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The hidden architectural wonders of London

Nunhead Cemetery
The surge in the population of London led to overcrowding in the church graveyards. This increase not only caused the burials to become an unbecoming affair but a large number of people complained that a kind of off-putting vapour or miasma permeated the atmosphere from the corpses and spread diseases. To combat the problem, the Parliament passed a series of statutes for the first time that mandated the commercial establishments of burial grounds. The Metropolitan Interments Act of 1850 and later Burial Act allowed the municipal authorities to establish cemeteries in non churchyard burial grounds. This led to the establishment of Magnificent Seven of London Cemeteries. The Nunhead Cemetery is the largest but least visited of the seven cemeteries. The London Cemetery Company laid down the Nunhead Cemetery in 1840. The cemetery houses some 580 Commonwealth burials of the First World War. The expansive parks and gardens were removed from the cemetery to be made use of in the Second World War. The cemetery also housed a Dissenters’ Chapel that was exploded and battered beyond recognition. The western side of the cemetery will lead you to the view of St Paul’s Cathedral, while the left side of the horizon will reward you with a view of Alexandra Palace.


 St Pancras Clock Tower
It is one of the most iconic architectural icons of London. The accommodations at St Pancras Clock Tower overlook St Paul’s Cathedral and The Shard. The tower houses world class tower apartments in a wonderful setting of the city. The Clock Tower is located few minutes from the British Library and has important sites of central London located nearby. The place is perfect for spending a day full of entertainment. The Clock Tower plays host to numerous musical events, dinner parties and aerial performances. It is located right next to the Eurostar terminal across the King’s Cross Road. The place is graced with bare brickwork, Gothic styled arches, and wooden floors. The amenities provided at this place are equal with those provided at posh Hotels near Hyde Park London and do not fall short of anything in providing quality services.

London’s smallest police station
The smallest Police Station of London is equal to the size of the Tardis and is located along the south east corner of Trafalgar Square. This tiny box dates back to 1920s and is made up of hollowed lamppost and can accommodate only two prisoners at a time. The narrow windows of the box dispensed the person inside with the view of the entire cross. The police station also alight an ornamental light at the top which was lit up to signal alarming situations. An officer was deployed in the station to tackle days of violent protests. The discussions in the aftermath of First World War talked about making the small box into a permanent police station. However, the idea was written off due to public objections. The police box also had a direct phone line to Scotland Yard to be used in times of trouble. The legendary tales tell that the light atop the box (installed in 1826) is from Nelson’s HMS victory.  Presently the box is no longer used as police station but comes handy for keeping brooms by the Westminster Council.

Masonic Temple
This is a century old Masonic Temple known for its spectacular zodiac ceilings and columns. This temple was designed by Charles Barry in 1912 and is one of the gems of the Andaz Liverpool Street.  This Greek Masonic Temple housed the Lodge meetings of Freemasons. The cousin of the then Queen, Grand Master Duke of Connaught chaired the temple for the first time. The place is a venue for a variety of events: film screenings, fashion weeks, photo shoots, and private dining.

London’s Roman Amphitheatre
This amphitheatre of London was unearthed from the Guildhall Yard in 1988 after archaeologists fished out for hundreds of years. It was a strange finding as t all other ancient amphitheatre were located outside; this Roman theatre was found inside the Roman city walls. This was built AD 70 as a plain wooden structure but had a makeover in the 2nd century and it could accommodate 6000 people. In those times this amphitheatre was used to host public events, gladiatorial combat, animal fighting, and public executions. After the Romans were sent packing from Britain in the 4th century, the amphitheatre was demolished and was used for building materials. It lay in the ruins of the debris for more than hundred years.  Over the time the buildings led to the establishment of Guildhall. The remains of the amphitheatre can be found at eight metres below the layers of rubble and ruins. Once you reach there you will find the remains of drainage system, walls and sand that absorbed the blood of wounded gladiators.

Welbeck Street Car Park
This car park, designed by Michael Blampied and Partners was a notable car park in London. It was completed in 1970 and is a Brutalist era building that displays a façade of concrete diamonds. The car park was called as one of the unsung buildings of London by architect Sam Jacob.

Wilton’s Music Hall
Wilton’s Music hall is a unique historical building that houses a grand music hall, pub, and terrace of three houses. The place is now run as hall for multiarts performance space in London. The hall plays host to creative works like opera, music, puppetry, cabaret, and magic. It also has a concert room behind the pub that was enlarged in 1859 into a magnificent new music hall. The Grand Royale London Hyde Park Hotel is nearby to take a time off from this place.

St Dunstan in-the-east
This church was built during the Saxon times and is lying between the Tower of London and London Bridge. The church remained in ruins for a long time until it was reconstructed after the Blitz. The City of London Corporation planned to transform it into a public garden in 1967. The church has a steeple on the top, designed by Sir Christopher Wren.

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