (and so they remained). While the Yeoman Warders have longed cared for the ravens, the post of Ravenmaster was only created in the past 50 years and was first held by Yeoman Warder Jack Wilmington. Yeoman Warder Chandler, who became the 387th Yeoman Warder at the Tower when he was appointed in March, 2009, is only the sixth person to hold the office. For more, see www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/.

• One of the most popular paintings at the Guildhall Art Gallery is being reinstalled to mark International Women’s Day on Friday. Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s La Ghirlandata has been on loan – first to the Tate Britain and then to the Delaware Art Museum in the US – but is now being returned. The painting dates from 1873 and depicts a ‘garlanded woman’ playing an arpanetta and looking directly at the viewer. The muse for the woman is said to have been the actor and model, Alexa Wilding, while the two ‘angels’ in the top corners were posed by William and Jane Morris’ youngest daughter, May Morris. The City of London Corporation acquired the oil on canvas work in 1927. On Saturday, free family activities will be held at the gallery to mark the work’s return. For more, see www.thecityofldn.com/la-ghirlandata.

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10 atmospheric ruins in London – 6. Tudor and medieval remains at Eltham Palace…

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Once a medieval royal palace, Eltham Palace in London’s east was transformed into a 1930s house which incorporates the medieval great hall.

Tudor ruins in the garden of Eltham Palace (with the home behind). PICTURE: Peter Gasston (licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

But there are also some other remains of the former medieval palace on the site – including the footings of the palace’s west range incorporating royal apartments used in the Tudor era.

These included separate apartments for the king and queen as well as a gallery where the king could walk in inclement weather.

The ruins feature diamond-patterned brickwork (pictured), part of the west range which was built during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the 1580s.

There are also the remains of a tower of yellow brick, which possibly dates from the 14th century when, prior to the site being a royal palace, it was rebuilt as a manor house by Anthony Bek, Bishop of Durham (it was Bek who gave the manor to the future Edward II in 1305).

These days the ruins lie within the home’s magnificent gardens, recreated to show how they might hav. Alongside the remains of the west range (and the medieval great hall which dates from the reign of King Edward IV and is largely intact), are the remains of a late 15th century bridge over a medieval moat, at the south end of which are the remains of a gatehouse.

There’s also an oak pedestrian bridge, supported by medieval brick and foundations which once formed part of the main southern entrance to the palace.

WHERE: Eltham Palace, Court Yard, Eltham, Greenwich (nearest train station is Mottingham); WHEN: 10am to 4pm Wednesday to Sunday; COST (advance online tickets): £14.50 adults/£8.60 children/£12.70 concessions/£37.60 family (can include a donation/English Heritage members free); WEBSITE: www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/eltham-palace-and-gardens/.

LondonLife – Leadenhall beauty…

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PICTURE: Samuel Regan-Asante/Unsplash

Leadenhall Market in the City of London.