I took the northern line to Finchley Central and the number 460 bus to Cricklewood Broadway in order to get to the start of the 16 bus route. As usual, I made my way to the top of the bus and watched the journey from there. The first 13 stops went along the main shopping streets of Cricklewood Broadway and Kilburn High Road. As I often visit many places towards the start of a route, I decided today to take my first stop further along.

So I got out at Kilburn Park Road and went to see the St Augustine Church near Randolph Gardens. The exterior of the church is magnificent but it wasn’t open today so I naturally couldn’t go inside. It was built in the gothic style in the 1870s and is a grade I listed building. The spire is enormous at over 77m so it can be seen from some way away.

Next stop was at St John’s Wood Road and I walked round to Little Venice near Warwick Avenue tube. I went down the steps to the canal and had a short walk alongside some barges and I came across the Puppet Theatre Barge which is moored here during the winter months (and in Richmond during the summer). It’s been going for 40 years and puts on shows for both children and adults, with a capacity of 50 seats.

I also met a young lad who was fishing in the canal and had decided to walk as far as the Thames, fishing along the route.

Around the corner from Little Venice, I came across Rembrandt Gardens, which is a very pretty little park. The gardens had their name changed to Rembrandt in 1975, to commemorate the 700^th anniversary of the foundation of Amsterdam.

Back on the bus and I alighted at Church St Market – as I’d visited the market on the number 6 route, I didn’t go again. I went round to Paddington Green, which is first mentioned in the 16^th century but the information given states it probably goes back a lot earlier. During the 18^th century, various cottages were built, one of which was the home of Emma, later Lady Hamilton. The church that was built in the grounds around 1790 is St Mary’s Church and there are many graves in the churchyard, the most famous of which is Sarah Siddons, the 18^th century actress. Most of the headstones are at the perimeter of the churchyard and sadly, most of them were derelict and it wasn’t possible to read the inscriptions.

From here, I took the bus to the George St stop and found my way to St John’s Church, Hyde Park. I was able to go inside and found a beautiful small church which had been used by American servicemen and women during the second world war. Round the corner from the church, I found a blue plaque for W H Smith (bookseller and also an MP) at 12 Hyde Park Street.

I walked to the next place of interest which was Tyburn Convent and Church and although I wasn’t able to go inside, I found a plaque outside, being placed there as it’s near the site that 105 catholics had been hanged at the Tyburn Gallows between 1535 and 1681. Pretty chilling and I tried to find the exact location, but wasn’t able to see it.

My final stop was the Dorchester hotel, from where I walked to Mount Street. In the heart of Mayfair, it was one of the original shopping streets and has some famous former residents such as Fanny Burney, an 18^th century novelist, at number 102, and Winston Churchill at 105. Also  there was a blue plaque for Jack Buchanan, a Scottish actor-manager. Round the corner is Mount Street Gardens which is pretty but unfortunately most of it was cordoned off – I think perhaps to protect the trees and lawns. There is a bronze drinking fountain with a rearing horse. Reading about the history of the gardens, I found out that they are on the site of a former burial ground, which was closed in 1854. There was also a workhouse at one time.

Round the corner from the gardens is a small church called the Grosvenor Chapel. Outside the chapel there is a plaque stating that the armed forces of the US used to hold services here during WW2. Inside, it’s quite simple but very pretty. The chapel has been a spiritual home to many famous people including Florence Nightingale, the first earl of Mornington and his wife (parents to Duke of Wellington) and even Dwight Eisenhower.

This was the last stop for today and I went back on the bus to Victoria station which is the end of the line.

Most of the day was spent outside, walking round gardens, along the canal and in churchyards. Inside was mainly in churches. It was a pretty cold day so I was pleased to keep getting back on the bus to keep warm! It was generally a good route and the best bits for me were the canal at Little Venice  and the site of the Tyburn hangings (a bit morbid perhaps but interesting nevertheless).